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No Sweat: How the Simple Science of Motivation Can Bring You a Lifetime of Fitness
We start out with the best intentions. We're going to exercise more and get in shape! Then five days a week at the gym turns into two... then becomes none. We hit the snooze button and skip the morning run.
We really do want to be healthy and fit, but we're over whelmed and overextended—and exercise feels like another chore to complete. Is it any wonder we don't stick with it? Behavior expert Michelle Segar has devoted her career to the science of motivation. In No Sweat, she reveals that while "better health" or "weight loss" sound like strong incentives, human beings are hardwired to choose immediate gratification over delayed benefits. In other words, we're not going to exercise unless it makes us happy right now.
So what's the solution? To achieve lasting fitness, we have to change our minds—before we can change our bodies. In No Sweat, Segar shows us how. Translating twenty years of research on exercise and motivation into a simple four-point program, she helps readers broaden their definition of exercise, find pleasure in physical activity, and discover realistic ways to fit it into their lives. Activities we enjoy, we repeat--making this evidence-based system more sustainable in the long run than a regimen of intense workouts. Even if we don't sweat, we really benefit.
The success of the clients Segar has coached testifies to the power of her program. Their stories punctuate the book, entertaining and emboldening readers to break the cycle of exercise failure once and for all. Complete with worksheets, tips, and techniques, getting in shape has never been so easy—or so much fun.
We really do want to be healthy and fit, but we're over whelmed and overextended—and exercise feels like another chore to complete. Is it any wonder we don't stick with it? Behavior expert Michelle Segar has devoted her career to the science of motivation. In No Sweat, she reveals that while "better health" or "weight loss" sound like strong incentives, human beings are hardwired to choose immediate gratification over delayed benefits. In other words, we're not going to exercise unless it makes us happy right now.
So what's the solution? To achieve lasting fitness, we have to change our minds—before we can change our bodies. In No Sweat, Segar shows us how. Translating twenty years of research on exercise and motivation into a simple four-point program, she helps readers broaden their definition of exercise, find pleasure in physical activity, and discover realistic ways to fit it into their lives. Activities we enjoy, we repeat--making this evidence-based system more sustainable in the long run than a regimen of intense workouts. Even if we don't sweat, we really benefit.
The success of the clients Segar has coached testifies to the power of her program. Their stories punctuate the book, entertaining and emboldening readers to break the cycle of exercise failure once and for all. Complete with worksheets, tips, and techniques, getting in shape has never been so easy—or so much fun.
272 pages, Paperback
First published June 10, 2015
625 people are currently reading
3400 people want to read
About the author
Michelle Segar
4 books38 followersMICHELLE L. SEGAR is a behavioral sustainability scientist and Director of the Sport, Health, & Activity Research and Policy (SHARP) Center at the University of Michigan. She holds a Ph.D. in Psychology and Master's degrees in Health Behavior and Kinesiology. A sought-after advisor, her expertise has been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Elle, Prevention, and other major media.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 202 reviews
June 28, 2015
This book turns what should have been a magazine article into a book. There is a simple and clear message here - find some physical activity you enjoy and do that - but the book takes a long time to get there.
I was surprised there wasn't more focus on routines and habits which are important in sticking to exercise. You don't need motivation if you do something without even thinking about it such as cleaning your teeth.
I was surprised there wasn't more focus on routines and habits which are important in sticking to exercise. You don't need motivation if you do something without even thinking about it such as cleaning your teeth.
November 25, 2017
Despite not being the target audience of this book, it really helped me realize my current struggles with exercising and appreciate the struggles of friends more.
I am an active person, so for me not being able to move due to sickness and job restrictions has been a huge challenge in recent years and this book gave me ideas how to change my approach to working out more again.
But the main goal of this book is turning people who don't like to exercise into people who enjoy moving instead of hating their workout. There are a lot of examples, studies and exercises throughout the book to help you understand your own motivation and the meaning you give to exercise.
She also addresses the fact how we look at exercise and what we consider to count and how we may have wrong ideas there.
I don't recommend the audiobook, despite it being very well done. However, it is harder to do the exercises when you are not sitting down and listening to the audiobook. I also found some of the lists she rattled of distracting on audio, as those are easily skimmed in a physical book.
I am an active person, so for me not being able to move due to sickness and job restrictions has been a huge challenge in recent years and this book gave me ideas how to change my approach to working out more again.
But the main goal of this book is turning people who don't like to exercise into people who enjoy moving instead of hating their workout. There are a lot of examples, studies and exercises throughout the book to help you understand your own motivation and the meaning you give to exercise.
She also addresses the fact how we look at exercise and what we consider to count and how we may have wrong ideas there.
I don't recommend the audiobook, despite it being very well done. However, it is harder to do the exercises when you are not sitting down and listening to the audiobook. I also found some of the lists she rattled of distracting on audio, as those are easily skimmed in a physical book.
April 16, 2017
I think this is a great book, but I had already implemented her methods. Make time for self care (without guilt) and do something you like doing if you want to make sure it's sustainable. Move often, even if it's not organized exercise it is still exercise. Pretty simple concepts, but very effective. Michelle goes through steps to implement such a plan.
April 28, 2018
I found this book to be a really good and motivational guide to making fitness a part of your every day life. I really liked that Michelle Segar worked with people's own personal tastes in exercise and her philosophy is that every form of physical activity counts. I feel like this is a book that I'll be going back to from time to time.
October 18, 2023
A fun, empowering and quick read that makes optimizing our health and well-being MUCH easier than the way most of us approach it!
“There is a mountain of information out there about health and fitness, but most of it is just not working for people. I wrote this book to help you understand the science-based reasons why it’s not your fault that you’ve failed to stick with exercise and other health-related behaviors, as well as to give you a new, simple framework for sustainable success. Opportunities to move and enjoy physical movement are, quite literally, everywhere. I hope that the information and practical approaches in this book will enable you to find them, choose them, enjoy them, and use then to energize your life for a lifetime.”
