Laura Hansen lifts weights during a group class at Better Bodies Fitness & Training.
Laura Hansen works out at Better Bodies Fitness & Training, 4117 S. 120th St.
Laura Hansen runs on a treadmill at Better Bodies Fitness & Training.
Laura Hansen runs on a treadmill at Better Bodies Fitness & Training.
Laura Hansen lifts weights during a class at Better Bodies Fitness & Training.
Laura Hansen works out at Better Bodies Fitness & Training.
Laura Hansen works out at Better Bodies Fitness & Training.
Laura Hansen works out at Better Bodies Fitness & Training.
Laura Hansen has always tried to stay active.
After an unplanned year away from the gym, the Omaha woman decided she needed to take care of herself. She found a gym family at Better Bodies Fitness & Training.
While some days are harder than others, she hits the gym four days a week. Her personal trainer and gym family help hold her accountable.
“This gym just feels like home to me,” Hansen said. “I made time for me. I needed to take care of myself instead of being in my own head.”
The workouts have helped her mentally and physically. The mom of two has learned to modify certain moves to accommodate a neck problem and arthritis in her wrists. Regular exercise also keeps Hansen, a hairdresser, limber at work.
She’s down 20 pounds, but has shifted her focus from weight to body fat percentage.
“I’m really practicing acceptance of where I’m at,” Hansen said. “I’m trying not to get hung up on the scale numbers.”
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Q: When did you start working out and why?
A: I’ve always worked out. I took a break for a year. I realized, which I’ve always kind of known, as far as it being good for my physical health, it’s just really helped me mentally.
Q: Describe your workouts. How many days per week do you exercise?
A: I’m at the gym four days a week. On Mondays, I do an aerobics class. On Wednesdays, I take a circuit-style class combining weights and cardio. I work out on Tuesdays and Thursdays for half an hour. Sometimes I take a class those days, too.
Q: What is your current fitness goal?
A: I want to drop 2 more pounds. But really, I want to stay fit and keep coming (to the gym). I try to eat clean, but I could do better.
Q: What has been your biggest accomplishment?
A: Being consistent. It’s a challenge sometimes. One day I don’t want to go, or maybe something came up and I couldn’t go. Or you take a vacation and have to start again.
Q: What has been the toughest hurdle and how did you overcome it?
A: I hate burpees. They can be a hurdle during a workout. And sometimes on a cold winter day, you don’t want to get up at 5:30 a.m. and go.
Q: What helps you stay on track?
A: My trainer, Leeanna Carr. Now I’ve developed friends in the class. They will text you if you don’t show up. It kind of becomes your family in some ways.
Q: What do you do when you aren’t in the gym?
A: I hang out with my family and dogs. I meet up with friends for lunch, a movie or a glass of wine.
Q: What is the piece of equipment, supplement, clothing, etc. that you can’t live without?
A: My tennis shoes.
Q: What advice would you give to someone who is just starting their fitness journey?
A: Remember, it’s going to get easier. Stay with it. Start slow. For me, getting a trainer was one of the best things, because she’s become my friend, too.
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.
