Today we’d like to introduce you to SHANNON SEGERSTROM.
Hi SHANNON, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
When I opened inMotion Training Studio 17 years ago, I thought I was opening a personal training studio. Looking back, I realize I was really beginning a journey of learning—about people, business, and what it truly means to help someone live a healthier life.
I’m a fourth-generation Bend native, and growing up here shaped both who I am and how I run my business. Bend has changed tremendously over the years, but one thing I’ve always valued is community. I wanted to create more than a place where people came to work out. I wanted to create a place where they felt welcomed, supported, and known. Today, many of my clients have become close friends, and several have been with me since before I even opened inMotion. One of those lunchtime accountability groups we started nearly 20 years ago is still meeting today, which says more about the relationships we’ve built than any business statistic ever could.
My passion for health started long before I became a business owner. I earned a Bachelor of Science in Health Promotion with a minor in Nutrition and was a college athlete, but some of my greatest lessons came from my own injuries. After multiple ACL reconstructions and meniscus surgeries, I experienced firsthand how important proper movement, strength, and individualized coaching really are. Those experiences shaped the way I coach to this day.
Like many entrepreneurs, I knew my profession, but I didn’t know business. In the beginning, I did everything myself—coaching, cleaning, bookkeeping, marketing, social media, website updates, photography, sales, and just about every other job that comes with running a small business. There were plenty of challenges along the way, including the recession, COVID, and even an early bankruptcy. None of those experiences were easy, but they taught me resilience, humility, and the importance of building a business that could adapt and grow.
One of the biggest turning points came when I realized I needed to stop chasing short-term fitness trends and start focusing on long-term health. Years ago, we offered boot camps and transformation challenges, and people absolutely got results. But I noticed the same people kept coming back for the next challenge after regaining the weight they’d lost. That made me realize I wasn’t interested in helping people lose weight for six weeks—I wanted to help them stay healthy for the next 30 years.
That shift changed everything.
Instead of asking, “What’s the next workout?” I started asking, “Why is this person struggling in the first place?” That curiosity led me deeper into nutrition, behavior change, functional nutrition, metabolism, hormones, gut health, healthy aging, and the foundational habits that influence our health. Every course, certification, mentor, and client experience helped shape the next chapter of inMotion. Some ideas became permanent parts of the business, while others simply helped me become a better coach. I’ve never viewed learning as collecting certifications—I’ve viewed it as my responsibility to provide the best possible guidance for the people who trust me with their health.
Today, inMotion looks very different than it did when I first opened the doors. We specialize in Semi-Private Personal Training for adults over 40, where every client follows an individualized strength program in a supportive coaching environment. We also offer one-on-one training, assisted stretch therapy, and our Foundation & Longevity Audit, which helps people better understand their nutrition, lifestyle habits, lab work, supplements, and other foundational factors that influence long-term health. We created a private community called inMotion Wellness Warriors so our clients continue receiving education, healthy recipes, mobility routines, workouts, and support long after they leave the studio.
More recently, all of those years of coaching and continuing education have come together in the development of my RE·ROOT™ Method, a program designed to help people address the root causes of their health concerns instead of simply chasing symptoms. It’s the natural evolution of everything I’ve learned over the past 17 years and reflects where I believe health coaching is headed.
What I’m most proud of, though, isn’t a certification, a program, or even the business itself. It’s the people. I have clients in their 90s who are still coming to train because they want to maintain their independence. I have clients who have been with me for nearly two decades. I’ve watched people regain confidence, recover from injuries, navigate perimenopause and menopause, play with their grandchildren, travel, hike, ski, and continue doing the things they love because they invested in their health.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that health isn’t about perfection. It’s about consistently doing the small things that add up over time. My goal has never been to create the hardest workouts or chase the latest trend. It’s always been to help people move better, get stronger, feel more confident, and enjoy a better quality of life for as long as possible.
I’m incredibly grateful that I get to do that every day in the community I’ve called home my entire life.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road, but I wouldn’t change the journey because every challenge has taught me something valuable.
Like many business owners, I started with a passion for my profession, not a degree in business. I knew how to coach people, but I had to learn everything else—marketing, bookkeeping, sales, hiring, leadership, technology, and all the behind-the-scenes work that comes with owning a business. For many years, I wore every hat imaginable. I was the trainer, cleaner, receptionist, social media manager, photographer, website editor, bookkeeper, and maintenance person, all while trying to continue growing the business.
There were also challenges that were out of my control. We navigated the recession, survived COVID, and even experienced an early bankruptcy. At the time, those moments felt overwhelming, but looking back, they forced me to become more resilient, more resourceful, and a better leader. They also taught me that success isn’t about avoiding setbacks—it’s about learning how to adapt and keep moving forward.
One of the biggest challenges, though, was realizing that the business needed to evolve as both I and my clients evolved. Early on, we offered traditional group fitness classes, boot camps, and higher-intensity workouts because that’s what the industry was doing and what many of my younger clients enjoyed. But as the years went by, I realized I couldn’t coach the same way forever, and more importantly, my clients shouldn’t all be doing the same workout.
