ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal

ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal®

Are you looking for accurate, unbiased and practical information on health and fitness?

If so, look no further than ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal®. This bimonthly journal for members of ACSM’s Alliance of Health and Fitness Professionals responds to the practical information needs of fitness instructors, personal trainers, exercise leaders, program directors and other front-line health and fitness professionals.

Each issue includes:

Peer-reviewed feature articles.
Practical and concise columns health and fitness professionals can put into immediate practice.
Latest evidence-based exercise science and nutrition information.
Current topics of interest for health, fitness and wellness industries.
CEC opportunities.
Information on ACSM certification workshops and ACSM Approved Providers.

Editor-in-Chief: Paul M. Gallo, Ed.D., FACSM, ACSM-CEP, ACSM-EP, ACSM-GEI, EIM ISSN: 1091-5397
Journal Impact Factor: 1.6

Paper of the Year

View the current and previous Paper of the Year selections and editorials covering the selected articles.

Editors Picks

Get the scoop from the best – ACSM’s Editors-in-Chief share their recommended reading each new issue.

ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal® Associate Editors and Columns

Departments: These columns publish in every issue

Fitness Focus

Grace T. DeSimone, BA, ACSM-CPT, ACSM-GEI is the wellness director for the Wyckoff Family YMCA in New Jersey. She is the editor for ACSM’s Resource Manual for the Group Exercise Instructor, (2011) and is the 2016 IDEA Health & Fitness Association Program Director of the Year. Grace is a certified Mental Health First Aid instructor.

Description of the column: The Fitness Focus column contains friendly, easy-to-read health and fitness topics of general interest that HFJ readers and subscribers can share with their clients. Column topics typically address frequently asked questions from clients. 
Purpose of the column : The goal of the Fitness Focus column is to provide consumer-based information that readers and subscribers of HFJ can share with their client population.
Objectives: A primary objective of the Fitness Focus column is to create a library of the most frequently asked health and fitness questions for HFJ readers and subscribers to share with clients.

Take Ten

Charles J. Fountaine, PhD, FACSM, is a professor in the Department of Kinesiology at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN.

Description of the column: The Take Ten column started at the inception of the journal in 1997. The column publishes at the end of each issue, six times per year. From 1997 through 2021, Jim Peterson, PhD, FACSM served as the associate editor for the column. Upon Jim’s retirement, Chuck Fountaine, PhD, FACSM, was invited to serve as the associate editor of this column and has managed the column since 2022.
Purpose of the column: The Take Ten column provides readers with a quick topical overview of a variety of subjects within the health and exercise sciences.
Objectives: The objectives of the Take Ten column are to present the readers of HFJ with a brief overview of a variety of health and exercise science topics that are of interest to exercise professionals. Recently, Associate Editor Chuck Fountaine has begun reaching out to authors of research articles (especially review articles) to create content based on their areas of expertise.

Columns : These publish in the January/February, May/June and September/October issues

Health & Fitness From A to Z

Katie Smith, PhD, RDN, LD, FACSM, ACSM-EP, is an associate professor of Sport Science and Health Education at Simpson College in Indianola, IA. She is a registered dietitian and certified exercise physiologist. Her research interests span several facets of women’s health professionally, with expertise in prenatal lifestyle interventions to improve maternal and fetal health, and personally, as a mom to her four daughters. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, reading, implementing mindful movement daily, and being active outdoors.

Description of the column: The goal of the Health & Fitness From A to Z column is to take a specific topic and cover all aspects of it briefly (history, prevalence, physiology, function, future directions, etc.). It is intended for exercise professionals to practically apply the content in their daily work with clients, patients, and athletes. This column is written by a variety of experts from a diverse spectrum of the industry.
Purpose of the column: The purpose is to take complex health and fitness topics and break them down for the exercise professional to understand and use with clients.
Objectives: The objectives of this column are to identify the historical origin of the topic and tell how it has progressed over time within the exercise industry and to integrate the topic into daily practice with adaptations applicable for a wide variety of clientele.

Research Bites

Mary M. Yoke, PhD, MA, MM, FACSM, EIM, is a full-time faculty member at the School for Health and Human Sciences at Indiana University Indianapolis in the Department of Kinesiology. Before her position in Indiana, she was an adjunct professor at Adelphi University for 22 years, where she authored or coauthored numerous group exercise research studies. She is the author of four fitness textbooks and one consumer book on happiness; she has presented in 18 countries and throughout the United States on a wide variety of health/fitness topics; and has obtained 24 certifications. Her research interests include behavior change, positive psychology, motivation, obesity, group fitness, and personal training efficacy.

