The American Council on Exercise (ACE) is partnering with digital and telehealth platform Eden Health to prepare fitness and wellness professionals to work with clients taking GLP-1 and other weight-loss medications.
The collaboration includes a new ACE continuing education course, Coaching Clients on Obesity Medications, focused on exercise, behavior change, and coordination with healthcare providers.
As the use of weight-loss medications grows, personal trainers, health coaches and group fitness instructors may increasingly encounter clients whose treatment affects their nutritional needs, physical function, and exercise capacity.
ACE, a nonprofit that educates and certifies fitness and health coaching professionals, says the partnership addresses a developing need for those in the industry to understand how to support these clients while working within their scope of practice.
The course covers obesity as a chronic disease, exercise strategies to support muscle function and long-term health, evidence-based coaching techniques, and collaboration with healthcare providers.
It also emphasizes the distinction between a fitness professional’s role and the medical management of weight loss.
"As the use of GLP-1 and other obesity medications continues to grow, health and exercise professionals need credible, evidence-based guidance to effectively support clients throughout their health journey," says ACE chief executive officer Cedric X. Bryant, PhD, FACSM.
He describes the collaboration with Eden Heath a way to connect medical treatment with physical activity, healthy habits, and sustainable behavior change.
Eden Health co-founder and president Joshua Khan says the partnership intends to strengthen coordination between healthcare providers and fitness professionals, including those working in gyms and fitness facilities.
"By partnering with ACE, we are helping build a network of educated, qualified professionals who understand how exercise, behavior change and medical treatment can work together to support individuals on their health journey," he says.
"Our goal is to make evidence-based obesity care accessible where people are already pursuing healthier lifestyles.”