Rewiring Performance: Mindful Movement for High Achievers with Dr. Michael Donovan

In this episode of The Mindful Journey, host Sana sits down with Dr. Michael Donovan, PhD physiologist, performance coach, and former NIH scientist, to discuss how mindful movement can become a powerful tool for high performers. Dr. Michael shares how many executives and athletes unintentionally turn healthy habits into stressors and how science-backed, simple actions can help recalibrate both body and mind. From wearable data to habit formation, the conversation offers actionable insights for anyone feeling stuck, stiff, or out of sync.

About the Guest:
Dr. Michael Donovan is a PhD physiologist, former NIH researcher, and performance coach helping high achievers—from busy executives to hybrid athletes—optimize strength, resilience, and longevity. Through Fact Fueled Fitness and MichaelDonovanCoaching.com, he merges cutting-edge science with practical coaching to build sustainable performance without burnout.

Key Takeaways:

• High performers often misuse movement as an additional stressor rather than a recovery tool.

• Mindful movement isn’t about perfection or quantity; it’s about quality and listening to both body and data.

• Data is only useful if it’s actionable—balancing subjective intuition with objective metrics is critical.

• Start small: even 5 minutes daily of consistent mindful habit-building can trigger meaningful transformation.

• Avoid obsessing over data to prevent stress, guilt, and counterproductive cycles.

Connect with Dr. Michael Donovan:

• Website: michaeldonovancoaching.com

• Email: michael@factfueledfitness.com

• Social: https://www.instagram.com/drmichaeldonovan/ 

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