Description of the column: In the Research Bites column, Mary M. Yoke, PhD, MA, MM, FACSM, EIM, briefly summarizes three or four recent scientific studies that are likely to be of particular interest to HFJ readers. Topics include injury prevention, effectiveness of various weight room, cardio, and flexibility techniques and equipment, health behavior and motivation, mind/body research, special populations, and so much more. By including a wide variety of topics over the course of a year, we hope to increase readers’ scientific literacy, excite curiosity, address potential health/fitness questions, and elevate our readers’ knowledge, professionalism, and ability to lead the population toward higher levels of fitness and well-being.
Purpose of the column: To help our readers stay up-to-date with current evidence-based research in exercise science, exercise psychology, health behavior, and wellness.
Objectives: The objectives of this column are to review and summarize 3 to 4 relevant, published research articles per column, increase readers’ scientific literacy and awareness of current health and fitness research, and motivate readers to stay informed and excited about the many aspects of exercise.

A Nutritionist’s View

Stella Volpe Stella Lucia Volpe, PhD, RDN, FACSM, ACSM-CEP, is professor and head of the Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA. Her degrees are in both Nutrition and Exercise Physiology; she also is an ACSM Certified Clinical Exercise Physiologist® and a registered dietitian. Dr. Volpe’s research focuses on obesity and diabetes prevention using traditional interventions, mineral supplementation, altering the environment to result in greater physical activity and healthy eating, as well as in sport nutrition. Dr. Volpe is president of ACSM (2024-2025), chair of the ACSM American Fitness Index, and is on the Board of Trustees for the Institute for the Advancement of Food and Nutrition Sciences. Dr. Volpe is an associate editor of ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal®, the Translational Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine, and Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews. She also is editor-in-chief for Current Nutrition Reports.

Description of the column: The Nutritionist’s View column provides practical information that can be used to share with patients or clients. Sometimes, myths are debunked, which can help practitioners and their clients learn about nutritional information that may or may not be true.
Purpose of the column: The purpose of the Nutritionist’s View column is to provide up-to-date information on various areas of nutrition and exercise, but also nutrition and disease prevention. These include macronutrients, micronutrients, and supplements.
Objectives: The objective of this column is to provide readers with practical information for themselves and/or their clients about nutrition, physical activity/performance, and/or disease prevention.

Fitness Safety

JoAnn M. Eickhoff-Shemek, PhD, FACSM, FAWHP, professor emeritus, Exercise Science at the University of South Florida and president of the Fitness Law Academy, LLC, is an internationally known author and speaker. For more than 35 years, her teaching and research have focused on fitness safety, legal liability, and risk management issues. Dr. Eickhoff-Shemek is the lead author of a new 2025 textbook titled Legal Toolkit for Health and Wellness Coaches and Managers. She also is the lead author of a legal/risk management textbook, Law for Fitness Managers and Exercise Professionals, and is the co-author of another textbook, Rule the Rules of Workplace Wellness Programs, published in 2020 and 2021, respectively.

Description of the column: Fitness managers and exercise professionals have a legal duty to provide a reasonably safe environment. Often, they believe that safety issues and legal liability risks can be addressed by having participants sign a release of liability (waiver). However, waivers do nothing to enhance safety. The best approach to meet this legal duty is to develop/implement effective risk management strategies that create a safe environment. The Fitness Safety column is designed to help fitness managers and exercise professionals learn about these risk management strategies that focus on preventing injuries and subsequent litigations.
Purpose of the column: The purpose of this column is to describe how fitness managers and exercise professionals can fulfill their most important responsibility — providing a safe environment for all participants.
Objectives: This column will help fitness managers and exercise professionals learn how to:
- Develop/implement risk management strategies (policies and procedures) that help prevent injuries such as providing proper (a) health screening and fitness assessments, (b) hiring/training/supervision of staff members, (c) exercise prescriptions, and (d) inspections and maintenance of the facility and equipment.
- Develop/implement risk management strategies that mitigate injuries and subsequent litigations such as (a) having and properly carrying out a written emergency action plan (EAP), and (b) preparing/retaining documentation demonstrating that legal duties were properly carried out.
- Develop/implement risk management strategies that reflect (a) adherence to safety standards of practice published by professional organizations, and (b) compliance with federal and state laws that reflect safety – both are essential from a legal liability perspective.

