Today we’d like to introduce you to Robin Long.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’m a mother of four, a wife, and the owner and founder of the wellness company, Lindywell. My fitness journey started at a young age. I grew up as an athlete and a dancer so I found myself in very competitive environments. Like many young girls, I struggled with my body image. I felt constant pressure to look a certain way. I never felt thin enough or fit enough, and it began to impact my confidence, self-esteem, and overall happiness. As a result, exercise became a means to an end. It was purely to try to change my appearance and make up for the food that I ate. It was an unhealthy cycle that unfortunately is all too common for most women and young girls. It took me hitting rock bottom with my body image and health habits to make the decision that I didn’t want to live that way.
Around that time, I found Pilates. Pilates was a catalyst for healing in my life. I began to connect with my body in a positive way, I developed a powerful sense of strength and control within my body that overflowed into other areas of my life. Through a lot of inner work and a dedication to the Pilates method, I began to pursue exercise for the sake of how it made me feel, as opposed to what I was trying to “fix” about myself. I became a Pilates instructor but quickly realized that if I was not careful, I could actually be a part of the problem. The problem is an industry and a culture that puts an exceptional amount of pressure on women to lose weight, achieve an aesthetic “ideal,” and constantly keep tabs on their bodies through weight, measurements, stats, etc (also known as body-checking). I decided I wanted to be a voice for change in the health and fitness industry. I wanted to speak up on behalf of women to help us pursue true wellness, not some commercialized quick-fix version of wellness that really only serves the success of the diet industry.
I knew I was not alone in my struggles with exercise, food, and my body (and the frustration of starting and stopping programs that never seemed to work) and I wanted to help other women experience the transformation and freedom that I experienced, so I started Lindywell, a Pilates and wellness company focused on helping women improve their health, while repairing their relationship with their bodies by embracing grace over guilt.
I’m passionate about paving a new path for women, and I’m also passionate about the example that I provide for my own kids in our day-to-day life. Sometimes, they’ll come up and jiggle my legs, and I’m very mindful of how I respond about my body in front of them. Instead of acting insulted or embarrassed of my jiggly thighs, I try to smile and say, ‘Aren’t my thighs so strong? I love how they help me run and walk and chase you around.’ I’m not perfect, but I do my best every day to make sure my kids hear a message of loving gratitude for our bodies.
I spend my days juggling family and running a global business, which takes A LOT of planning, patience, and intentional routines. I had to go through my own process of letting go of the all-or-nothing mentality that kept me in a cycle of frustration and feeling terrible about myself. But that’s exactly what drove me to create Lindywell in the first place. And why I am always taking a Grace Over Guilt approach that embraces positivity, authenticity, and realism. My goal is for every woman to see themselves for what they truly are – strong to the core.
At Lindywell, we believe that working out shouldn’t be a guilt-induced chore. It should be a sustainable habit that brings joy into your day. We also believe that we DESERVE to be treated well and lifted up – by ourselves and also those around us, which is why the Lindywell community was designed to connect millions of women in more than a hundred countries around the world through its 4.9 stars rated app with accessible on-demand Pilates and breathwork classes, and nutritious recipes.
Choosing Grace Over Guilt is central to how we reframe and redefine our relationship with health and fitness. It’s so common to get caught in the all-or-nothing mentality when it comes to working out, and our Grace Over Guilt approach is the antidote to that.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I did not have a healthy relationship with my body, food, and my self-image for a long time. It took years of yo-yo dieting, endless cycles of trying to find a form of exercise I enjoyed, and forcing myself to go to the gym out of guilt before I found what I loved and what worked best for me; which turned out to be Pilates.
After I had my first child, I found it extremely hard to find time for myself and to prioritize my wellness routines. I noticed most fitness programs required more time and commitment than I could realistically give (an hour felt impossible!), and leaving the house was really hard with a young baby and lack of childcare. I knew I wasn’t alone in my challenges, and no one in the fitness space was speaking to me – this played a huge role in the way in which I designed Lindywell. Many of our workouts are just 15 minutes (or less!) and can be done from home without any expensive equipment or fancy setup. In my busiest seasons, I knew that I needed something I could do in my pajamas, without hiring extra childcare, and that I could sneak in when I had a few minutes to myself if I wanted to achieve any level of consistency. As a result, everything we do at Lindywell is designed with practicality in mind, especially for women who have a lot on their plate or are in a season of change or transition. We are for the everyday woman who needs an encouraging, practical, and approachable solution to taking care of their physical and mental wellbeing.
