Author: Alexandra EnglerSeptember 5, 2023mbg Beauty DirectorBy Alexandra Englermbg Beauty DirectorAlexandra Engler is the beauty director at mindbodygreen and host of the beauty podcast Clean Beauty School. Previously, she's held beauty roles at Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, SELF, and Cosmopolitan; her byline has appeared in Esquire, Sports Illustrated, and Allure.com.Image by mbg creative x megan roupSeptember 5, 2023Our editors have independently chosen the products listed on this page. If you purchase something mentioned in this article, we may earn a small commission.Taking care of yourself should feel good. It may seem like a boring platitude, but as anyone who's tried to start a new healthy habit knows, it's not always the case. This is especially true nowadays, when the wellness industry feels like a tornado of trends.
"Wellness practices can feel overwhelming. One thing I've learned is that I don't need an endless long list of things to actually make me feel good," says celebrity fitness instructor Megan Roup, founder of The Sculpt Society. "It's very simple: romanticizing my life a bit more. Savoring that cup of coffee in the morning. Getting up a bit earlier. Taking five minutes for meditation or a walk outside. Just tapping into that playful nature is really important."
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This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features.On today's episode of Clean Beauty School, Roup joins me to discuss diet culture, creating a sustainable wellness routine, and her best beauty tips (because, of course). Throughout the episode we talk at length about making wellness feel fun (and easy!) again, so here are three simple ways to do just that.
Practice intuitive well-being
The principles of intuitive eating have been a refreshing tonal change from diet culture that has warped "health" conversions for so many years. And here's the best part: Following your intuition isn't just for what you're eating but can be applied across all areas of your life.
"My wellness journey has evolved into intuitively moving my body, intuitively eating, and really just listening to what it is that my body is craving to do and honoring that," she says. "I went through so many stages of accepting my body and food journey. Once I removed all of the restrictions and actually just started to lean into the things that made me happy and the things that felt good, that's actually when my body just kind of relaxed. I've never felt or looked better."
Recognize signs of burnout
Burnout happens when we feel overwhelmed and exhausted about our expectations. And while it's a concept most often associated with work, we can experience burnout in other areas as well. This includes our well-being rituals.
"I think if you find yourself in a place where you feel you have to do something, what you're doing is not enough, or feel shame around it, that's a sign that you might need to do a self-check-in," she says. "You might need to reframe what constitutes a workout. Maybe opt for active recovery or commit to shorter workouts."
Ultimately it's important to recognize when you mentally are not in a workout—because it will affect how you show up physically too. "I'm a big believer in committing to less so you can show up more," she says.
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This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features.View recovery as part of the progress
Recovery isn't just "taking a break"—it's actually a vital part of the fitness process.
"Your body needs time to recover; your muscles need time to recover," she says. "You're gonna get way better results by actually allowing your body to rest."
And if you're someone who likes to move daily, recovery can be active: "Do an active recovery day. Maybe it looks like getting outside for a 20-minute walk and getting some sunshine on your face."
For more insights, tune in here:
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This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features.Alexandra Englermbg Beauty DirectorAlexandra Engler is the beauty director at mindbodygreen and host of the beauty podcast Clean Beauty School. Previously, she's held beauty roles at Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, SELF, and Cosmopolitan; her byline has appeared in Esquire, Sports Illustrated, and Allure.com. In her current role, she covers all the latest trends in the clean and natural beauty space, as well as lifestyle topics, such as travel. She received her journalism degree from Marquette University, graduating first in the department. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.
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