Inside Celebrity Trainer Megan Roup’s Wellness Routine

Megan Roup is no stranger to multitasking. The mother, entrepreneur and brand founder behind the celebrity coveted fitness program, The Sculpt Society, is on a mission to make wellness accessible, achievable and most importantly, fun.

When Roup started out in the industry as a professional dancer, model and fitness instructor, she quickly realized that the high-intensity workout trend taking over NYC wasn’t doing her body any favors, and had a feeling she wasn’t alone (she was right). “I think I lived my entire 20s feeling really lost,” Roup confesses. “I knew I wanted to dance professionally. And then I knew I wanted to launch something like The Sculpt Society. I knew fitness was the path, but I didn’t know how I was going to get there.”

Today, Roup owns and operates The Sculpt Society: a wellness app providing fitness programs for women in all stages of life, from prenatal and postpartum flows, to mini-workout sessions and advanced moves. As a mother of two herself, Roup is passionate about helping guide her community of aspiring parents through in-person events like her recent partnership with Athleta, and introducing new expert-driven programs on the app. Her upcoming program will be centered on fertility and designed for those who are trying to conceive, doing IVF, or who have endured miscarriages — all elements of the pregnancy experience that aren’t discussed enough, if at all, in the fitness space. “I’m really excited to support women in this new way, so everyone feels empowered in how to move.”

Ahead, Romper gets the behind-the-scenes on how Megan Roup gets it done, from $15 lymphatic rollers and a walk in the park, to the mantra she uses before every Zoom.

On Wellness Rituals

It’s the simple things. Everyone thinks there's a secret pill or potion people are taking and I say no, I'm really just leaning into what is giving energy back. For me, that means getting up an hour before my kids in the morning so that I can have time to myself. I have my lemon water, I have my vitamins, I have my supplements. I move my body. My approach to movement over the years has changed from in my early 20s, thinking I had to work out for hours a day for results. Now, if I'm working out on my own, it's for under 20 minutes. Recognizing what works for me is super powerful and it fills my cup. Getting outside and going for a walk is crucial, too. I don't think that there is a magic combination. I just think it's asking yourself, what are those micro moments that feel like self care throughout the day?

On Managing Stress

Sometimes, we associate wellness and managing stress with really pricey items and routines, and it doesn’t have to be that way. I just started using this lymphatic roller at home from Love Wellness, and that’s an affordable alternative to a lymphatic drainage massage. Taking a walk and getting outside allows me to remove me from my space, and gets me back into feeling like myself.

On “Slow-Wellness”

It's committing to less so that I can show up more. That's always been my message, and really something I speak to my community about: Just showing up for shorter chunks of movement, that yes, don't require you to go hard. Fitness is not for the next three days, it's for the rest of your life, and so it needs to be something sustainable. It needs to be something that you can show up to everyday just like brushing your teeth, and that can look a lot shorter than you think it needs to. If it's a well programmed workout, you can get a lot done in ten minutes. That’s why I offer slower, more gentle classes for someone who may enjoy that.

Still, even my advanced classes are short — you don’t need to go through a full hair wash day! In my early 20s, if I didn't need a hair wash after my workout, the workout didn’t count. Reframing my mindset has done so much for my mental and physical health. I've never been stronger, and I've never worked out less.

On Postpartum Fitness

It's unfortunate, because there is a real lack of education in the postpartum wellness space. I’m focusing on educating women that it’s not about bouncing back – but you can get back into your pelvic floor and breathwork once you're home from the hospital to speed up your recovery and feel better. It's not about suffering in this postpartum phase. I created a whole postpartum program for that, and filmed all of these videos while I was nearly postpartum myself! If you're going through that physically, I think it helps to see a postpartum body on screen. I’m there with you, another exhausted new mom going through it together.

On Reclaiming Confidence

When I think about confidence in the projects I’m working on, for example, I hosted a huge event with Athleta in Los Angeles and it felt like the Wellness Coachella. Their brand’s mission is “power of she”, which aligns so well with what I'm doing at The Sculpt Society. Getting hundreds of women together to build confidence through movement is the best feeling.

On Motivation

When I want to feel motivated for a quick workout, [Athleta’s] stash tights are my go-to’s. There’s just something about moving your body to the beat of the music, getting out of your head, feeling good in what you’re wearing and getting grounded that is such a big confidence booster for me. I think little mantras can also be so helpful in shaping your internal dialogue; that self talk really is a guiding force in building confidence. This is embarrassing to share, but every time I’m heading into an interview or a big event I sing a little song telling myself, “you got this, girl.” and it boosts my mood! I say, “I am strong, and I am worthy.” That’s been a game-changer for me.