Business Edge

Michael Stack, BS, ACSM-EP, ACSM-EIM, ACSM-PAPHS, is the founder and CEO of Applied Fitness Solutions and Michigan Moves Coalition. He is a faculty lecturer for the University of Michigan’s School of Kinesiology as well as the creator and host of the Wellness Paradox Podcast, produced in conjunction with the University of Michigan. He is an exercise physiologist by training and a health entrepreneur, health educator, and fitness industry advocate by trade. He currently serves on ACSM’s Strategic Health Initiative Committee on Health Equity and as the Business Edge associate editor for ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal®.

Description of the column: The Business Edge column delivers essential insights on contemporary business practices for exercise professionals, covering topics such as marketing, financial management, client retention, operational efficiency, and much more. By applying these strategies, exercise professionals can ensure business sustainability and continue to enhance community health. This column provides actionable advice to help exercise professionals thrive in a competitive industry.
Purpose of the column: The purpose of the Business Edge column is to empower exercise professionals with vital insights into critical and contemporary business practices to ensure sustainable business success.
Objectives: The three objectives of the Business Edge column are to:
- Enhance business acumen—Equip exercise professionals with the latest insights and strategies in marketing, financial management, client retention, and operational efficiency to improve their business operations and competitive edge.
- Foster sustainable growth—Provide actionable advice and practical tools that enable fitness businesses to achieve long-term sustainability, ensuring they can continue to serve and improve the health of their communities effectively.
- Promote industry excellence—Highlight best practices and innovative approaches in the fitness industry, encouraging exercise professionals to adopt high standards and continuously improve their services and impact.

Worksite Health Promotion

Nico P. Pronk, PhD, FACSM, FAWHP, is president of the HealthPartners Institute and chief science officer at HealthPartners in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Dr. Pronk is an affiliate full professor of health policy and management at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. He is a past-president of the International Association for Worksite Health Promotion (IAWHP), co-author of the IAWHP Online Certificate Course, editor of ACSM’s Worksite Health Handbook, 2nd edition, and associate editor for ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal®.

Description of the column: The Worksite Health Promotion column presents wide-ranging topics related to health and fitness that affect the performance of workers. This column provides thorough explanations and context of the stated concerns, presents explanatory considerations and potential consequences, and delineates potentially available solutions, evidence-based guidance, and resources for action.
Purpose of the column: The purpose of this column is to highlight contemporary issues related to health and fitness that affect workers, the workplace, and allied health professionals who provide worksite health promotion related services. Special attention is paid to providing evidence-informed guidance for practitioners.
Objectives: The objectives of this column are to:
- Introduce current health and fitness topics relevant to worksite health promotion.
- Place health and fitness topics in context of workplace performance, physical, and mental functioning, and provide explanatory background.
- Provide guidance for practice, including referrals to quality resources and references.

Columns : These publish in the March/April, July/August and November/December issues

Would You Like to Know

Barbara A. Bushman, PhD, FACSM, ACSM-CEP, ACSM-EP, ACSM-CPT, is faculty emeritus at Missouri State University. Dr. Bushman has authored articles related to menopause, factors influencing exercise participation, and deep water run training; she edited both the first and second editions of ACSM’s Complete Guide to Fitness & Health (Human Kinetics, 2011 and 2017), edited the Fitness Professional’s Handbook, 8th edition (Human Kinetics, 2025), and promotes health/fitness at www.Facebook.com/FitnessID.

Description of the column: The Wouldn’t You Like to Know column has an initial question that reflects a broad range of topics of potential interest to those in the health and fitness arena. The column answer is based on research studies and reviews, position stands/statements/guidelines by professional organizations, and governmental guidelines and resources with the intent of presenting content in a way that is readable and applicable while remaining firmly based on the current knowledge on the topic. When possible, columns include case studies or examples that allow readers to see application of the content. 
Purpose of the column: The purpose of the Wouldn’t You Like to Know column is to answer questions covering a wide range of applicable topics of potential interest to individuals in the health and fitness profession. 
Objectives: After reading a Wouldn’t You Like to Know column, readers will have:
- A greater understanding of a given topic, including suggestions on where to find additional resources whenever possible. 
- Application-focused insights on a given topic area that are scientifically based, as reflected in research studies and reviews, position stands/statements/guidelines by professional organizations, and governmental guidelines and resources.