~ Michelle Segar, Ph.D. from No Sweat
Dr. Michelle Segar is Director of the Sport, Health, and Activity Research and Policy Center (SHARP) at the University of Michigan, and Chair of the U.S. National Physical Activity Plan’s Communications Committee.
And, as you’d imagine, Dr. Segar has some *really* powerful ideas on, as the sub-title suggests, “How the simple science of motivation can bring you a lifetime of fitness.”
Segar shares a bunch of evidence-based wisdom to help us leverage the science of motivation to make optimizing our health and well-being MUCH easier than the way most of us approach it! It’s a fun, empowering and quick read.
Some of my favorite big ideas from this book include:
1. Meaning Matters - Why do you exercise?
2. Chore vs. Gift - What is exercise for you?
3. OTMs - Finding opportunities to move.
4. The Successful Cycle - Of motivation.
5. Your Self-Care Hierarchy - Your #1 nonnegotiable?
6. Learning Mindset - You are an experimenter!
7. A Lifetime of Fitness - That’s what we want to create.
I’ve summarized those Big Ideas in a video review that you can watch here.
I’ve also added No Sweat by Michelle Segar, Ph.D. to my collection of Philosopher’s Notes--distilling the Big Ideas into 6-page PDF and 20-minute MP3s on 600+ of the BEST self-development books ever. You can get access to all of those plus a TON more over at heroic.us.
“There is a mountain of information out there about health and fitness, but most of it is just not working for people. I wrote this book to help you understand the science-based reasons why it’s not your fault that you’ve failed to stick with exercise and other health-related behaviors, as well as to give you a new, simple framework for sustainable success. Opportunities to move and enjoy physical movement are, quite literally, everywhere. I hope that the information and practical approaches in this book will enable you to find them, choose them, enjoy them, and use then to energize your life for a lifetime.”
~ Michelle Segar, Ph.D. from No Sweat
Dr. Michelle Segar is Director of the Sport, Health, and Activity Research and Policy Center (SHARP) at the University of Michigan, and Chair of the U.S. National Physical Activity Plan’s Communications Committee.
And, as you’d imagine, Dr. Segar has some *really* powerful ideas on, as the sub-title suggests, “How the simple science of motivation can bring you a lifetime of fitness.”
Segar shares a bunch of evidence-based wisdom to help us leverage the science of motivation to make optimizing our health and well-being MUCH easier than the way most of us approach it! It’s a fun, empowering and quick read.
Some of my favorite big ideas from this book include:
1. Meaning Matters - Why do you exercise?
2. Chore vs. Gift - What is exercise for you?
3. OTMs - Finding opportunities to move.
4. The Successful Cycle - Of motivation.
5. Your Self-Care Hierarchy - Your #1 nonnegotiable?
6. Learning Mindset - You are an experimenter!
7. A Lifetime of Fitness - That’s what we want to create.
I’ve summarized those Big Ideas in a video review that you can watch here.
I’ve also added No Sweat by Michelle Segar, Ph.D. to my collection of Philosopher’s Notes--distilling the Big Ideas into 6-page PDF and 20-minute MP3s on 600+ of the BEST self-development books ever. You can get access to all of those plus a TON more over at heroic.us.
March 27, 2015
Disclaimer #1: I received this for free through NetGalley in exchange for a review.
Disclaimer #2: I am not the intended audience for this book.
I only realized this second point as I was skimming the first few chapters of this book. Michelle Segar is writing for people who are trying to exercise, but lack the motivation to keep up the habit consistently. As I was reading through her discussion questions, I realized I don’t fit her typical student profile. I like running, I like high-intensity workouts, and I like sweating. Why did I pick up this book? Let’s just say I didn’t read the description close enough. My bad.
The book is written in a largely conversational, easy-to-read style, as well as including real-life examples and research studies to prove her points. The first sections feel very repetitive, but the final section on creating a strategy for actionable change was concise and helpful.
Disclaimer #2: I am not the intended audience for this book.
I only realized this second point as I was skimming the first few chapters of this book. Michelle Segar is writing for people who are trying to exercise, but lack the motivation to keep up the habit consistently. As I was reading through her discussion questions, I realized I don’t fit her typical student profile. I like running, I like high-intensity workouts, and I like sweating. Why did I pick up this book? Let’s just say I didn’t read the description close enough. My bad.
The book is written in a largely conversational, easy-to-read style, as well as including real-life examples and research studies to prove her points. The first sections feel very repetitive, but the final section on creating a strategy for actionable change was concise and helpful.
April 8, 2022
The problem with this book is that is too long for its own good. I honestly believe that Segar could've fitted all she wanted to say in 50-100 pages. I liked those first hundred pages, but then it just became a repetetive mess where she endlessly wrote about the same things over and over again. The strategies she tries to teach us are good, but nothing really groundbreaking imo. If you're REALLY struggling with motivating yourself for a healthier lifestyle, I recommend reading it - even if just for the 100 first pages.
August 15, 2015
This book helped me realize why I just can't seem to stick to my exercise thang. Wish me luck that it sticks in my head that exercise is a gift, not a chore. :)
April 22, 2020
Every book I read, answer a question. Why are overweight people, those who return to physical activity perhaps after an injury, unable to maintain it over the long term or "burn out"? We realize that either the imponderables of work or family life prevent us from maintaining a long-term discipline, fitness or yoga, no matter what the sport. This book is the one that everyone should read if they find themselves in this kind of situation or to prepare a strategy to maintain throughout life a physical activity demanding or not. Behavioral psychology has shown me in all the other books of this kind ("how to establish new habits"), its greatest limits, with this book that takes a 360-degree view between cognitive psychology, the neurosciences of C. Dweck (of which I wrote an article on Medium: "How to learn, unlearn and relearn? "), in sociology (i.e. how to overcome our biases, our beliefs, the beliefs conveyed by society, especially in fitness), how to implement a strategy to self-regulate in learning or to maintain physical activity with age. The author teaches us the principle of benevolence that we must impose on ourselves (especially if we are perfectionists and always seek to surpass ourselves), listening to the signals sent by our body (intuitive method) and also learn compassion (no longer listen to our small inner voice, which is often critical). I have practiced many different sports, some of them imposed by life circumstances, but this book brings real teaching of great accuracy and also a real motivator when we become too hard on ourselves. No need to tell you that I can only recommend it: It is a pragmatic, humble author, with a heavy past that we only discover at the end, who wrote this beautiful book!
