Celebrities who do Bikram yoga include NBA All-Stars, an NFL MVP, three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray and several boxing champions. This guide lists 29 names with a documented practice, labels each one as Bikram, hot or heated yoga exactly as the source words it, and explains what the research says about why athletes keep coming back.
Mr. Ian Terry, E-RYT 500, built this list for students who ask the same question in almost every intake call: who else trains like this?
The short answer is more people than most expect. Most of the celebrities who do Bikram yoga are athletes, not film stars, and that shapes everything below.
Celebrities Who Do Bikram Yoga: 29 Names on Record
The names below come from the YogaFX Research Report R2, published in October 2026. We kept only people whose practice is documented in their own words or by reputable outlets. The last column states what the source says, so a hot yoga class is never passed off as a Bikram class.
Because the list is built on sources, it is shorter than the lists you will find elsewhere. That is the point: every one of the celebrities who do Bikram yoga here can be checked.
One honest limit: every person we could verify this way is a man. We have not yet checked a matching list of women to the same standard, so we left it out instead of guessing.
Athletes who do hot yoga and Bikram: coaches and players
| Name | Practice | What the source says |
|---|---|---|
| Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, NBA | Bikram Yoga | Trained under Bikram Choudhury from 1970: "He got me doing postures, and that really lengthened my career." (The National, 2014) |
| Joe Johnson, 7x NBA All-Star | Hot Yoga | Began in 2009 for knee and Achilles tendonitis, 90 minutes at 105°F. Now runs his own studio. (ESPN, 2014; Andscape, 2021) |
| Rick Fox, 3x NBA champion and actor | Hot Yoga | Said one class left him energized. (BlackDoctor.org, 2014) |
| Brandon Bass, NBA | Bikram Yoga | Went twice a week for 90 minutes for lengthening, strengthening and balance. (NBC Sports Boston) |
| DeMarcus Cousins, 4x NBA All-Star | Hot Yoga | Classes at 105°F left him lighter on his feet and more flexible. (The Sacramento Bee, 2016) |
| Immanuel Quickley and Obi Toppin, NBA | Hot Yoga | After a class together: "the hardest thing I've ever done." (Yoga Journal, 2022) |
| Aaron Rodgers, NFL MVP and Super Bowl champion | Hot Yoga | Three months of hot yoga in the 2014 off-season: "It helped me." (Sports Illustrated, 2014) |
| Jason Hatcher, NFL | Hot Yoga | "It helped my knees heal pretty well." (Washington Commanders, 2015) |
| Ryan Kerrigan, NFL | Hot Yoga | Called it good for joints and internal organs. (Washington Commanders, 2015) |
| Lance Kendricks, NFL | Hot Yoga | "It's kind of addicting." (Associated Press) |
| Dwayne Allen, NFL | Hot Yoga | More than 100 classes; said it is going to help teammates' games. (ProFootballTalk, 2013) |
| Brock Osweiler, NFL | Bikram Yoga | He and his Arizona State offensive line were regulars, per the studio owner. (Cronkite News, 2016) |
| Lane Kiffin, college football head coach | Hot Yoga | Starts his days with early classes. (The Rebel Walk, 2022; USA Today, 2025) |
| Andy Murray, tennis, 3x Grand Slam champion | Bikram Yoga | Took it up in 2007; said it "helped a lot with my fitness and mental strength". (The National; ANI) |
| Ryan Spooner, NHL | Hot Yoga | Two summers of hot yoga to loosen tightness from weights. (Boston Magazine, 2015) |
| Al Leiter, MLB pitcher, 2x World Series champion | Bikram Yoga | Trained with a Bikram teacher and called it an asset in his success. (The Palm Beach Post, via Yoga Journal) |
| Shawn Porter, boxing, 2x welterweight world champion | Bikram Yoga | Practising since 2013 at 110°F. (Premier Boxing Champions) |
| Anthony Crolla, boxing, WBA world champion | Bikram Yoga | Credits it for his breathing, and admits he often just wants the class to end. (BoxingScene, 2013) |
| Denton Vassell, boxing, Commonwealth champion | Bikram Yoga | Recommends it to everyone, especially fighters. (BoxingScene, 2013) |
| Paul Smith, boxing | Bikram Yoga | "When it gets tough I can concentrate on my breathing." (BoxingScene, 2013) |