Someone walking into the studio for the first time shouldn’t start where someone who’s been training with me for one, five, or even ten years. Every person has different goals, injuries, abilities, and life experiences. That realization completely changed the way I approached coaching and led us to transition into individualized Semi-Private Personal Training, where every client follows a program designed specifically for them while still enjoying the motivation and community of training together.
That shift also changed the questions I was asking. Instead of focusing on helping people lose weight for the next six weeks, I started asking how I could help them stay healthy, strong, and independent for the next 30 years. That curiosity led me deeper into functional nutrition, healthy aging, hormones, gut health, and the development of the RE·ROOT™ Method.
If there’s one lesson I’ve learned, it’s that growth often comes from being willing to change. Some of my best decisions came from recognizing there was a better way to serve my clients, even if it meant stepping outside my comfort zone or completely rethinking the business. Every obstacle has helped shape not only the business, but also the coach and leader I’ve become.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
People often assume I’m “just” a personal trainer, but over the past 17 years I’ve come to realize that what I really do is help people navigate the second half of life with more strength, confidence, and independence.
I’ve always been drawn to working with adults over 40, and over the years that naturally evolved into specializing in healthy aging, particularly helping women through perimenopause and menopause. Part of that comes from my own journey. As a former college athlete who experienced multiple ACL reconstructions and meniscus surgeries at a young age, I learned early that every body has a different story. Those experiences taught me empathy and reinforced that there is never a one-size-fits-all approach to movement or health.
One thing that has always set me apart is my commitment to never stop learning. I earned my Bachelor of Science in Health Promotion with a minor in Nutrition, but I never viewed graduation as the end of my education. Throughout my career, I’ve continued investing in certifications, mentorships, and continuing education in Precision Nutrition, functional nutrition, hormones, metabolism, gut health, healthy aging, Pilates, yoga, Yoga Trapeze®, TRX, Barre Above®, TPI Golf Fitness, Functional Movement Screening (FMS), Corrective Exercise (CES), Performance Enhancement (PES), mobility, strength and conditioning, and movement assessment. Every certification, mentor, and client experience has added another piece to the puzzle. The more I learn, the more I realize there isn’t one “right” way to coach—there’s only the right approach for the person standing in front of you.
That philosophy completely changed how I coach. Early in my career, I taught group fitness, boot camps, and high-intensity workouts because that’s what the industry was doing. As both my clients and I got older, I realized someone walking into the studio for the first time shouldn’t be doing the same workout as someone who had been training with me for five or ten years. My goal has never been to train people the way I like to train—it’s to meet them where they are and help them safely get where they want to go. That realization led me to transition to individualized Semi-Private Personal Training, where every client follows a program designed specifically for their body, goals, and abilities.
Because of that philosophy, my clientele has naturally evolved over the years. Most of my one-on-one personal training clients are now in their 70s and beyond, while the majority of my semi-private members range from their 40s through their 70s. Helping people stay strong, independent, and active as they age has become the part of my career I’m most passionate about.
What I’m most proud of isn’t a certification or even the business I’ve built—it’s the relationships. I have several clients who have been with me since before I opened inMotion 17 years ago, including one lunchtime group that’s still training together today. I also have a 93-year-old client who has been with me for nearly 20 years. Watching people maintain their independence, recover from injuries, gain confidence, and continue doing the things they love is why I still love what I do.
I think what truly sets me apart is that I never stop asking, “How can I better serve my clients?” That question has shaped every stage of my career and continues to push me to learn, grow, and evolve. My goal isn’t simply to help people exercise—it’s to help them understand their bodies, improve their health, and build the strength and confidence to enjoy life for years to come.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
One thing that might surprise people is that I didn’t really enjoy reading growing up. If you had told my younger self that I’d someday spend my free time reading books—or listening to audiobooks and podcasts almost every day—I probably wouldn’t have believed you.
Today, reading has become one of my favorite hobbies. While I love learning about health, nutrition, business, psychology, and longevity, I also enjoy escaping into a good story. My bookshelf includes everything from thrillers and romance to young adult fiction, sports stories, autobiographies, and just about anything that captures my interest. I’m always reading something.
Somewhere along the way, learning became a hobby instead of a requirement. I genuinely love understanding how the body works, why people struggle with their health, and how I can better help my clients. The more I learn, the more I realize there is always more to discover, and that’s one of the things I love most about this profession.
Another thing people might not realize is that while fitness has been my career, it isn’t my entire identity. Outside of the studio, you’ll usually find me spending time with my husband, Seth, and our two Bulldogs, Harlow and Bella, paddleboarding, biking, playing sand volleyball, or relaxing at one of Central Oregon’s lakes. Living in Bend has given me an appreciation for staying active outdoors, and I try to practice the healthy, balanced lifestyle I encourage my clients to pursue.
I think those two things—curiosity and balance—have shaped both my career and the way I coach. I’m always learning, but I also believe health should help you enjoy life, not consume it.
Pricing:
- 149 trial for our 14 Day semi-private personal program
- 149 for our Longevity and Lifestyle Audit
- 399 for our 5 PT Personal Training Special
Contact Info:
- Website: https://inmotionbend.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inmotionbend/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/inmotionbend
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/inmotionbend/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@inMotionBend