June 17, 2020
4.5 stars
Sorry, it took me so long to read I am balancing graduate school right now with three huge textbooks. This book is really a fast and easy read. Michelle Segar takes us on a journey to reflect on how we feel about exercise. Do we see it is a chore? Do we see it as a punishment? Do we dread going to the gym? If you have struggled in any way to stay consistent in your physical health this is the book for you. She talks about how we need to rediscover what movement we enjoy. Also, she debunks myths that exercise has to happen all at one time in a high-intensity fashion. If we can even just find ways to walk more in little chunks throughout the day it still counts. I found that I realized I need to move to the beach because activities like paddleboarding, swimming, and kayaking do not feel like exercise to me. She wants you to find movement that is enjoyable to you and wants you to rewire your brain in order to see the movement as a gift instead of a chore that we have to do.
Sorry, it took me so long to read I am balancing graduate school right now with three huge textbooks. This book is really a fast and easy read. Michelle Segar takes us on a journey to reflect on how we feel about exercise. Do we see it is a chore? Do we see it as a punishment? Do we dread going to the gym? If you have struggled in any way to stay consistent in your physical health this is the book for you. She talks about how we need to rediscover what movement we enjoy. Also, she debunks myths that exercise has to happen all at one time in a high-intensity fashion. If we can even just find ways to walk more in little chunks throughout the day it still counts. I found that I realized I need to move to the beach because activities like paddleboarding, swimming, and kayaking do not feel like exercise to me. She wants you to find movement that is enjoyable to you and wants you to rewire your brain in order to see the movement as a gift instead of a chore that we have to do.
Read
May 16, 2023DNF - I found this book at the wrong time in my life. I've been going to the gym for four years now, and this was written for someone trying to find the motivation to get up and go consistently. I should've realized this based on the title...
July 24, 2015
This book comes SO close to being what I think I really need when it comes to motivating myself to get doing what I need to do, but doesn't quite make it all the way, at least for me. But comes close enough to deserve four stars, and I'll have to keep reading to cobble together the program that finally nails the sweet spot!
The gist of Segar's proposal is that "worthy" goals for motivation, like losing weight or being healthier, are too far in the future, and therefore not motivating enough to get us out of our lounge chairs every day, for 30 minutes or more. Short term pleasure will trump long term good intentions every time. What we need, and what seems to work in her studies (and patients) is more immediate consequences: the "good feelings" we get from moving, the "increased energy" to get through our hectic days, the "uplifted mood" that comes from taking care of ourselves...I agree with all of the above, but the trick, she says, is finding the key that unlocks the short-term-pleasure-part of moving. And everyone will have their own, personal key. There are some questions and exercises included to help you find YOUR motivation, but didn't really fly for me...
Another great tip is to focus on finding the exercise (since moving is the focus here) or activity, that makes you happy, and do it at your pace. Forget about the old "30-minute minimum" recommended for exercise, or the moderate intensity your doctor suggests. Segar's point is that even five, or 10, minutes of any kind of movement that we like, at a pace we enjoy, will encourage us to continue for the pleasure of it. Walk instead of run, and if all you can fit in is parking further away, and walking an extra 10 minutes per day, do that...but find a way to enjoy doing it every day, just for the pleasure of walking. Swim if you want, but at your pace, and stop when it's no longer enjoyable, the premise being that we will want to consistently fit in an enjoyable activity, and consistency is better than a high intensity activity that we don't enjoy and that we just won't keep up. Makes sense to me.
So some valid points to mull over, and find ways to incorporate into my life. I tried it today actually: I really enjoy swimming, when I let myself do it slowly, and calmly, and stop trying to reach a certain heartbeat-per-minute. And if I give myself permission to stop when I'm feeling too winded, and I'm no longer having fun. Today I swam, slowly and easily, stopping often to catch my breath (I'm not a very good swimmer!), and stopping when the pleasure was starting to disappear. My workout was shorter than normal, but, surprise: I am already looking forward to doing it again tomorrow, instead of waiting my normal three - four days before forcing myself to get through a too-many-laps-for-pleasure session. I think I've had a breakthrough...
Recommended for readers still trying to find the magic key to effortless motivation; this isn't it, but it's another step in the process.
The gist of Segar's proposal is that "worthy" goals for motivation, like losing weight or being healthier, are too far in the future, and therefore not motivating enough to get us out of our lounge chairs every day, for 30 minutes or more. Short term pleasure will trump long term good intentions every time. What we need, and what seems to work in her studies (and patients) is more immediate consequences: the "good feelings" we get from moving, the "increased energy" to get through our hectic days, the "uplifted mood" that comes from taking care of ourselves...I agree with all of the above, but the trick, she says, is finding the key that unlocks the short-term-pleasure-part of moving. And everyone will have their own, personal key. There are some questions and exercises included to help you find YOUR motivation, but didn't really fly for me...
Another great tip is to focus on finding the exercise (since moving is the focus here) or activity, that makes you happy, and do it at your pace. Forget about the old "30-minute minimum" recommended for exercise, or the moderate intensity your doctor suggests. Segar's point is that even five, or 10, minutes of any kind of movement that we like, at a pace we enjoy, will encourage us to continue for the pleasure of it. Walk instead of run, and if all you can fit in is parking further away, and walking an extra 10 minutes per day, do that...but find a way to enjoy doing it every day, just for the pleasure of walking. Swim if you want, but at your pace, and stop when it's no longer enjoyable, the premise being that we will want to consistently fit in an enjoyable activity, and consistency is better than a high intensity activity that we don't enjoy and that we just won't keep up. Makes sense to me.
