What a Feeling
Elaine O’Brien and Her Passion for Positive Movement
“Sometimes people might look at you a little funny if you're on fire. Like, what’s the ulterior motive? But you’ve got to let it roll off you and just do your best." – Elaine O’Brien
In 1979 Elaine O’Brien was seeking a little break from the demands of her psychology graduate program. Instead, she ended up a pioneer in something altogether different.
As she flipped through the newspaper, an ad for Aerobics N’ Rhythm instructor training caught her eye. Something inside of her told her to reach out — lifelong passions often begin with a quiet whisper within.
“I was the worst one in the training class,” she tells me nearly half a century later, laughing. “They let me in because they thought I had a good personality. But I was out of shape, deconditioned, and just was not coordinated.”
I smile in understanding; my own fitness journey also began with more enthusiasm than skill.
“There was some kind of magic in the classes,” she recounts. “I felt like it was dance for the non-dancer. It made me think if I could do it, anybody could do it.”
That first class didn’t just lead O’Brien to a life of teaching aerobics. It sparked a four-decade journey of continuous evolution and achievement, establishing her as a trailblazer in the field of positive movement — a philosophy that views exercise as a holistic practice benefiting not only physical health but also psychological well-being, emotional health, and social connection.
O’Brien has served as head judge for the National Aerobics Championship, founded fitness companies, developed dance-movement programs to combat addiction, and played a pivotal role in establishing fitness industry safety standards with the American Council on Exercise. She’s taught not just aerobics, but also aqua fitness, Pilates, and cross training; holds certifications in health coaching, group exercise training, personal training, aquatics exercise, arthritis exercise; earned a Masters in Applied Positive Psychology and a PhD in Kinesiology in Human Movement Psychology; and has authored two books, The Power of Play: Optimize Your Joy Potential and SplashDance: What a Feeling! – Aqua Fitness Meets Positive Psychology!
But it all began with that first instructor training class — and with the voice within her that overrode the feeling that she wasn’t ready for the challenge. This is something about passion Ive observed across many interviews: we might miss a calling simply because we never got the chance to be great at it early on in our lives. One of my own great passions — fitness — also began humbly, when I could barely do a single push-up. OBriens journey shows that sometimes, the things we struggle with the most at first can become the very passions that define our lives.
“I love the feels,” she says, when I ask her what she loves so much about exercise. “My body feels better. It feels stronger.”
(She’s also flexible with the terminology: “Exercise, fitness… I’ll take any of them,” she says.)
I can’t help but nod along with her when she tells me this. I didn’t grow up feeling strong, and I never take for granted the athletic, capable body I’ve built over the last 15 years since beginning my fitness journey. I’ve found that physical strength translates to agency and mental strength like almost nothing else can.
“I’m a certain age now,” she says. “And you know, it’s really imperative to keep your body moving — for the flexibility, the agility, the strength, and the endurance.”
But for O’Brien, as is true for many, it’s not just about the physical or even the psychological benefits of exercise. Like so many pursuing what they love, it’s also about the community that the passion fosters.
In the case of movement, something special happens when we move in sync with others. Many people have studied this phenomenon, often referred to as "collective effervescence," where individuals feel a heightened sense of connection and unity during group movement-based activities. Whether it's a dance class, a team sport, a group fitness session — or, in O’Brien’s case, a water fitness class (which also happens to be the subject of her latest book) — moving together creates bonds that transcend words. From her early days of teaching aerobics, aquatics classes, and everything in between, O’Brien has witnessed these connections firsthand. She has become a vocal advocate for how movement brings people together, creating bonds that go beyond the gym, yoga studio, or pool.
From that very first aerobics audition, O’Brien recognized the endless benefits that movement offers — lifting our mood, increasing our confidence, helping us form meaningful connections, and, of course, improving our physical health.
As OBrien grew increasingly enthusiastic about the holistic benefits of movement, much of the world continued to view exercise solely as a weight-loss tool. At the same time, the field of psychology remained focused on intellectual and cerebral approaches, rarely questioning this narrow perspective. Despite her background in psychology, OBrien often felt isolated in her advocacy for a more comprehensive understanding of the value of movement.
“I remember being at the European Positive Psychology conference in 2008,” she says. At the time, she was a new MAPP graduate. “I was kind of bummed. People didn’t really get what I was doing.”
Feeling disheartened, she expressed her doubts with our mutual friend and psychologist, Todd Kashdan. His reassurance stuck with her: “Everyone is just doing the same thing,” her told her. “But you’re paving a new path.”
O’Brien has always been a contrarian with a smile on her face. Growing up, her aunt once called her “sickeningly sweet.” Initially, O’Brien took it as an insult. “It was so hurtful,” she recalls. But then she realized that sweetness was an integral part of who she was. “I thought, ‘You know what? I’m just going to be myself.”
She has done just that, and I have no doubt that the smile she had as a teenager is the same one that lights up when she talks about exercise today.
“Sometimes people might look at you a little funny if you're on fire,” she says. “Like, what’s the ulterior motive? But you’ve got to let it roll off you and just do your best."
Takeaways
Here is one big thing I learned this week about passion, one exercise you can do to stoke your own inner fire, and one aspect of O’Brien’s intense enthusiasm that rubbed off on me — and that I now want to learn more about, too!
Don’t Let Your Lack of Initial Ability Stop You from Pursuing Your Passion
It’s easy to assume that we need to excel right from the start to truly pursue a passion. But Elaine O’Brien’s journey in fitness tells a different story. Despite being "the worst one in the audition and the training class," O’Brien didn’t let her lack of initial ability deter her. Instead, she leaned into her passion, and over time, developed the skills that would define her career. This serves as a powerful reminder that passion can often be more important than innate talent—skills can be built, but the spark of passion is what drives you forward.
One Exercise: Lean Into Your Most Authentic Self
Elaine O’Brien’s story is also a testament to the power of authenticity. Growing up, she was called “sickeningly sweet,” a label that initially stung but later became a strength she embraced. By staying true to herself, O’Brien found a way to turn what others might see as a flaw into a driving force for her work. The exercise here is simple but profound: Take a moment to reflect on the qualities that make you uniquely you, and think about how they can fuel your passions. Embrace these traits, even the ones others might question, and let them guide you in your pursuits.
One Curiosity: How Passions Evolve Over Time
After hearing Elaine O’Brien’s journey, I’m even more curious about how a single passion can evolve and shift throughout our lives. Elaine’s passion for movement began with aerobics, but over the years, it expanded into a holistic philosophy encompassing mental, emotional, and social well-being. This makes me wonder how my own passions might transform over time. How might my love for fitness and writing, for example, grow into something different or more profound as I continue to explore them? It’s fascinating to think about how a single passion can branch out into new areas, deepening and enriching our lives in unexpected ways.
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Loved learning about this side of Dr O’Brien - I had the honour of serving on leadership committee of the IPPA positive health & well-being division. I learned so much from her and her spark!