Megan Roup has been through a lot of change lately. The Sculpt Society founder is now a mom of two, welcoming daughters in 2021 and 2023. While navigating toddlerhood, she\u2019s also overhauling her business, having spent the last number of months preparing to launch a major rebrand that goes live in September. If you\u2019re thinking that doing all that sounds inspiring, it is. That\u2019s why Beyond Yoga tapped the 39-year-old as a partner for its new Seek Beyond platform.<\/p>\n
In the campaign<\/a>, Roup opens up about the importance of movement in her life, especially now that she\u2019s a mom. \u201cI really wanted to show other women joyful workouts<\/a> that impacted how they felt about their body,\u201d she says. \u201cMotherhood is about strength, resilience, and the incredible things that our bodies can do. It\u2019s important that I continue to model a positive relationship with movement for my daughters.\u201d<\/p>\n Roup\u2019s mindset and approach to exercise has changed a lot, she says, including being OK with working out less<\/a>. (Yes, even fitness influencers appreciate short workouts\u2014and sometimes even skip them.) As with her Sculpt Society classes, her take on the great balancing act of motherhood is all too relatable.<\/p>\n Roup wants moms to be a little more selfish.<\/p>\n Between taking care of children, keeping the house together, maintaining relationships, and working, it can be hard to find time for yourself as a parent. \u201cMost moms are putting their oxygen mask on last,\u201d Roup tells SELF. \u201cThere\u2019s not a lot of emphasis on women taking care of themselves first, but it\u2019s so important.\u201d The trainer points out that when women don\u2019t do this, their mental health suffers. \u201cIt should be the opposite,\u201d she says. \u201cIf we take some time for ourselves each day, it sets us up for success.\u201d<\/p>\n Plus, she reminds me, parenthood\u2014like exercise\u2014is not all or nothing. \u201cI don\u2019t have to give up everything I enjoyed before kids,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019m getting to show them that Mom is strong when she moves her body. That is going to positively impact my kids and I can model a really body-positive movement practice.\u201d<\/p>\n Her workouts are shorter than ever.<\/p>\n Some Sculpt Society workouts are as short as five minutes\u2014and Roup does those too. The trick, she says, is committing to less so you can show up more. \u201c[Women] will find more motivation to press play on a 5- or 10-minute workout<\/a> because it doesn\u2019t feel so daunting,\u201d she says. \u201cThat creates habit.\u2026 It goes into the rest of your day and impacts everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n Some habits<\/a> Roup has adopted over the last few years? Early wake-ups, for one. Roup says that even though she\u2019s not a \u201cmorning person,\u201d she wakes up around 5:30 a.m. so she can drink coffee, meditate, and fit in a workout before her kids get up. (Roup breaks down her morning routine in this recent Instagram post<\/a>.) \u201cMy mental health and physical health feel better when I do this,\u201d she tells me. As a mom of four young ones who has to get up at 5 a.m. to make exercising happen, I feel this deeply. And, according to Roup, the results are just as apparent: \u201cI\u2019ve never looked or felt stronger, and my workouts are the shortest they\u2019ve ever been.\u201d<\/p>\n Her approach to core work is different after having kids.<\/p>\n