So some valid points to mull over, and find ways to incorporate into my life. I tried it today actually: I really enjoy swimming, when I let myself do it slowly, and calmly, and stop trying to reach a certain heartbeat-per-minute. And if I give myself permission to stop when I'm feeling too winded, and I'm no longer having fun. Today I swam, slowly and easily, stopping often to catch my breath (I'm not a very good swimmer!), and stopping when the pleasure was starting to disappear. My workout was shorter than normal, but, surprise: I am already looking forward to doing it again tomorrow, instead of waiting my normal three - four days before forcing myself to get through a too-many-laps-for-pleasure session. I think I've had a breakthrough...
Recommended for readers still trying to find the magic key to effortless motivation; this isn't it, but it's another step in the process.
January 6, 2016
I received this egalley from the publisher through NetGalley. The author is a Psychologist at the University of Michigan who focuses on behavior change and motivation. I found the book fit very well with recent books I read, particularly Succeed: How We Can Reach Our Goals and The Upside of Stress: Why Stress Is Good for You, and How to Get Good at It. She also references books by brothers Dan Heath and Chip Heath about making successful changes. What I particularly liked about the book is that it takes the lessons explained by these other authors (who explain why and how) and gives you specific steps to take to support the changes you want to make.
The book focuses on increasing physical activity, and making motion something that we do throughout our daily lives. However, I realized early on that the techniques could be used for any desired behavior change. And the author agrees, though she does say to get consistent in one before addressing a new one.
As I expected from a professor and researcher, the book is well supported by literature. Dr. Segar also includes a number of anecdotes from patient interactions in order to illustrate her points. She gives exercises and reflections to follow to get at the root causes and underlying beliefs that affect our choices and behaviors. While I didn't do all of these as I read, I did several early in the book and found them to be revelatory. I certainly plan to build upon what I learned to support my own desired behavior changes.
While not everything in the book is new territory, most of it is. Dr. Segar refers to some studies and points addressed in other (popular) books. However, most is based on her research and practice and is focused on providing the foundation to carry out the specific steps provided. I did not find the figures to be very useful, but they may be beneficial to others. The questions and example answers I thought were very helpful, and I hope that downloadable forms will be made available for digital versions of the book. I also think that this book would be an excellent choice for an audiobook, so that someone could listen while moving, and then use downloadable materials to complete the exercises.
The book focuses on increasing physical activity, and making motion something that we do throughout our daily lives. However, I realized early on that the techniques could be used for any desired behavior change. And the author agrees, though she does say to get consistent in one before addressing a new one.
As I expected from a professor and researcher, the book is well supported by literature. Dr. Segar also includes a number of anecdotes from patient interactions in order to illustrate her points. She gives exercises and reflections to follow to get at the root causes and underlying beliefs that affect our choices and behaviors. While I didn't do all of these as I read, I did several early in the book and found them to be revelatory. I certainly plan to build upon what I learned to support my own desired behavior changes.
While not everything in the book is new territory, most of it is. Dr. Segar refers to some studies and points addressed in other (popular) books. However, most is based on her research and practice and is focused on providing the foundation to carry out the specific steps provided. I did not find the figures to be very useful, but they may be beneficial to others. The questions and example answers I thought were very helpful, and I hope that downloadable forms will be made available for digital versions of the book. I also think that this book would be an excellent choice for an audiobook, so that someone could listen while moving, and then use downloadable materials to complete the exercises.
May 12, 2017
As someone who struggles to maintain a workout regime, I was glad to win a copy of this book from Goodreads' First Reads program. I found it an accessible but informative read, as the subtitle indicates, less about a "regime" than about using what psychology researchers have discovered regarding human motivation.
There were a lot of references to studies and such, and I didn't bother to check on them, so I held them in a light hand. I don't know enough about scientific research to gauge the validity of certain conclusions. But where Segar's recommendations make sense, why not give it a shot?
I'd say this book is targeted more at people who already know that they need or want to be moving/exercising more but have a hard time making that lifestyle change. She either didn't extensively cover the physiological reasons, or I skimmed over that part. If you need convincing that more movement is right for you, I'm not sure that this will be enough (but maybe?).
For Christians interested in adding more movement to their lives, I'd encourage thinking about how the self-sacrifice balances with self-care. I don't think it's an either/or question, but I do think it's important for those who consider their faith as whole-life-impacting to approach the book's exercises and questions about priorities through that filter.
As Segar says at the end, her MAPS program seems well-suited to any type of behavior modification. And ultimately, I think she gets it right, it's not about the will-power (or lack thereof), it's about getting to the heart of what motivates you to do (x). And if you want (x) to change, what needs to change about your motivation.
There were a lot of references to studies and such, and I didn't bother to check on them, so I held them in a light hand. I don't know enough about scientific research to gauge the validity of certain conclusions. But where Segar's recommendations make sense, why not give it a shot?
I'd say this book is targeted more at people who already know that they need or want to be moving/exercising more but have a hard time making that lifestyle change. She either didn't extensively cover the physiological reasons, or I skimmed over that part. If you need convincing that more movement is right for you, I'm not sure that this will be enough (but maybe?).
For Christians interested in adding more movement to their lives, I'd encourage thinking about how the self-sacrifice balances with self-care. I don't think it's an either/or question, but I do think it's important for those who consider their faith as whole-life-impacting to approach the book's exercises and questions about priorities through that filter.
As Segar says at the end, her MAPS program seems well-suited to any type of behavior modification. And ultimately, I think she gets it right, it's not about the will-power (or lack thereof), it's about getting to the heart of what motivates you to do (x). And if you want (x) to change, what needs to change about your motivation.
