American Council on Exercise Adds Three Senior Fitness Consultants

SAN DIEGO, Feb. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Fitness industry experts Natalie Digate Muth, MD, MPH, RD; Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D., and Chris McGrath, MS, CPT, LWMC, join the team of fitness experts at the American Council on Exercise (ACE), America's leading authority on fitness and the world's largest nonprofit fitness and personal trainer certification, continuing education and training organization.  The addition of Mantell, Muth and McGrath as senior consultants to ACE is part of the organization's ongoing efforts to inspire, motivate and encourage people to make physical activity an integral part of their everyday lives with an end goal of reversing the obesity epidemic affecting millions of Americans.

"At ACE, we are collaborating with the top experts in the industry to improve fitness literacy for professionals and fitness seekers alike," said ACE CEO Scott Goudeseune.  "Muth, Mantell and McGrath bring more than 50 years of combined industry experience and a wealth of knowledge on topics from nutrition and wellness to training and injury prevention, and everything in between." 

Muth joins ACE as a Senior Fitness Consultant focusing on nutrition and weight management.  She will contribute to ACE's vast continuing education and certification programs, and provide nutrition and weight management content for ACE's educational materials. An ACE-certified Personal Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor, Muth is a pediatrics resident at UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital, a registered dietitian and Board-Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD).

Mantell, an internationally recognized thought leader in the fitness industry, joins ACE as Senior Fitness Consultant on Behavioral Sciences. In this position, he'll provide counsel on the latest findings in health behavioral psychology to optimize overall wellbeing.  Since earning his doctorate at the University of Pennsylvania, Mantell has coached world-class athletes and fitness enthusiasts for performance enhancement and consults with major fitness companies and organizations throughout the country.  He is a two-time best-selling author appearing regularly on radio and television.

McGrath, founder and operator of Movement First, a New York City-based fitness education, consulting, and training organization, brings more than 20 years of fitness experience to ACE in his position as Senior Fitness Consultant. He specializes in a variety of training and coaching modalities, including sports performance, injury prevention, post-rehabilitation and lifestyle/wellness coaching. McGrath will assist ACE in the education of personal trainers, group fitness instructors, and other fitness professionals on the proper movement patterns for safe and effective training so that they may pass this knowledge on to their clients.  He is an international lecturer, educator, and consultant for some of the most successful fitness organizations in the world including Functional Movement Systems, TRX, Reebok, Star Trac, EA Sports Active and numerous others.  He holds a Master of Science in exercise science from California University in Pennsylvania, a Bachelor of Science in health education from Western Connecticut State University and has numerous training and coaching certifications.

"As the fitness continuum continues to evolve to include overall health and wellness, ACE is also expanding with new thought leadership to help meet the growing needs for enhanced professional education as well as greater public education and access to fitness services," said American Council on Exercise's Chief Science Officer, Cedric X. Bryant, Ph.D.  "The depth and diversity of experience that all our fitness experts possess is a powerful asset in helping us have a meaningful impact on the physical activity, nutrition, and lifestyle habits of Americans."

For more information on the various educational resources that ACE provides to more than 50,000 dedicated fitness professionals, visit www.acefitness.org/getcertified.    

About ACE
The American Council on Exercise (ACE), America's premier fitness and personal trainer certification, continuing education, and training organization, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the benefits of physical activity and protecting Americans against unsafe and ineffective fitness products and instruction.  ACE sponsors university-based fitness and exercise science research studies and is the world's largest nonprofit fitness certifying organization.  For more information on ACE and its programs, call (800) 825-3636 or visit the ACE website at www.acefitness.org.  AMERICAN COUNCIL ON EXERCISE, ACE and the ACE logos are Registered Trademarks of the American Council on Exercise.

SOURCE American Council on Exercise