Michelle Segar

Michelle Segar, PhD, is an award-winning, NIH-funded researcher at the University of Michigan with almost thirty years studying how to help people adopt exercise and self-care in ways that can be sustained within the unpredictability of the real world. Her translational research on creating sustainable change is widely recognized as relevant and practical. She advises the World Health Organization on global physical activity initiatives, was selected to be the inaugural chair of the United States National Physical Activity Plan’s Communication Committee. Michelle has worked with a number of prominent organizations, including Kaiser Permanente, Walmart, WW, Anytime Fitness, Adidas, Google, The Permanente Group, and Business Group on Health and she is frequently interviewed in major media outlets including The New York Times, NPR, The Atlantic, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and TIME. 

No Sweat!, her bestselling first book is widely used to train individuals in health coaching and patient counseling across university and professional contexts, and her second book, The Joy Choice, was named “one of the best health books experts read by 2022” in The Washington Post. Michelle certifies health professionals in the Segar System for Sustainable Change and licenses its rights to large healthcare and fitness organizations. She has a doctorate in Psychology (PhD) and master’s degree in Health Behavior/Health Education (MPH) and in Kinesiology (MS), and fellowships in healthcare policy and translational research from the University of Michigan. Michelle ran with the Olympic Torch at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.