Gabi Wethor takes hot yoga classes three our four times a week at Lighthouse Yoga.
Gabi Wethor does yoga at Lighthouse Yoga in Omaha. She said she is motivated by the "inner changes I'm seeing" since starting yoga.
Gabi Wethor does yoga at Lighthouse Yoga in Omaha.
Gabi Wethor takes a yoga class at Lighthouse Yoga.
Gabi Wethor grew up in North Dakota.
She doesn’t like the heat.
When the 25-year-old told her friends she was taking hot yoga classes, they were shocked.
The temps can range from around 90 degrees up to about 105 degrees.
“Getting out of your comfort zone is how you figure out what you’re truly going to enjoy,” Wethor said.
Now the Omaha woman is in the yoga studio three or four days a week. Outside the studio, she also works on strength training.
Gabi Wethor takes a yoga class at Lighthouse Yoga at 222 N. 114th St. She's been taking classes at the studio since March.
Q: When did you start working out and why?
A: I started working out as a teenager. Fitness has always been a big part of my life. My mom is a five-time Ironman triathlete. She’s a very impressive woman. It’s always been in the family to stay fit. It’s something that, for most people, you can take control over. I’ve been taking classes at Lighthouse Yoga since March.
Q: Describe your workouts. How many days per week do you exercise?
A: It really will vary depending on the class you go to. There’s classes for hot yoga and flow classes. I gravitate more toward the hot classes. I’ve been taking three or four classes a week since May.
Q: What is your current fitness goal?
A: My fitness goals have really changed as time has gone on. My fitness goals revolve more around empowering myself. It’s less about physical changes and turned into what inner changes I’m seeing.
Gabi Wethor in a yoga class at Lighthouse Yoga at 222 N. 114th St. She said she never thought that yoga "would be part of my lifestyle."
Q: What has been your biggest accomplishment?
A: Really diving into this new practice. I never thought that yoga was going to be something I was going to pursue or something that would be part of my lifestyle. I’m really proud of powering through a couple classes and finding the peace and stability that getting to my mat three or four times a week has allotted me.
Q: What has been the toughest hurdle and how did you overcome it?
A: Trying something new has always been really intimidating. You sit on your mat in a class you’ve never tried before, and it’s really easy to get intimidated by all the other people there and how experienced they all are. But if you don’t push yourself to try new things, you won’t be able to discover what really resonates with you. Once you realize that people aren’t there to judge, you can better yourself without worrying what other people think.
Q: What helps you stay on track?
A: The changes that I’ve felt have definitely been what’s kept me going. The teachers at Lighthouse are so amazing. They want you to get exactly what you want out of the practice, whether that’s a deeper connection to spirituality or increased flexibility and fitness levels. That kept me going when I was trying to find my way.
Q: What is your gym pet peeve?
A: At the end of the practice, when you’ve exhausted your body, it’s a time for you to be with yourself, and it’s supposed to prepare you for meditation after. When people roll up their mat before then, that’s always a little frustrating. But at the end of the day, everyone’s practice is their own.
Q: What do you do when you aren’t in the gym?
A: I love to read, and spend time with family and friends. I love to learn, whether it’s about yoga and other spiritual practices or learning about web-based technologies.
Q: What is the piece of equipment, supplement, clothing, etc. that you can’t live without?
A: I have definitely grown a major dependence on my Lululemon leggings. It’s become such a problem, but they are an apparel item that I feel like I really can’t practice without.
Q: What advice would you give to someone who is just starting their fitness journey?
A: Don’t overdo it. Don’t push yourself too hard, too fast. Set goals that are reasonable for you to accomplish. As you hit those goals and reach those milestones, build from there. Get consistency in place. The best way to incorporate it into your life is to ease in and build from there.
Gymgoers share what motivates them, pet peeves and their proudest accomplishments
You never know who you might run into at the gym.
There's the man who's exercising as he waits for a heart transplant. Or the woman who's made Jazzercise workouts part of her life for more than 30 years.
Some workouts see moms accompanied by babies. Elsewhere you'll find folks well into their 90s who stick with exercise.
Check out their stories.
After Joe Adams had a heart attack, he underwent numerous procedures to get his heart in working order. Just when it seemed things were on the right track, his heart started to fail again. Read more.
Tamara Mosby-Montegut started working out as a stress reliever. Now she wants to keep up with her husband when he tackles 50 pushups in a row. And she wants her daughter to follow their healthy examples. Read more.
Varun Narayanan wanted to shed the pounds he packed on during the holidays a few years ago. He dropped from 230 pounds down to 195. Now he treks up active volcanoes. Read more.
After giving birth to her fourth baby, Susan Sawyer wanted to drop the baby weight. She took up Jazzercise. Sawyer's stuck with the dance-based exercise for nearly 35 years. Read more.
Jessica Hawley thought her third pregnancy was different because she was having a girl. But baby number three was another boy. The pregnancy felt different because she was more fit this time around. Read more.
When Gary Gundy started having trouble getting up after squatting down for target practice, he knew it was time for a change. The La Vista man dropped 80 pounds in three years. Read more.
Valerie Heath started shedding pounds by using the family's Wii. Now she belongs to a CrossFit gym and works out six days a week. Read more.
To be around for her family, Ashlei Spivey needed to get in shape. She joined a boxing gym. Now her workouts leave her feeling like she stepped out of a movie. Read more.
Betty Watt survived a sometimes trying career as a middle school teacher. Then she beat cancer twice. And the whole time she was a regular at the gym. Watt and her husband Charlie workout at least five days a week. Read more.
Erika Hanna sometimes has a pint-sized workout buddy during her morning classes. Her son Henrik, 18 months, offered hugs as she held a plank position and occasionally chased a loose exercise ball around the room. The studio gives Hanna a chance to stick close to her kids while staying on top of her own health and fitness. Read more.
Gwen Leyden wound up spending a week in a wheelchair because of a chronic condition. Leyden gradually was able to walk without using a cane. Later she started using the treadmill and eventually worked up to weightlifting. Read more.
With high blood pressure — and the possibility of needing cholesterol meds — Rich Hazuka was headed down a dangerous path. He dropped 75 pounds thanks to diet changes. When he plateaued, he took up exercise. Now he's off his blood pressure meds and has no need for any cholesterol medication. Read more.
George Mach can't help but wake up well before dawn. With that free time, the early riser started a gym routine. He hits the gym three days a week. Read more.
As Gregg Learned aged, arthritis made physical activity a chore. He struggled to walk across the parking lot at work. But joining a gym has helped Learned to stay on his feet. Read more.
At one time, Laura Adams could barely finish a lap around the walking track. But the Bellevue woman, who weighed 300 pounds, stuck it out and dropped 115 pounds. Read more.
Vince Huerta has always tried to keep active. He decided to give powerlifting a shot and now, the Omaha South grad holds a number of records for the weight he's hoisted. Read more.
Paul Stultz takes swimming seriously. He joined a Masters Swimming club and is working on nailing strokes like the freestyle and butterfly. But one of his biggest accomplishments was hiking the Grand Canyon. Read more.
kelsey.stewart@owh.com, 402-444-3100, twitter.com/kels2
Kelsey Stewart
Kelsey covers health and fitness for The World-Herald. Follow her on Twitter @kels2. Phone: 402-444-3100.
