What if everything we thought we knew about motivating people to exercise was wrong? In this eye-opening episode, we explore the counterintuitive science of sustainable physical activity with behavioral scientist Dr. Michelle Segar and lifestyle medicine physician Dr. Rakesh Jatwani.
Here's a shocking revelation: telling patients to exercise "for their health" might actually be sabotaging their long-term motivation. Dr. Segar shares research showing that health-focused exercise messaging can be as demotivating as weight-loss goals, while Dr. Jatwani candidly admits, "I was doing harm in the way I was talking about exercise" before discovering these evidence-based approaches.
Both experts take us behind the scenes of their upcoming workshop at the American College of Lifestyle Medicine conference, where they'll present a simple, practical framework for healthcare providers to transform how they discuss physical activity with patients. This framework, grounded in behavioral science yet accessible enough to deploy in time-limited clinical settings, promises to bridge the gap between good intentions and sustainable habits.
Ready to transform how you think about physical activity motivation? Listen now, and discover why movement that enhances daily quality of life creates more lasting change than exercise prescribed solely for health benefits.
Our Guests: Dr. Michelle Segar, PhD & Dr. Rak Jotwani, MD
Dr. Michelle Segar is an award-winning, NIH-funded researcher at the University of Michigan with thirty years studying how to help people adopt physical activity and other lifestyle behaviors in ways that can be sustained within the unpredictability of the real world. Since 1994, her scientifically supported methodologies have been transforming peoples’ mindsets about lifestyle behaviors in ways that cultivate the daily decision-making that underlies behavioral sustainability.
Michelle’s research on creating sustainable changes in behavior is widely recognized as uniquely pragmatic for real-world applications. Her advice is sought by prominent initiatives including the World Health Organization’s expert group on the Global Action Plan on Physical Activity, and she was also selected to be the inaugural chair of the United States National Physical Activity Plan’s Communication Committee. Michelle’s training and experience is uniquely comprehensive, including a doctorate in Psychology (PhD), a master’s degree in Health Behavior/Health Education (MPH), a master’s degree in Kinesiology (MS) and fellowships in translational research and health care policy from the University of Michigan. She is a Fellow with the Society of Behavioral Medicine.
A sought-after keynote speaker and coach, Michelle’s synergistic combination of academic research with real-world sustainable-change coaching permits her to create and help scale engaging and practical sustainable-change systems and curriculum for digital health and individual coaching/counseling. Michelle is frequently interviewed in major media outlets including The New York Times, NPR, The Atlantic, and WSJ and her client list includes organizations such as Kaiser Permanente, The Permanente Group, Walmart, WW, Anytime Fitness, Adidas and Business Group on Health. No Sweat!, her bestselling book, is used to train individuals in health coaching, patient counseling, and fitness training 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.
Dr. Rakesh (Rak, pronounced "rock") Jotwani is a board-certified lifestyle medicine physician and the founder of RAK Your Life, a virtual practice dedicated to empowering individuals to make sustainable, evidence-based lifestyle changes. Dr. Jotwani’s career has spanned hospital medicine, primary care, and leadership roles, including serving as the Director of Lifestyle Medicine at Kaiser Permanente San Francisco.
His passion for lifestyle medicine is deeply personal. After being diagnosed with prediabetes, hypertension, and obesity, Dr. Jotwani transformed his own health—losing more than 75 pounds and reversing his chronic conditions through lifestyle changes. This experience fuels his empathy for patients navigating similar journeys and his belief in the power of small, achievable steps toward lasting health.
In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Jotwani collaborates with ModifyHealth to develop employer-based lifestyle medicine programs incorporating medically tailored meals. He co-hosts The Health Feast podcast, which explores how good health can be joyful, communal, and abundant. As an active member of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, Dr. Jotwani champions health equity and encourages clinicians to foster genuine connections with their patients.
Links from this Episode:
https://www.lmconference.org/agenda.asp?pfp=Preconfernceworkshops