Monon Community Center Member Roberto Liendo creates a healthy, flexible, and family friendly workout plan
There is nothing routine about Monon Community Center (MCC) member Roberto Liendo’s workout plan. He doesn’t follow a strict daily or weekly pre-planned schedule but he’s certain to be doing one thing consistently — moving.
“In 2023, my girlfriend Ashley and our blended family moved to the Westfield area,” shared Liendo. “The physical move to Hamilton County offered so many options for a healthier lifestyle and one of the first things we did was sign up for a family membership to the MCC.”
Liendo shares that he has not always been committed to his health and wellness and has battled up-and-down weight through the years, as well as not making time to exercise or plan healthy meals. A health scare last fall propelled him to prioritize his well-being.
A Needed Change
“I was driving to work and realized something wasn’t quite right with my vision,” Liendo remembered. “By the time I got to work, I collapsed at my desk. After a few days of fluids and rest, they diagnosed that I had suffered a mini-stroke. I knew right then that I needed to make some changes – changes that would help me get on the right track to a healthier me.”
The right track led Liendo and his family to the MCC for everything from weightlifting together to walking and biking on the many trails to a new-found love of pickleball. His workout routine varies all the time but his commitment to doing something healthy every day is always his goal.
Working Out – My Way
For many, strict workout goals and a set regimen that doesn’t vary is the way to stay accountable. Liendo thrives on the variety of ways he can keep moving and utilize all the MCC has to offer. He’s battled a deteriorating knee that hindered his running until a steady weight loss over the past months put less stress on his knee and allowed him to return to running with Ashley.
As a single dad, Liendo admitted that he hadn’t always had a healthy diet especially when often cooking for himself. He knew it was time to make a change and make better choices.
“I’ve lost about 60 pounds in the last year, and it has really made a change in my ability to do things that I’d not been able to do in the past,” Liendo reflected. “I am not fanatical about my diet but our whole family is more conscious of making healthy eating choices every day and we enjoy getting out together for any type of exercise.”
The MCC family membership has been a solid investment for our entire family continued Liendo. His daughter plays soccer and does some weightlifting. He lifts weights and plays basketball with one of his sons, walks the dog and runs on the trails with another son, and he’s always running or walking with Ashley who is a longtime runner.
Transforming Health as A Way of Life
“It really is about moving,” Liendo reiterated. “The physical move allowed us to come together and put in place a healthier overall lifestyle and that involves moving our bodies every day. The physical changes have been visible but the focus on health has had a positive mental effect on my personal and career life as well.”
A flexible, hybrid workday has also helped Liendo find the time to work out and still be productive in his thriving and busy IT role. This workday flexibility led to a better work environment and the time to invest in himself.
“There used to be very little time in my day to be healthy,” Liendo declared. “Now, we make ‘healthy’ a priority as a lifestyle and not just for the short-term. I can’t say enough about how the MCC has given us the options we need to keep moving together and never get bored. There’s always a new class, a section of a trail we haven’t been on before, or a family trip to The Waterpark — it’s the ideal workout home base for our entire family.”
“When they say one place, one price, all access – that really is how we see the MCC,” Liendo said. “I may play pickleball one afternoon and the next day we are walking the dog for two miles and then taking a three-mile run on the Monon, all in the same day. If I’m moving every day in some way, I see positive results.”
Written By: Sheryl Rodgers
Sheryl focuses on branding and marketing engagement. She’s a storyteller, editorial and media consultant, and brand builder. This story was written in partnership with Pickett & Associates.