Extreme yoga teacher turns up heat on class

When people meet Lori Trevino for the first time, they’re likely to be enchanted by her soft, yet powerful, voice and beaming smile. Most young people who meet her have aspirations to look as good as she does when they’re 45, but are quickly reduced to surprised gasps when they learn the fitness guru is actually 60. With supple skin and a body comparable to that of a college athlete, it’s no wonder her clients seek her advice on how to look and feel great.

Trevino says her path to fitness started three decades ago when she began avidly running and biking. “I’ve run forever, it seems,” she said. “I was a marathon runner and also did long-distance biking, sometimes 100 or 150 miles for nonprofit benefit rides. I’m always looking for the next rush, the next big thing to challenge me.” Trevino’s next rush turned out to be an extreme form of yoga called Bikram, to which she was introduced by her daughter in 2003.   “Bikram yoga is yoga, but it’s stepped up a notch,” she said. “Each workout is 90 minutes long and is done in a heated room that’s about 105-110 degrees, so you really sweat.”   Trevino said the humidity in the room is kept at a steady 40 to 50 percent, as sweating is a critical aspect to the workout, which is much more demanding than classic yoga or cardio.   “It’s done in a heated room because of the postures that need to be achieved. The heat allows muscles to stretch more. The workout gets deep into the cellular level. It really is demanding, but the end results are so worth it,” Trevino said.   After a while, she knew she eventually wanted to teach others the exercise that had truly transformed the way she worked out. She did exactly that when she opened her studio, which is now flourishing. In fact, she’s looking to open a second location due to the overwhelming success of the first.   Beyond loving Bikram because of what it’s done for her body and mind, Trevino also has a place in her heart for how the workout benefits others. She swears by the benefits of Bikram and says that if people put their minds to it, anyone can benefit from this form of yoga — people of all ages, shapes, sizes and abilities.   Leeann Teagno is a freelance writer. She can be reached at neighborhoods@chron.com   ABOUT LORI TREVINO AGE: 60 OCCUPATION: Yoga instructor COMMUNITY CONNECTION: Her studio serves all of the Bay Area FAST FACT: Holds a degree in business finance from Johns Hopkins University