March 19, 2021
this is a 270 page listicle authored by Mojo Jojo. the author's stance is somewhere along the lines of "do you hate exercise? well have you tried ENJOYING exercise?" which comes off pretty condescending. she also makes special empashis with her patient examples to let you know they weren't ALWAYS fat people, they've just slipped, and as someone who's been obese most of my life, that really rubbed me the wrong way. i wouldn't recommend this book, mostly because it takes about 100 pages for her to get to the point, and when she does get there she doesn't really help the READER get there mentally, just suggests a simple 180 with no tips on how to accomplish it. essentially what she's recommending is to find other work arounds to motivate yourself to exercise that will give you pleasure in the short term, rather than long-term weight loss goals. she also recommends to view exercising as a gift, which is a nice way of framing it if you're open to it, but again feels condescending to someone who's never enjoyed it and is seeking out good motivators to begin exercising. feels very much like telling a person with depression "have you tried being happy?" i would recommend reading a summary of the book, and skip yourself some time reading the whole thing.
April 22, 2015
I am familiar with Michelle Segar's work so was excited to read more in her new book. And I wasn't disappointed. The book really gets to why people have such a hard time maintaining healthy habits like exercise. As a dietitian, I have worked with many clients in this same boat time and time again. No Sweat not only helps people pinpoint what's really holding them back, it provides an easy roadmap for changing habits for good. I am fascinated by the science on motivation along with the book's solutions for helping people maintain healthy behaviors and enjoy them. She uses MAPS -- Meaning, Awareness, Permission and Strategy -- to make it all very user friendly. I think this book is going to help a lot of people!
February 12, 2021
Like a lot of the other reviews say, this book has some good information in it but it is incredibly drawn out. It could have easily been a third of the length and conveyed the same message. I think the concepts she discusses are really great. Shifting your thinking away from diet culture in order to achieve a healthy lifestyle by actually doing things you enjoy is guidance many people could benefit from.
I feel like a lot of self-help-type books fall into this pattern of using too many examples to fill pages and repeating information with different wording as if it were new.
I believe a lot of people would really like this book, it just depends on where you are in your reading journey and what kind of books are appealing to you.
I feel like a lot of self-help-type books fall into this pattern of using too many examples to fill pages and repeating information with different wording as if it were new.
I believe a lot of people would really like this book, it just depends on where you are in your reading journey and what kind of books are appealing to you.
February 1, 2017
I received a copy of this book in a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.
All the time I was reading this book, I thought it was funny because I just finished reading Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives by Gretchen Rubin and the two books go well together. Some advices are found in the two books, and they make me want to find the activities that bring me happiness. Michelle Segar illustrates her examples with questionnaires that make us all rethink our approach to fitness. I would summarize the book by this sentence (p.182): "If you are seeking a lifetime of fitness, it's important to start smart."
All the time I was reading this book, I thought it was funny because I just finished reading Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives by Gretchen Rubin and the two books go well together. Some advices are found in the two books, and they make me want to find the activities that bring me happiness. Michelle Segar illustrates her examples with questionnaires that make us all rethink our approach to fitness. I would summarize the book by this sentence (p.182): "If you are seeking a lifetime of fitness, it's important to start smart."
July 22, 2015
Really resonated with me. I need to let go of guilt/assumptions about what "counts" as exercise and find more joyful OTMs (Opportunities to Move)!
maybe-later
May 8, 2022Did not finish (22%).
This book made me cry, and not in a good way. Its thesis is that willpower doesn't work long-term when it comes to exercising, and that you need to find an exercise you like and/or find a way to view your exercise as fun. Unfortunately, it's kind of hard to do that when you're depressed and don't enjoy much of anything anymore. How am I supposed to find a way to enjoy something painful and awkward for me, that sometimes makes me feel inadequate, if I don't even like the things I used to that were designed for the express purpose of enjoyment? I hear exercise is supposed to help with depression (and certainly one of my "bad" reasons for exercising is for alleged mental health improvements), so I guess I'm fucked.
The book seems to present two different ways you can get yourself to enjoy exercise: either find an exercise you like, or somehow convince yourself that you want to do the exercises you currently perform. In either case, your reasons can't be that you "should" exercise, or at least your desire should supersede it by a fair amount. But what if your "bad" (unmotivating) reasons for exercising were very important--e.g. exercise or run the risk of dying young from a heart attack? How much enjoyment would you need to gain from an exercise to push that fact aside and keep it from feeling like something you were obligated to do for survival? Would you have enough desire to exercise that it was enough to meet those important goals--that is, what if your enjoyment only permits you to do a small amount of exercising, and it isn't enough to stomp out those "bad" motivations for exercising? What if you step into the doctor's office and they think you haven't lost enough weight? Does that mean you've only partially met your full potential of exercising enjoyment? Should you keep looking for ways to move that you enjoy? Can you somehow force your brain to think differently even more (after all, I can know that the brain can sometimes block pain and that being distracted may help, but that doesn't necessarily stop you from feeling the pain, especially if you are aware of that fact--like knowing you're taking a placebo)?
What if the activities you enjoy are all cardio, but you really need to build up muscle strength--for example, to avoid injury? Do you need to figure out a way to incorporate resistance into your exercise (which sounds like a chore to me)? The author gave an example of someone embodying the thesis of the book--a man who really enjoyed running, to the point where he would skip other things he enjoyed to do it. That's a single exercise--where is he going to get strength in his arms? Shouldn't he do a warm up before he just charges out? What if he doesn't like warm ups? Are there so many different types of warm ups out there that there's bound to be one he likes? How would he know if that warm up is actually effective?
Maybe I should read on to find answers to those questions, but with my current mental state, this book is actively demotivating. I've tried many sports and various types of exercises and even the very most enjoyable of them have, at their very best (particularly when I wasn't depressed), felt like more hassle than they were worth. If this book holds the key to tricking yourself into enjoying exercise, then shouldn't it also hold the key to tricking yourself into enjoying other things? Sounds revolutionary for depression. And if it's as simple as finding something that gets you moving that you like enough to be motivated to do, then I would have been doing it without needing the book. I remember, not too long after learning to ride a bike at 16 and a half (there's a reason it took so long, and those reasons contribute to my general misery with exercising), a feeling of pure joy from riding a bike. That feeling, which only sometimes came, was not enough to overcome the stress, frustration, and discomfort that came with the many other aspects of riding a bike, not being good at riding said bike, and being outdoors where I live in general. One could argue that with enough practice, some of those things could go away. But I'd need willpower to push through that discomfort, and isn't the point of the book that willpower doesn't work?
