Elaine O’Brien is one of the first 100 people in the world to earn the prestigious Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) from the University of Pennsylvania. Elaine’s integrated health and fitness vision, FitStyle Design, combines the empiricism of positive psychology/behavioral economics with positive physical activity practices. Her aim is in leading individuals, communities and organizations to better health and flourishing lives through positive movement. Elaine is dedicated to promoting wellbeing through appreciative leadership, spreading the joy of dance/fitness for people of all ages, and in fostering sustainability/fiscal fitness to lower health care costs.
Elaine is a pioneer in the health and fitness leadership industry with over 25 years working as an international dance/exercise trainer, coach, writer, consultant, speaker and program designer. She has also specialized in the development of health and well-being programs for active senior adults, primarily women, for the past 17 years. Elaine’s innovative Group Coaching practice is featured in ongoing research, highlighting best practices in positive psychology by Ebbe Lavendt, Center for Positiv Psykologi, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Elaine presented “Physical Activity, Leadership, and Thriving” at the First International Positive Psychology Conference at Tsinghua University, Beijing, China, and the Beijing Normal University Positive Education conference. She has led presentations in lifespan fitness education, performance, and leadership in the United Kingdom, Sweden, Costa Rica, Mexico, Korea, Canada, and throughout the United States.
Elaine was a facilitator for the First World Appreciative Inquiry (AI) Conference, Imagine Nepal. This face-to-face and online global meeting explored factors that promote peace, freedom, reconciliation, healing, and global health. This conference sparked ideas around socially responsible business as a force for peace in high conflict zones.
Elaine served as a member of the first IDEA Health and Fitness Association Foundation (now ACE: American Council on Exercise) Committee for Standards and Certification. She also produced and choreographed the first National Football League Halftime Show Fundraiser for the American Lung Association patient service programs. Her idea was adopted nationally, and over time has raised more than $6,000,000. She also produced and was on air talent for a cable television exercise show, “Fitness with Elaine.”
A positive energy presenter at Penn, Elaine served on the physical activity committee for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Positive Health initiative. An advocate for the American College of Sports Medicine’s Exercise is Medicine initiative, Elaine is working in the field of Lifestyle Medicine, delivering Positive Exercise Prescriptions (PEP). Elaine is also an author for Positive Psychology News Daily.
Elaine, a doctoral student and teaching assistant at Temple University, is studying for her PhD in Kinesiology: the psychology of human movement. Inspired by her mentor, Dr. Martin Seligman’s PERMA model for flourishing: (Positive Emotion, Engagement, Positive Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment), Elaine’s newest comprehensive group fitness program is called Move2Love: Using our healthy bodies to help others and ourselves.
