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’s also overhauling her business, having spent the last number of months preparing to launch a major rebrand that goes live in September. If you’re thinking that doing all that sounds inspiring, it is. That’s why Beyond Yoga tapped the 39-year-old as a partner for its new Seek Beyond platform.
In the campaign, Roup opens up about the importance of movement in her life, especially now that she’s a mom. “I really wanted to show other women joyful workouts that impacted how they felt about their body,” she says. “Motherhood is about strength, resilience, and the incredible things that our bodies can do. It’s important that I continue to model a positive relationship with movement for my daughters.”
Roup’s mindset and approach to exercise has changed a lot, she says, including being OK with working out less. (Yes, even fitness influencers appreciate short workouts—and sometimes even skip them.) As with her Sculpt Society classes, her take on the great balancing act of motherhood is all too relatable.
Roup wants moms to be a little more selfish.
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. “Most moms are putting their oxygen mask on last,” Roup tells SELF. “There’s not a lot of emphasis on women taking care of themselves first, but it’s so important.” The trainer points out that when women don’t do this, their mental health suffers. “It should be the opposite,” she says. “If we take some time for ourselves each day, it sets us up for success.”
Plus, she reminds me, parenthood—like exercise—is not all or nothing. “I don’t have to give up everything I enjoyed before kids,” she says. “I’m 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.”
Her workouts are shorter than ever.
Some Sculpt Society workouts are as short as five minutes—and Roup does those too. The trick, she says, is committing to less so you can show up more. “[Women] will find more motivation to press play on a 5- or 10-minute workout because it doesn’t feel so daunting,” she says. “That creates habit.… It goes into the rest of your day and impacts everyone.”