Do It Right

Peter Ronai, MS, FACSM, FCEPA, ACSM-CEP, ACSM-EP, EIM, is a clinical professor of exercise science in the Department of Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield Connecticut. He is a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and serves as the associate editor-in-chief of ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal®, overseeing the journal’s annual themed issue and as the Do It Right column associate editor. He is a past president of the New England Chapter of ACSM and speaks and writes about tips and tools exercise professionals can access and apply to better serve their clients when developing exercise programs.

Description of the column: The Do It Right column addresses the appropriate background, application, form, and technique for specific resistance training exercises and functional performance assessments. Articles provide step-by-step descriptions of proper movements, verbal cues and instructional techniques, and teaching tools for helping clients learn, acquire, and master new skills safely, develop movement competence, and enhance physical fitness and functional performance. The practicality and applicability of each article is enhanced by several photos and online digital videos.
Purpose of the column: The purpose of the Do It Right column is to provide readers with a concise, practical description of a single yet potentially impactful exercise or assessment they can put into practice immediately to improve their client’s strength, physical fitness, and functional performance.
Objectives: After reading the Do It Right column, readers will be able to:
- Develop a thorough understanding of functional anatomy pertaining to a compliment of exercises and physical performance assessments.
- Develop sound instructional, supervisory, and leadership skills to help clients exercise safely and move competently and efficiently.
- Modify, progress, and regress specific exercises and assessments based upon client’s movement competence, physical capabilities, functional and health status, physical fitness, and preferences.
- Apply the information immediately when working with clients or when studying for academic or professional certification examinations.

Enhancing Your Behavioral Toolkit

Liz Hathaway, PhD, MPH, is a UC Foundation associate professor in Health and Human Performance (HHP) at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, TN. She teaches Health Behavior Change and Psychology of Sport & Exercise in the Exercise and Health Sciences undergraduate program and serves as the program coordinator for the Healthy Eating and Active Living Through HHP Residential Learning Community for HHP freshmen. Beginning fall of 2022, she decided to do the unthinkable and moved into a freshman residence hall to serve as a faculty-in-residence. Her interests include learning how to best motivate individuals, especially college students, to make lasting positive behavior change. Her dislikes include blaring fire alarms at 2 a.m.

Description of the column: We all know it – changing behavior is hard, whether that’s attempting to add a new behavior or remove an old one. The Enhancing Your Behavioral Toolkit column presents strategies and considerations for the exercise professional to consider when trying to help clients engage in long-term, sustainable health behavior change. Topics covered include proven health behavior change strategies, useful sport and exercise psychology tactics, and other relevant techniques for professionals to add to their ever-expanding toolkit to more effectively work with clients.
Purpose of the column: The purpose of the Enhancing Your Behavioral Toolkit column is to provide interesting and practical behavior change and sport and exercise psychology information to the exercise professional.
Objectives: The objectives of the Enhancing Your Behavioral Toolkit column are to:
- Introduce behavior change and sport and exercise psychology topics relevant to health and fitness professionals.
- Thoroughly explain the topic and its usefulness to the health and fitness setting.
- Provide practical tips and applications for health and fitness professionals.

ACSM Certification

Nicole Mendola, MS, ACSM-CEP, ACSM-EP, ACSM-GEI, EIM, registered clinical exercise physiologist, is a full-time faculty member within the Exercise Science and Wellness department at CT State Norwalk, Norwalk, CT. She received her BS in Exercise Science and her MS in Clinical Exercise Physiology from James Madison University. Nicole currently is a member of ACSM’s Group Exercise Instructor Committee on Certification and Registry Boards, she holds the position of MAX! newsletter editor for the New England regional chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine and is an active member of the Clinical Exercise Physiology Association Membership Committee. Her passion for clinical exercise physiology and her interest in chronic disease and the aging population has influenced much of her research.

Description of the column: The ACSM Certification column offers a comprehensive exploration of ACSM’s various certifications. It includes updates on certification standards, insights into the different certifications, and guidance on how to navigate the certification process effectively. The column is designed to keep exercise professionals informed about evolving industry standards and best practices, ensuring they maintain the highest level of competency in the field.
Purpose of the column: The ACSM Certification column aims to provide exercise professionals with in-depth insights, practical strategies, and the latest updates related to certification. This column serves as a valuable resource to support ongoing professional development, enhance certification knowledge, and foster excellence in practice.
Objectives:
- Update professionals—Provide timely information on changes and updates related to certification to keep fitness professionals current with industry standards and practices.
- Enhance knowledge—Offer detailed information of different certification options, including their benefits, requirements, and relevance to various career paths within the fitness industry.
- Support professional growth—Deliver practical advice and strategies to help fitness professionals prepare for certification exams, maintain their credentials, and leverage certifications for career advancement.

