Keeping fit and maintaining a healthy lifestyle is a surefire way to feel your best, but how do the celeb lot do it? Is it a fancy juice plan? A PT to the stars? Sauteed kale that's been whipped up by a personal chef? Or do they have plenty of wellness tips that the rest of us could steal to help us on our own wellbeing journey? Believe it or not, it's often the latter. We speak to celebrities and influencers to find out exactly how they stay fit, look after themselves inside and out and ultimately feel great.
Meggan Grubb is the founder of Beyond, a fitness and lifestyle app which not only offers effective workout plans, but strives to boost mental wellbeing at the same time. From daily journal prompts to life-affirming notifications, it's truly unlike any other app out there.
"I wanted to create a safe space where we care about your wellbeing," Meggan tells Closer, "There's not a lot of pressure on Beyond, it's very friendly and warm."
As well as a successful app, Meggan is a qualified personal trainer and known for her fitness tips, workouts and chatty vlogs and has over 1.3 million loyal followers on Instagram alone.
Meggan chats exclusively to Closer about morning routines, supplements and her number one tip for beginners...
Why did you decide to start your fitness journey?
I properly started my journey about five years ago. I was in London at university and I just fancied trying out the gym. It was becoming known on Instagram for women to be into it and I was curious and so was my friend from uni.
We started going to the gym and what really kept me going was how I realised how much it was helping me de-stress from essays. It was an hour in the day where I wouldn't think about university and all of the things I needed to do. It was the perfect time to just switch off and focus on myself. and I could really see the benefits of it.
I also really wanted to try and help people where I could, especially women, because it's not just a man thing to lift weights.
I did a PT course when I was at university, but once I realised how London is so competitive with being a PT. I wanted to try and build an online client base instead. I started posting workout videos online and I think I was in the right place at the right time because they seemed to get a lot of attraction. I think it was because it wasn't that common in the female industry yet to lift weights and enjoy it.
What does your current workout plan look like?
I follow my plans in my app Beyond. I'm currently following one called 'Fierce' which you can choose to do three or five days a week. I'm currently doing five. I do two lower-body days, then two upper-body days, which I split into push and pull. The fifth day is usually my day where I can experiment and do a bit of cardio or abs. I might also do a circuit. It's really just a full-body do what I fancy day, but not lifting super heavy.
Why did you start Beyond?
I think a lot of people thought I would actually do it sooner. Everything was also heading in that direction too, it was very focused on apps. There was a long process of discovering what I wanted to do with Beyond and why I wanted to do it. The name Beyond came from a quote that I used to say a lot, which is "When it's grey outside, there is blue beyond the clouds". This quote helped me as I am an anxious person, and the gym helps me through those cloudy days.
I also thought, there's not a fitness app out there that has its main focus on your mental wellbeing either - a lot of apps are purely just selling you a dream.
I wanted to create a safe space where we did care about your well being. We have a function where you can turn calories on or off too - in case that is triggering. There's not a lot of pressure on Beyond, it's very friendly and warm.
I write all the life-affirming notifications myself, that idea actually came from lockdown when a lot of people were feeling quite lonely. That little message could be the only message they get from someone all day and I wanted to bring them a little bit of happiness.
What's your current morning routine for a productive day?
It's changed a lot recently and this year I've made it my intention to try and have a bit more structure in my mornings. Now, I go out first thing with my fiance and go for a dog walk. We've noticed such a difference in our headspace because we both work from home, we have that time to really connect first thing in the morning.
I feel like it has actually made me much happier and less stressed. He told me something about light exposure and how it can really help you mentally. We have genuinely noticed such a difference in our productivity.
I also train quite early in the mornings, too. I really feel the endorphins and energy from a session first thing. It's time to put your headphones in and forget about everything else and just work on yourself.
I make honey oats the night before, so in the morning, they're just there ready for me to eat. I write in my journal every morning too and try to write out three things I'm grateful for. I check my planner to see what I've got to do for the day and get myself ready.
Do you take supplements as part of your fitness journey?
I've never really been into supplements, the only thing I go in and out of using is a protein powder with my morning oats. I don't actually take protein shakes or anything like that because I am quite good at being aware that it's in the food I make. I don't personally use pre-workout that much because I have got a bit of a dodgy heart. My mum also always drilled into me that natural is the best way and getting everything in more natural substances is the best way to do things.
How do you stay motivated when you're not feeling it?
Sometimes it's okay to not force yourself. It's okay to be kind to yourself and say, 'This one workout is not going to change to my life forever'. You just have to listen to your body. Sometimes the hardest bit is actually just getting to the gym. I don't think anything can really motivate you because at the end of the day you can only get yourself there. But what motivates me is thinking of how I'll feel afterwards, how much more energised I will feel.
Do you have any tips for beginners starting out on their fitness journey?
Try not to go from zero to 100. Often people find it hard to introduce fitness into their routine because they try to go from not going to the gym at all to going six days a week. Then you might start to hate it. I think it's important to find a form of exercise that you will enjoy because so many people see training as a punishment. It shouldn't be like that, we're so lucky to have a body that we are able to move. If you don't like the gym, there are so many different forms of training and exercise that you can discover that will be better for you.
In terms of a workout for a beginner, what I would suggest is using only one piece of equipment. So for example, doing a little circuit workout, or just a workout with maybe a pair of dumbbells. Find a space in the gym, pop yourself there to do your thing and then you won't feel the need to wander around. If you're not feeling confident, doing that is a good thing to do. I would also recommend going to the gym with someone like a partner, as that will definitely boost your confidence. If you feel anxious about how you look or if you don't know how to use a machine, at least you've got someone there with you and it won't feel as daunting.
Quickfire round:
Go-to gym wear brand? Bo+Tee.
Favourite healthy snack? It's a bit boring, but I love Kallo Chocolate Rice Cakes. Some rice cakes are dry and horrible, but they're really good.
Usual bedtime routine? Around midnight/1 am.
Something that’s always in your fridge? Cheese, I love parmesan on pasta.
Quote you live by? 'Be unapologetically you' because that's the best thing you can be and nobody else can be you, that's the beautiful thing about being uniquely yourself.
Take control of your fitness, diet and happiness with the Beyond app. With in-app fitness guides, recipes and the ability to journal, Beyond is here to boost your positivity and wellbeing. Check it out, here.