Researcher, Coach, Speaker
Home: Ann Arbor, MI
Bio: Dr. Michelle Segar has been researching how to produce sustainable exercise motivation and behavior since 1994. Her novel approach and coaching has been featured in the New York Times, the Washington Post, among many others. She speaks around the country and consults with organizations about how to build cultures and programming that better support individuals making lasting behavioral changes.
My Philosophy: “If following the herd hasn’t led to your desired destination, be smart and change direction.”
If I weren't doing what I do now I'd be: Even if I were a billionaire, I’d be doing exactly the same thing.
Favorite piece of advice (or “pearl of wisdom”): Saying “I should” abdicates personal responsibility for your choices.
My website: essentialsteps.net
Our study found that women reported valuing exercise benefits related to “current health,” “healthy aging,” and “daily quality of life” the same amount. But the women who exercised to enhance the quality of their daily life exercised more over one year than the other two groups…
Most of us were not fortunate enough to learn the art of designing happy and healthy lives when we were in our twenties. Yet we now have an opportunity (and maybe a responsibility?) to expose our lessons about self-care to our daughters (and sons). Parents are CRUCIAL role models for children, both about what helps as well as what hinders. …
When we do “healthy” things for our bodies without respect and out of resentment we do much more damage than we realize. Treating our bodies like Cinderella leads to poor quality motivation and a cyclical instead of sustainable behavior. It also promotes self-deprecation, low self-worth and sabotages our ability to enjoying life to the fullest…
Ironically, “should” thinking prevents us from doing the things we could do to help ourselves because we are too focused on thinking through what we are supposed to be doing. The solution is actually simple…
Michelle Segar, an exercise psychologist known as The Exercise Motivation and Behavior Architect, says that here’s a really big difference between doing regular physical activity and making it YOURS. Consider the difference between dating someone that’s kind of fun and someone with whom you really feel alive…
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