Clinical Applications

Kristi M. King, PhD, CHES, is a professor in the Department of Health and Sport Sciences at the University of Louisville. Dr. King is the principal investigator on interdisciplinary research studies that focus on physical activity and public health. She is a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES), a Commonwealth Institute of Kentucky Scholar, a University of South Carolina Physical Activity and Public Health research post-doctorate research fellow, and an America Walks, Walking College fellow. Dr. King serves the College as an associate editor for ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal® and as a member of the Health and Science Policy Committee.

Description of the column: The Clinical Applications column serves as an educational resource for exercise professionals, covering an array of contemporary health and fitness topics. Topics are organized and presented from an ecological perspective, positing that health and fitness behaviors and outcomes can be influenced positively or negatively by a myriad of individual, social, organizational, community, and policy factors. The column presents reliable, up-to-date research references and offers practical examples of programs, systems, and policies that can be adapted, implemented, and evaluated by health and fitness professionals’ unique settings and audiences.
Purpose of the column: The purposes of the Clinical Applications column are to provide exercise professionals with a well-researched synopsis of current health and fitness-related topics, along with citations for further inquiry, as well as provide an array of evidence-based and practical strategies for incorporating programming, infrastructure, and policies into practice with their audiences.
Objectives:
- An educational overview of current health and fitness-related topics
- An excellent resource for learning more about health and fitness-related topics
- Examples of evidence-based and practical strategies to adapt, implement or test in their own unique setting
- An understanding of how current health and fitness-related behaviors and outcomes are positively and/or negatively impacted by a myriad of individual, social, organizational, community and/or policy factors.

Medical Report

Paul Sorace, MS, FACSM, ACSM-CEP, is a clinical exercise physiologist in New Jersey. He is an associate editor for ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal® and the clinical associate editor for ACSM’s Certification Review, 4th and 5th editions. Paul also has served on numerous ACSM Committees, including chair of the CCRB Publications Sub-Committee.

Description of the column: Each Medical Report column discusses a specific disease or disability in which proper exercise testing and training can help manage and/or prevent the given health condition. Specific areas that are typically covered include disease/disability definition, pathophysiology, epidemiology, medical treatments, exercise testing and training recommendations, and special considerations. After reading the Medical Report column, the exercise professional should have a better working knowledge of the subject.
Purpose of the column: The purpose of the Medical Report column is to provide practical, scientifically supported information regarding exercise testing and training for individuals with chronic diseases and disabilities.
Objectives:
- Provide a better, more comprehensive understanding of the given disease or disability.
- Provide scientifically supported information regarding safe and effective exercise testing and training recommendations for the given disease or disability.
- Inspire and encourage the exercise professional to seek out more information on the topic.

Celebrate Success!

Heath M. Burton, PhD, is an associate professor in the Health Sciences Department at Furman University in Greenville, SC. As an exercise scientist and former collegiate athlete, he has a passion for exercise and sports. His research focuses on optimizing human performance through effective training and recovery strategies while also exploring the detrimental effects of physical inactivity on exercise responses.

Purpose of the column: The Celebrate Success! column is dedicated to recognizing and sharing notable achievements and impactful initiatives within the exercise community. Its purpose is to highlight outstanding individuals and programs, celebrate significant accomplishments, and provide inspiration and practical insights to advance the field and foster a sense of community. 
Description of the column: The Celebrate Success! column highlights real-world success stories from individuals, organizations, and groups that have effectively implemented innovative health and fitness programs. By showcasing notable achievements and exemplary initiatives, it aims to provide actionable insights, foster motivation, and encourage best practices within the field. Through these profiles, the column not only celebrates progress and innovation but also educates and inspires readers to apply evidence-based approaches in their own work.
Objectives:
- Recognize and celebrate excellence—to acknowledge and highlight exceptional individuals, programs, and research in health and fitness that have made significant contributions and achieved remarkable milestones.
- Inspire through real-world success—to motivate and engage readers by showcasing impactful success stories and evidence-based practices that demonstrate the potential for achieving impressive results through dedication and innovation.
- Promote positive advancements—to spotlight and support noteworthy developments within the fitness community, encouraging the adoption of effective practices and the continued advancement of the field.