We take a deep breath and sign up for that race. We register for that fitness class, or go outside our comfort zone and try a different form of exercise altogether. We take steps to change what we eat, we vow to drink more water, to get more sleep. We decide to take better care of ourselves—both mentally and physically—and slowly and surely we reach out goals, whatever our individual fitness and wellness efforts may be and wherever our journey takes us.
But do we celebrate these milestones along the way? Perhaps. But longtime personal trainer Amy Puckett, who lives in Holland, Mich., believes we can do a whole lot more of this.
"I love seeing people gain an amazing sense of pride and accomplishment," says Amy, who surveyed thousands of women and asked what they do to celebrate when they reach a milestone. "To my shock, most of the responses were that they have never thought about celebrating. This didn’t sit well with me. I see so many women getting frustrated or burned out while on this betterment journey. I’ve narrowed it down to either they just aren’t celebrating or they are celebrating the wrong way—maybe a cheat day with the wrong or too much food, and I don’t mean kale. Naturally this would leave them feeling discouraged and worse yet, the next workout may suffer causing more frustration. This cycle has the potential to derail their whole health journey. I believe that there is a right way and a wrong way to celebrate. The right way will propel you forward on your journey not lure you off track."
Heather met Amy earlier this fall at the Holland Haven Marathon, Half Marathon and 8K. Both had booths at the race expo, which is held on race day. Amy's business is Milestones Gift Co., which designs meaningful gift boxes. Products are "handcrafted, beautiful, indulgent pieces – many of which are made exclusively for our Milestones customers," says Amy, who started the business about a year a half ago with her sister Kelly. "Every one of our items is carefully selected to bring you what you need to reach your next health milestone and help you celebrate at the same time. Each item is designed to help make your next workout better."
Along with talking about Milestones Gift Co., Amy shares her own personal health and wellness journey, including how she had a hip replacement at a young age, and why she has such a passion for helping women reach their fitness and life goals. Most recently, she has taken an interest in working with women who are experiencing perimenopause or menopause—and what this means for their workouts.
Amy offers a special discount code to MRG Podcast listeners interested in a Milestones Gift Co. item, whether it's to celebrate a personal milestone or one reached by a friend. Learn more and view products here: https://milestonesgiftco.com
Find Milestones Gift Co. on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/milestonesgiftco/