There are a lot of factors that can make the exercises you like unenjoyable, or even rule them out. What if the aforementioned man who loved running got into an accident and was bound to a wheelchair for an extended period of time? I've already mentioned that mental disability can impair enjoyment; physical disability can make even your most beloved forms of movement painful or even impossible. It can rule out major categories of exercise--you can't really choose your exercise for physical therapy, can you? Where you live can also rule out outdoor exercise for most or even all of the year, or at least make it extremely inconvenient--where I live, the heat is unbearable for two-thirds to three-quarters of the year--if you think I'm exaggerating, I'd like to point you to the tourists who pass out from heat stroke and have to be rescued and you can tell them. It gets uncomfortable to be outside starting as early as February. I am not spiritual, but nature can make me almost feel like I am. Unfortunately, I don't get that feeling very often because I despise the heat so much. If I want to do any sort of outdoor activity, I'd have to wait until sunset or wake up extremely early (you know how easy that is for a depressed person), and it would likely still be uncomfortably hot. And being alone outside at night brings its own problems, especially if you're a woman in a city. If I wanted to go after or during sunset so that it was still light out (so as to be able to see the nature I wanted to enjoy), I'd have to leave in a very specific window. And if I want to hike, or actually be in nature, I'd have to drive. I'd have to wear special active clothing, including fancy tennis shoes so that my feet don't roll and hurt (and hope I hadn't misplaced them), and prepare a water bottle that isn't too annoying to carry. This all sounds like a massive chore I'd have to plan for.
The author mentions the man who loves running because it was his wife who described him to her, with bafflement that he could enjoy exercise so much. I believe she is supposed to be a stand-in for the reader, and I guess the idea is that she too can be made to like exercising THAT much. So much that you'd want to do it even with all that planning and all the potential stressors (like if you fell off your bike or a terrible back pain that used to plague you and force you home from social events has reawakened months later because you decided to dust off your housemate's tiny treadmill after having spent way too long trying to figure out how to get it to work and you can't really afford a specialized doctor so now you have to find some other forms of exercise that don't make you sob with pain and frustration after doing them for one whole minute).
Anyway, I didn't think this review would be so long. Maybe I'll read this someday. Probably not. Maybe.
This book made me cry, and not in a good way. Its thesis is that willpower doesn't work long-term when it comes to exercising, and that you need to find an exercise you like and/or find a way to view your exercise as fun. Unfortunately, it's kind of hard to do that when you're depressed and don't enjoy much of anything anymore. How am I supposed to find a way to enjoy something painful and awkward for me, that sometimes makes me feel inadequate, if I don't even like the things I used to that were designed for the express purpose of enjoyment? I hear exercise is supposed to help with depression (and certainly one of my "bad" reasons for exercising is for alleged mental health improvements), so I guess I'm fucked.
The book seems to present two different ways you can get yourself to enjoy exercise: either find an exercise you like, or somehow convince yourself that you want to do the exercises you currently perform. In either case, your reasons can't be that you "should" exercise, or at least your desire should supersede it by a fair amount. But what if your "bad" (unmotivating) reasons for exercising were very important--e.g. exercise or run the risk of dying young from a heart attack? How much enjoyment would you need to gain from an exercise to push that fact aside and keep it from feeling like something you were obligated to do for survival? Would you have enough desire to exercise that it was enough to meet those important goals--that is, what if your enjoyment only permits you to do a small amount of exercising, and it isn't enough to stomp out those "bad" motivations for exercising? What if you step into the doctor's office and they think you haven't lost enough weight? Does that mean you've only partially met your full potential of exercising enjoyment? Should you keep looking for ways to move that you enjoy? Can you somehow force your brain to think differently even more (after all, I can know that the brain can sometimes block pain and that being distracted may help, but that doesn't necessarily stop you from feeling the pain, especially if you are aware of that fact--like knowing you're taking a placebo)?
What if the activities you enjoy are all cardio, but you really need to build up muscle strength--for example, to avoid injury? Do you need to figure out a way to incorporate resistance into your exercise (which sounds like a chore to me)? The author gave an example of someone embodying the thesis of the book--a man who really enjoyed running, to the point where he would skip other things he enjoyed to do it. That's a single exercise--where is he going to get strength in his arms? Shouldn't he do a warm up before he just charges out? What if he doesn't like warm ups? Are there so many different types of warm ups out there that there's bound to be one he likes? How would he know if that warm up is actually effective?
Maybe I should read on to find answers to those questions, but with my current mental state, this book is actively demotivating. I've tried many sports and various types of exercises and even the very most enjoyable of them have, at their very best (particularly when I wasn't depressed), felt like more hassle than they were worth. If this book holds the key to tricking yourself into enjoying exercise, then shouldn't it also hold the key to tricking yourself into enjoying other things? Sounds revolutionary for depression. And if it's as simple as finding something that gets you moving that you like enough to be motivated to do, then I would have been doing it without needing the book. I remember, not too long after learning to ride a bike at 16 and a half (there's a reason it took so long, and those reasons contribute to my general misery with exercising), a feeling of pure joy from riding a bike. That feeling, which only sometimes came, was not enough to overcome the stress, frustration, and discomfort that came with the many other aspects of riding a bike, not being good at riding said bike, and being outdoors where I live in general. One could argue that with enough practice, some of those things could go away. But I'd need willpower to push through that discomfort, and isn't the point of the book that willpower doesn't work?
