Role Scientist | Name Michelle Segar | |
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Known for Suggesting that exercise should be rebranded as a vehicle of well-being and fueling what matters most. Notable awards Outstanding Dissertation, Society of Behavioral Medicine Residence Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States Books No Sweat: How the Simple Science of Motivation Can Bring You a Lifetime of Fitness Profiles | ||
Alma mater University of Michigan | ||
Interview the art and science of lasting motivation with michelle segar
Michelle L. Segar is an American behavioral sustainability scientist, author, and speaker known for her research on how to create autonomous and sustained motivation for self-care behaviors (e.g., exercise, sleep, eating) at the University of Michigan. Her work integrates ideas from marketing, persuasion, goal pursuit, positive psychology, organizational change, behavioral economics, culture and socialization to understand and leverage the unconscious influences on the daily decision making that underlie sustained health, fitness, and well-being. Her book about the science behind lasting exercise motivation, No Sweat: How the Simple Science of Motivation Can Bring You a Lifetime of Fitness was chosen as the number one book in the “Health: Diet and Exercise” category by the USA Best Book Awards in 2015.
Contents
- Interview the art and science of lasting motivation with michelle segar
- No sweat by michelle segar phd
- Biography
- Research
- References
No sweat by michelle segar phd
Biography
Michelle Segar received her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan’s Residential College, studying how socialization and culture influence attitudes, motivation, and behavior. Between her undergraduate and graduate education she worked for the 25th Olympic Committee in Barcelona, Spain where she also ran with the Olympic Torch. After Segar received master's degrees in Kinesiology (M.S.) and in Health Behavior-Health Education (M.P.H.), she studied for and was awarded a doctorate in Personality Psychology at the University of Michigan. Her dissertation about understanding how exercise goals undermine or promote sustainable behavior was selected as the Outstanding Dissertation by the Society of Behavioral Medicine. Segar now publishes her work in scientific journals and translates research into recommendations and behavioral trainings for use within health care, public health, health promotion, and fitness contexts. She lives in Ann Arbor with her husband and son.
Research
Segar was the first researcher to recommend that exercise should be rebranded (away from medicine and health) as a vehicle to foster daily energy, well-being, and success. Her work indicates that when motivation is linked to future and/or abstract goals related to clinical health outcomes, self-care behaviors (exercise, dietary change, sleep) are not compelling enough to trump the other daily goals and priorities with which they constantly compete. Segar's research suggests that marketing and branding health behaviors for their instantaneous payoffs and their role in fueling what matters most will better result in sustained motivation and behavior. These recommendations to improve public health were picked up by the American mass media, including a New York Times featured interview and other leading national and international news sources. Her research on rebranding exercise was also featured by the United States Department of Health and Human Services and The American College of Sports Medicine.
Michelle Segar currently conducts interdisciplinary, translational research at the University of Michigan related to how to motivate people to prioritize and sustain health-related behaviors (e.g., walking, sleep), with an interest in targeting demographic differences related to gender, ethnicity, and SES to improve outcomes in public health, health care, and corporate wellness. She has also been a health coach to individuals for over 20 years. Segar is the Director of The Sport, Health, and Activity, Research and Policy (SHARP) Center, Faculty Associate at the Ross School of Business’ Center for Positive Organizations, researcher at the Institute for Research on Women and Gender, and was a Health Policy Fellow at the Center for Healthcare Research and Transformation in 2013.
Segar was the inaugural Chair of the U.S. National Physical Activity Plan’s Communications Committee (2014-2017), charged with advising the Plan on more persuasive messaging strategies for American citizens and policy makers. She delivered a Presidential Lecture at the American College of Sport Medicine’s 2017 annual conference and her work is being integrated in diabetes prevention programs in the United States.
