Welcome to Waking Up Well, a column where we hand-select people we admire and ask them to share how they start the day. We think morning routines are a crucial part of an intentional wellness journey and we’re fascinated by the practices of our favorite figures.

Megan Roup is defining how we work out today, but it wasn’t always easy. After years of training and working as a professional dancer, she embarked on a personal journey to rediscover the joy, confidence, and freedom that can be found in movement.

When she launched the Sculpt Society app in November 2019, its workouts blended dance cardio and sculpt — all with simple movements, set to music. The punitive, competitive side of exercise culture was simply nowhere to be found. We love her mantra, “Commit to less so you can show up more,” which removes the judgment and barriers we are bound to experience when we set our expectations for personal wellness too high.

“It’s all about getting in some movement and showing up for herself — so she can then show up for family, her team, and her community throughout the rest of the day.”

So, we wanted to find out what Megan’s morning looks like. Would it be as fun and simple as a 5-minute Sculpt Society workout? As it turns out, yes! These days, her mornings start in LA an hour or so before her daughters wake up. Her morning time is really the only “me-time” of her day so it’s all about getting in some movement and showing up for herself — so she can then show up for family, her team, and her community throughout the rest of the day.

Here’s what Megan’s mornings look like, from the first cup of coffee to moving her body, even if it’s just for a few minutes.

6:00am | Phone-free zone (mostly) 🤳

I wake up and try my hardest not to check my emails and messages before getting out of bed! If I’m shooting something or expecting an email then I’m guilty of grabbing my phone and doing some work before getting out of bed, but I am really trying to get better about it.

6:10am | Lemon water & caffeine 🍋

Time to head downstairs and make my lemon water and coffee. I find that my energy levels are higher if I have this glass of lemon water before I start drinking any caffeine for the day. I love the ritual of making coffee and love this time in the morning to myself.

A glass bottle of water and a glass with a lemon slice sit on a wooden table in sunlight.

6:15am | Simple movement 🧘‍♀️

I open The Sculpt Society app and — depending on how much time I have and how I’m feeling — I’ll move my body anywhere from five to 30 minutes. My favorite classes on the app right now are our Quickie Full Bodies! Movement is crucial for me in the morning, but I only commit to what my schedule can handle.

A smartphone screen showing a fitness app with options like "Start Here," "Personalized Workout Finder," "Live Workouts + Schedule," and more.
Person in pink workout attire performing a lateral lunge exercise on an outdoor patio with greenery in the background.

6:30am | Brekkie and family time 🍳

I make breakfast and spend time with my husband, Morgan. Right now I’ve been having a lot of overnight oats, avocado toast with poached eggs, or just some granola and berries with Califia Farms almond milk.

A plate with a slice of toast topped with avocado slices and a poached egg, seasoned with paprika.
A ceramic bowl of granola and blueberries is on a marble surface, with a jar of granola spilled in the background.

6:45am | Prep station 💻

Finally time to glance at my email and get set up for my day. Every day looks a little different for me. Some days I’m teaching in-person in LA and heading to events, other days are full of back-to-back team meetings and filming, so I like to make sure I’ve prepped either the content I’m filming, meeting notes for calls, or whatever else might be on the agenda.

7:00am | Cuddles & QT 🐣

The best part of my morning routine — heading upstairs and waking up my girls. I sneak in some good morning cuddles, get them dressed, put Mercer in her Solly Baby wrap and we are out the door to either school, soccer, or just a family walk! As a Mom who works crazy hours, this quality time with my family in the morning is so important to me and helps me start my day on the right note.

A woman with a ponytail, wearing a white sweater, holds a baby wrapped in a pink cloth. The baby, wearing a headband with a bow, is looking at the camera.
Aerial view of a suburban street lined with palm trees and houses, showing several cars parked and driving on both sides of the road with shadows stretching across the pavement.

Featured image is from The Sculpt Society