There are a lot of factors that can make the exercises you like unenjoyable, or even rule them out. What if the aforementioned man who loved running got into an accident and was bound to a wheelchair for an extended period of time? I've already mentioned that mental disability can impair enjoyment; physical disability can make even your most beloved forms of movement painful or even impossible. It can rule out major categories of exercise--you can't really choose your exercise for physical therapy, can you? Where you live can also rule out outdoor exercise for most or even all of the year, or at least make it extremely inconvenient--where I live, the heat is unbearable for two-thirds to three-quarters of the year--if you think I'm exaggerating, I'd like to point you to the tourists who pass out from heat stroke and have to be rescued and you can tell them. It gets uncomfortable to be outside starting as early as February. I am not spiritual, but nature can make me almost feel like I am. Unfortunately, I don't get that feeling very often because I despise the heat so much. If I want to do any sort of outdoor activity, I'd have to wait until sunset or wake up extremely early (you know how easy that is for a depressed person), and it would likely still be uncomfortably hot. And being alone outside at night brings its own problems, especially if you're a woman in a city. If I wanted to go after or during sunset so that it was still light out (so as to be able to see the nature I wanted to enjoy), I'd have to leave in a very specific window. And if I want to hike, or actually be in nature, I'd have to drive. I'd have to wear special active clothing, including fancy tennis shoes so that my feet don't roll and hurt (and hope I hadn't misplaced them), and prepare a water bottle that isn't too annoying to carry. This all sounds like a massive chore I'd have to plan for.
The author mentions the man who loves running because it was his wife who described him to her, with bafflement that he could enjoy exercise so much. I believe she is supposed to be a stand-in for the reader, and I guess the idea is that she too can be made to like exercising THAT much. So much that you'd want to do it even with all that planning and all the potential stressors (like if you fell off your bike or a terrible back pain that used to plague you and force you home from social events has reawakened months later because you decided to dust off your housemate's tiny treadmill after having spent way too long trying to figure out how to get it to work and you can't really afford a specialized doctor so now you have to find some other forms of exercise that don't make you sob with pain and frustration after doing them for one whole minute).
Anyway, I didn't think this review would be so long. Maybe I'll read this someday. Probably not. Maybe.
August 1, 2024
Michelle Segar's book fits well into the zeitgeist of 2010s "anti-fitness fitness" world of the the Noom app, "intuitive eating" and Jessemyn Stanley videos. Segar's basic premise is this: we have medicinized movement, which, you know, is great to recognize that movement improves overall health in many ways, but by creating "doses" of movement (e.g. cardio 3 times a week for at least 30 minutes and weightlifting 2 times a week), we've actually done public health a disservice. All movement counts, even if you don't get sweaty, even if it's less than 10 minutes at a stretch, even if it isn't a recognized "exercise" activity.
Segar rightly admits that there are benefits to working out hard and long, that there are cardio benefits, for example, that only come if your heartrate rises, but she counters that the American public doesn't seem to be doing a good job of "taking their medicine," so maybe it would be better to reframe movement in a way that is more pleasurable, more body-aware, and more forgiving. She says that she would rather have a client who got in 15 minutes of activity every day for the next 40 years than one who worked out 45 minutes a day for two weeks every 4 years. Building consistency and competency in more everyday activities will aid the average person more than nagging them to stay on the treadmill every other day.
There are some beautiful anecdotes to back up her argument--a woman who goes on a journey of exercise exploration to find something she doesn't hate only to discover a passion for inline skating that changes her commute; a friend who gives up "exercising" and finally gets the results she dreamed of; a client who hated feeling like he had to run up a hill on his route but once he got his agency back, wanted to run up it..
There's a lot commendable about this argument, although there's a Stoic streak in me that wonders if there aren't benefits to doing really hard, non-intuitive work, to discover how strong your body and will can be, instead of always just "checking in on your body" on whether it just wants to do gentle stretching today.
Segar rightly admits that there are benefits to working out hard and long, that there are cardio benefits, for example, that only come if your heartrate rises, but she counters that the American public doesn't seem to be doing a good job of "taking their medicine," so maybe it would be better to reframe movement in a way that is more pleasurable, more body-aware, and more forgiving. She says that she would rather have a client who got in 15 minutes of activity every day for the next 40 years than one who worked out 45 minutes a day for two weeks every 4 years. Building consistency and competency in more everyday activities will aid the average person more than nagging them to stay on the treadmill every other day.
There are some beautiful anecdotes to back up her argument--a woman who goes on a journey of exercise exploration to find something she doesn't hate only to discover a passion for inline skating that changes her commute; a friend who gives up "exercising" and finally gets the results she dreamed of; a client who hated feeling like he had to run up a hill on his route but once he got his agency back, wanted to run up it..
There's a lot commendable about this argument, although there's a Stoic streak in me that wonders if there aren't benefits to doing really hard, non-intuitive work, to discover how strong your body and will can be, instead of always just "checking in on your body" on whether it just wants to do gentle stretching today.
December 25, 2020
A sound concept and valuable information that probably could have been a distilled to a couple of sentences, rather than an entire book. The take-home is that if you frame exercise as self-flagellation or a painful part-time job you don't get paid for, you're not going to stick to it, and you'll wind up exercising even less as a means of rebellion. Segar suggests to her clients that they frame movement as "a gift to themselves". Personally, if anyone ever told me that, regardless as to how sound the advice, I would do all in my power to never have to speak to them again.
The remaining couple hundred pages of the book are her rephrasing that concept and giving examples of little Socratic traps she set for her clients to trick them into giving themselves "the gift" of getting off their asses.
To distill it even further: If you don't like running, don't run. Do kung fu or something. Don't like kung fu? Do croquet. Don't like croquet? Don't force yourself to play croquet. Go be a gardener, gardening is movement. 60 minute blocks of mandatory, unpleasant sweating isn't the only valid kind of exercise, and you can still stave off knee degeneration and diabetes by doing quasi-exercise like walking around the neighborhood with your dog and/or friends. It won't make you an Olympian, but you don't have to sweat blood and hate yourself for it to count as fitness.
The remaining couple hundred pages of the book are her rephrasing that concept and giving examples of little Socratic traps she set for her clients to trick them into giving themselves "the gift" of getting off their asses.
To distill it even further: If you don't like running, don't run. Do kung fu or something. Don't like kung fu? Do croquet. Don't like croquet? Don't force yourself to play croquet. Go be a gardener, gardening is movement. 60 minute blocks of mandatory, unpleasant sweating isn't the only valid kind of exercise, and you can still stave off knee degeneration and diabetes by doing quasi-exercise like walking around the neighborhood with your dog and/or friends. It won't make you an Olympian, but you don't have to sweat blood and hate yourself for it to count as fitness.