Growing a business while growing a family is also not for the faint of heart. My kids are now 10, 8, 5 and 5 and it takes a substantial amount of planning and communication just to make it through each week. However, I’m grateful for the challenge (most days) and wouldn’t have it any other way. As a CEO, I factor this very real challenge into our company culture. I believe that (while challenging) it’s possible to create a work environment where you can pursue work that you are passionate about and work hard without sacrificing your commitment to your family or your wellbeing. At Lindywell, we lead the way in this by providing a flexible, remote work environment, paid parental leave, 4-day work weeks, health and wellness reimbursements and a culture that allows women to thrive both in their careers as well as their personal lives.
We’ve been impressed with Lindywell, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I launched the Lindywell (which was formerly The Balanced Life) in 2009 and worked with an incredible team to grow it to the point where today we offer over 300 on-demand Pilates workout videos that are filmed on the beach here in Santa Barbara. I’m proud to say that Lindywell is women-owned and run and is available in nearly 170 countries worldwide. Last year, we were awarded “Best Pilates App” by Women’s Health and named the “App and Virtual Fitness” Health Fitness Award winner.
Lindywell blends intuitive Pilates instruction with realistic healthy eating that helps women build consistency for balanced living — without the stress, guilt, or decision fatigue. Our Grace over Guilt approach is proven to help members pursue wellness in all areas of life through the practice of integrating sustainable goals versus reacting with a fight or flight mentality. We’re not here to pressure users into working out to the max. Instead, Lindywell encourages implementing healthier habits into your everyday lifestyle. This growth in daily life leads to consistency, enjoyable experiences, and a thriving lifestyle. And this can be achieved in just 10 minutes a day by tapping into movement or meditation!
Lindywell is a space for all women to have access to high-quality Pilates workouts, nourishing recipes, community support, and more. Our goal is to nurture our community of strong, resilient women by creating a personal connection with our members, offering coaching tips, answering questions, and offering encouragement. Over the years, we have grown to offer breathwork, nutritional recipes, and programs led by an incredible roster of certified instructors, including Head of Breathwork and Somatic Programs Kiesha Yokers, Registered Dietician Micah Siva, and our newest addition, Lindy Royer, a physical therapist, pain specialist, and Master Pilates educator who is focused on bone-friendly mobility for those with osteoporosis or low bone density.
We created Lindywell to be accessible and effective for anyone, anywhere — and our member retention rates prove that it’s working. They tend to stay a part of our community for years and are extremely welcoming to new members. Anyone can try Lindywell for 14 days through our free trial (https://hubs.la/Q01lYStj0) before choosing a subscription option that works best for them. We hope to see you on the mat soon!
What makes you happy?
I actually don’t seek to be happy most of the time. Instead, I seek peace. I find if I focus on an internal peace (that for me, is based on my faith in a good and loving God), then I’m able to better navigate not only the happy moments in life but also the not-so-happy ones.
However, I do experience a lot of happiness through traveling with my family and helping others find love and acceptance with their own bodies, while also improving their health. Every time I get a hug from my children, every time a Lindywell member tells me her life has changed from our program, and every time I get to walk in the sunshine on the beautiful beaches in Santa Barbara, I experience happiness.
Pricing:
- 14-Day Free Trial: https://hubs.la/Q01lYStj0
- Annual: $17/month ($199 billed annually)
- Pilates Powerhouse Mat: $97
- Hand Weights: $47
- Resistance Bands (Set of 3): $37
Contact Info:
- Website: https://lindywell.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wearelindywell/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wearelindywell
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robin-long-117a5014/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@wearelindywell
- Other: https://www.amazon.com/Well-Core-Realistic-Guilt-Free-Approach/dp/1496472624/
