The ACE 7 key drivers of healthy living

In the January 2026 issue of CERTIFIED, we featured it ACE 7 essential guides to healthy living and began an ongoing series of articles exploring the role physical activity plays as a starting point for lifestyle change. The days of the personal trainersmall focusing exclusively on cardiorespiratory and resistance training they are long gone as many customers get more holistic approach to their health and well-being, including things like stress management and have a better sleepand they want their trainer’s help in achieving these goals.

The ACE 7 Core Drivers of Healthy Living is a framework to help you and your clients better understand those lifestyle behaviors that support overall health and wellness.

Perhaps most importantly, this framework offers a practical guide that can help clients make meaningful, lasting lifestyle changes.

ACE 7 essential guides to healthy living

1. Move more, Move well – Engage in regular physical activity and exercise that supports strength, mobility and long-term vitality.
2. Nourish your body – Choose balanced, healthy eating patterns that fuel daily life and overall well-being.
3. Prioritize restorative sleep – Get quality sleep that promotes recovery, cognitive function, emotional balance and immune health.
4. Strengthen your resistance to stress – Use effective coping skills and strategies that support emotional well-being and adaptability.
5. Create supportive connections – Cultivate positive relationships, community and belonging that enhance motivation and health.
6. Make safer, more informed choices – Make decisions that reduce health risks and promote long-term well-being.
7. Cultivate purpose and a growth mindset – Clarify personal purpose and values ​​and cultivate a mindset that supports consistency, resilience and sustained behavior change.

A real breakthrough happens for many clients when they realize that these seven behaviors are deeply interconnected. Improvements in one area often lead to improvements in others, even if that is not the client’s original intention. For example, quitting smoking can lead to the ability to perform more intense workouts, which can lead to better sleep, which can enhance resilience to stress, etc.

Initially, the personal trainer’s role is focused on determining where to start with each client, as each person is different. A client may already exercise consistently, but needs strategies to make better food choices and manage stress. Another may focus on drinking less alcohol and using physical activity as a way to reconnect with their spouse.

In the physical activity article referenced above, you will find a sample conversation between a trainer and client during which they work together to uncover what is most important to the client. Additionally, a downloadable worksheet is included that you can use with clients (or for yourself) to develop strategies for pursuing these initial goals.

Additionally, each article in this series will include what we call a “choice menu” just for ACE-certified professionals that you can use to help clients choose personally meaningful behaviors to begin their lifestyle change.

Be sure to check out each issue of CERTIFIED as we work through the ACE 7 Core Drivers of Healthy Living!

Final Thoughts

One of the most important things to communicate to your customers is that they don’t have to achieve perfection to benefit. The seven key drivers are about progress, not pressure, and building sustainable habits rooted in self-care. Remind your clients that small changes add up over time: meeting a friend for morning coffee, choosing a baby carrot instead of chips as a side dish at lunch, eating fruit as an afternoon snack, taking short walks after dinner, journaling about your values ​​and progress every night, reading for 20 minutes before bed—every healthy behavior counts and boosts your health.

If you are interested in learning more, be sure to read on The ACE 7 Core Drivers of Healthy Living: Physical Activity as a Starting Point. In this first article in an ongoing series, we explore how the 7 key drivers are connected and why physical activity can be the ideal starting point for many clients. This article also has a worksheetsmall you can use with customers to reveal where they feel more ready to make meaningful changes.