September 16, 2025
There are some good ideas in here for how to make movement and adding movement to your life easier, and more doable. It mentions the cycles we can go through with really overdoing ourselves and the burnout that can happen from that. I appreciated the idea of listening to our bodies and seeing what movement our body is telling us it wants to do, instead of pushing something too hard one day and then not moving other days because of that. I really meant to implement a lot of the advice in this book, but actually tweaked my knee before starting to read it, so I'm on rest and recover mode for a bit longer. Hopefully I can keep in my head the benefits of movement and the ways that I can move that will make it not a chore for me, but something I love to do.
June 27, 2018
I took my time reading this and took lots of notes. Good tips & a nice tool/process to help modify behavior and find tips to maintain motivation. The book focuses on motivation for maintaining an active lifestyle, but I do think this process could be used in other areas as well.
The book ended at 77% when notes, references, etc began, so it could be a quick read if someone just wanted to read right through it.
The book ended at 77% when notes, references, etc began, so it could be a quick read if someone just wanted to read right through it.
January 9, 2025
Reading this to procrastinate actual lifestyle changes.
But in all honesty, this was decent and has grounding in learning and behavioral science. Almost like a very specific mix between Tiny Habits and Full Catastrophe Living. Mainly though it was just too long — could have been half or even a third of the size imo.
But in all honesty, this was decent and has grounding in learning and behavioral science. Almost like a very specific mix between Tiny Habits and Full Catastrophe Living. Mainly though it was just too long — could have been half or even a third of the size imo.
Read
January 11, 2024Deciding if I wanna be a personal trainer. Not to toot my own horn but felt like I knew most of these ideations.
April 17, 2020
To be physically active doesn't mean to spend money on gym or plan long training sessions. The book introduced a new perspective on physical exercise.
First is every move count. Look for opportunities to move.
Second do what your enjoy and as long as you feel good about it.
I figured out that I really enjoy riding a bike and one hour of ride give me energy for a day.
First is every move count. Look for opportunities to move.
Second do what your enjoy and as long as you feel good about it.
I figured out that I really enjoy riding a bike and one hour of ride give me energy for a day.
February 23, 2016
Confession: I don't especially like to work out. I like how I feel after I work out (most of the time), but doing the actual work out is not my favorite thing in the world. I think this shows in my work-out history. I'll get to the gym several times a week for a month or so and then retreat to a sitting position at some place in my house for a few months until I start all over again.
I am, in fact, the perfect reader for this book. I have spent my life telling myself that I had to work out to be healthy, lose weight, and all the other usual reasons. Segar argues that thinking just doesn't work--because that is not how humans are wired. Instead, we need to look for the more immediate reason--such as feeling better or having more energy--and that will motivate us.
Now, before you think I just gave away the entire book, rest assured that there is much more to it than that. Segar takes the time to go into the neuroscience--but in a way someone as unscientific as I am can understand--and goes through the research. For readers who like sources, this book is very well annotated. This is not a case of "try this and see if it works" but rather "this is what the research supports."
Segar also takes the time to explain exactly how to change your thinking. So many of us have spent years with the "wrong whys" that it just isn't possible to decide to think differently. She includes exercises and worksheets to help the reader figure out their own "right why" and how to use that to make a lifestyle change.
I do have one word of warning, that really has nothing to do with the book itself (and did this not factor into my opinion of the book). I read this as an ebook and I really wished that I had a print copy instead. There are a number of worksheets that I would have liked to fill out and refer back to. Also, and I don't completely understand why this is, but the worksheet sections of the book seemed to be formatted as something other than text so that, when I tapped on it in my kindle, it wouldn't advance. But, as I said, that is no fault of the book and I only bring it up to encourage readers to buy this book in print.
We hear a lot of making a lifestyle change and Michelle Segar shows us exactly how to do that. I would recommend this book to everyone from the couch potato to the marathon runner.
I am, in fact, the perfect reader for this book. I have spent my life telling myself that I had to work out to be healthy, lose weight, and all the other usual reasons. Segar argues that thinking just doesn't work--because that is not how humans are wired. Instead, we need to look for the more immediate reason--such as feeling better or having more energy--and that will motivate us.
Now, before you think I just gave away the entire book, rest assured that there is much more to it than that. Segar takes the time to go into the neuroscience--but in a way someone as unscientific as I am can understand--and goes through the research. For readers who like sources, this book is very well annotated. This is not a case of "try this and see if it works" but rather "this is what the research supports."
Segar also takes the time to explain exactly how to change your thinking. So many of us have spent years with the "wrong whys" that it just isn't possible to decide to think differently. She includes exercises and worksheets to help the reader figure out their own "right why" and how to use that to make a lifestyle change.
I do have one word of warning, that really has nothing to do with the book itself (and did this not factor into my opinion of the book). I read this as an ebook and I really wished that I had a print copy instead. There are a number of worksheets that I would have liked to fill out and refer back to. Also, and I don't completely understand why this is, but the worksheet sections of the book seemed to be formatted as something other than text so that, when I tapped on it in my kindle, it wouldn't advance. But, as I said, that is no fault of the book and I only bring it up to encourage readers to buy this book in print.
We hear a lot of making a lifestyle change and Michelle Segar shows us exactly how to do that. I would recommend this book to everyone from the couch potato to the marathon runner.
March 18, 2020
Fantastic book, I look at exercise in a completely different light now.
November 10, 2017
Why I Recommend Bumping This UP On Your TBR: The psychologist who wrote this has a mentally healthy perspective (based entirely on research) on the "simple science of motivation" and while the knowledge we gain from this book is vast, the best part is that it's written in such an engaging way that I could not put this book down for a second. This is one of my favorite reads of this year and I recommend it to everyone, as it explains motivation in a way that needs to be known and it validates fat-positive ideologies.
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