About Me
Welcome to myfitnessroad.com!
I’m Cleto (Clay) Tirabassi, HR Consultant and Wellness Coach. I am a huge fan of health and fitness, and I have an undying passion for helping others improve their lives. My family is my rock, and I am blessed to have a wonderful wife and two fabulous daughters. My enthusiasm for fitness began when I was just 4 years old. Not kidding! If you’re curious, there’s more about my backstory here. However, let’s get back to the present “me.”
What I Do
I do many things from auto-repair to baking – and a whole lot in between.
But what I enjoy most is patiently engaging with busy middle-aged professionals (like Al) who want the same life successes I’ve attained, to understand their obstacles, and to help them devise realistic strategies for achieving and maintaining the best possible outcomes. (More about that on the My Mission page.)
Why I Do It
Because it disturbs me that most of us consciously neglect our health and end up paying dearly later on. I’m a naturally-curious “fixer” type. And witnessing this general decline first-hand over the years, has had a profound and lasting impact on me.
It’s frustrating to watch people make mistakes (especially the lifestyle ones) I know can be avoided.
With all the freely available science and resources, the world’s population (particularly in Western societies) continues to struggle with emotional prosperity and is becoming unhealthier.
The WHO’s position on this is pretty sobering:
Diabetes cases in adults will more than double globally from 143 million in 1997 to 300 million by 2025, largely because of dietary and other lifestyle factors.
It seems perfectly clear, then, that prevailing approaches to health and fitness don’t work – and it’s the very thing that mobilizes me to challenge convention.
My Modus Operandi
As a people-centric individual, I’m naturally drawn towards connecting on a personal level. This makes me effective in helping alleviate the confusion and the indecision (courtesy of the selfish exploits of the health and fitness industries) – as well as ultimately providing tangible solutions.
Doing my part to educate, inspire, and improve the lives of other busy middle-aged pros through practical and sustainable options is, therefore, the logical and “right” choice for me.
The immense satisfaction and appreciation shown towards me and the MFR movement means I couldn’t be surer or more passionate about my calling.
But besides working with my busy middle-aged pro audience, I'm also involved in pro bono work with schools where I discuss “healthy habits” with students – and with corporate/non-governmental entities, where I discuss effective “work-life-balance” strategies with general staff, professionals, and executives. (More on these projects here.)
My Approach to Health and Fitness
I believe that lasting change for long-term wellness depends on how grounded, empathetic and success-minded you are – not on some “secret,” the next fad, or a clever smartphone app or device.
This means working from the “self” rather than allowing one's environment to dictate.
Even if various competing aspects of life need to be considered and integrated into a sustainable solution – it all starts and ends with the individual. I furthermore see the overarching condition of well-being as a multi-dimensional (physical-emotional-social-spiritual-intellectual) state – not a band-aid.
Within the realm of well-being, and in doing my part to promote wellness, I embrace the 3 main aspects of human existence (body-mind-soul) together.
How so?
Because I don’t believe you can have any “one” of them if you’re neglecting the other “two.”
But enough about me, let’s consider…
Why You May Be Here
You’re most probably reading this because:
You’re tired and frustrated with being out of shape. But familiarity with the status quo keeps you there.
You’ve tried a few different “things” along the way, but fallen short.
Your time is limited, so you usually answer to other “more pressing” engagements or distractions.
You’re mindful of the likely medical burden and costs that await you if you continue on your current course.
You really want change, but at the same time, you’re a slave to procrastination because, well...
The fitness industry also has you overwhelmed, confused and skeptical. What should you do? Where should you start? Who should you trust? You might just be using this “predicament” as justification for not taking action – and so the cycle of inaction continues. How do you break it?
I’ve navigated through all of these predicaments and challenges and devised sustainable fixes for all of them. If any resonate with you as a busy middle-aged pro – then I strongly urge you to take a closer look at my lifestyle as an example of how it can be done.