| Stephen Smith, boxing | Bikram Yoga | Found it better for him and said it helped flexibility. (BoxingScene, 2013) |
| Paul O'Connell, Ireland rugby captain | Bikram Yoga | Described 90-minute sessions that "take a lot out of you". (The42.ie, 2015) |
| Richard Cockerill, Leicester Tigers rugby | Bikram Yoga | A regular visitor to a Bikram studio where his first-team squad also trained. (Leicester Tigers, 2013) |
| Cristiano Ronaldo, football | Heated Yoga | Shared a yoga session inside a sauna in 2024. (Goal.com, 2024) |
Film, media and politics: celebrities who do Bikram yoga off the field
| Name | Practice | What the source says |
|---|---|---|
| Joe Rogan, UFC commentator and podcaster | Hot Yoga | Wrote that 90 minutes of hot yoga does more than work out his body. (his own post on X, 2018) |
| Martin Sheen, actor | Bikram Yoga | A student at Bikram Choudhury's Los Angeles school in the 1970s. (Syman, The Subtle Body, 2010) |
| Keir Dullea, actor, 2001: A Space Odyssey | Bikram Yoga | Named with Martin Sheen among the school's 1970s students. (Syman, 2010) |
| Tim Ryan, US Congressman for Ohio, 2003 to 2023 | Hot Yoga | His official biography lists hot yoga among his pastimes. (University of Chicago Institute of Politics, 2023) |
Names that often appear in lifestyle lists, such as David Beckham, are missing here on purpose. We found no source that states a Bikram practice in the person's own words, so they do not meet our standard.
How to Read the Practice Labels: Bikram, Hot or Heated
Not every famous name practises the same thing, so the label matters. We copied each label from the source, not from the person's fame. As a result, some celebrities who do Bikram yoga in headlines appear here as hot yoga practitioners instead.
- Bikram yoga means the source names the fixed Bikram class: 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises, 90 minutes, in a heated room. Fourteen of the 29 names carry this label.
- Hot yoga means a heated class that the source does not call Bikram. It may follow a different sequence. Another 14 names carry this label.
- Heated yoga covers one case only: a yoga session inside a sauna, which is a different setting from a studio class.
Most of the people on the list are athletes using the heat for recovery and focus, not influencers promoting a brand. That fits what the Bikram yoga for athletes guide explains about training load and mobility.
The List at a Glance: Celebrities Who Do Bikram Yoga by Numbers
Why Athletes Keep Going Back: What the Research Shows
Stories are not evidence, so here is what published studies measured. None of these trials tested famous athletes. Every result describes a group average, not a promise, because individual bodies respond differently.
Research may help explain why celebrities who do Bikram yoga keep returning, but it does not prove the practice works for any one person. Anyone with a health condition should consult a healthcare professional before starting a heated class.
Energy cost and heart rate
A University of Wisconsin study led by John Porcari (2014) measured a 90-minute Bikram class. Women burned about 333 calories and men about 460, with heart rate near 80% of maximum. That is real cardiovascular work without the joint impact of running, so NBA players often fit hot yoga between games and heavy training days.
Strength and flexibility
In 2013, Tracy and Hart reported that healthy young adults who trained in Bikram yoga improved flexibility and deadlift strength. Colorado State University's research summary describes the gains in spine, hamstring and shoulder flexibility and whole-body strength, with little change in aerobic fitness.
A 2025 systematic review by Willmott and colleagues pooled 43 studies and 942 participants and described functional benefits that include flexibility and bone density. Joe Johnson's account of calmer knees fits that pattern, though one player's story proves nothing alone.
Keep one point in mind: the studies measured ordinary adults, not the celebrities who do Bikram yoga on our list.
Mood and focus
A 2023 Harvard and Massachusetts General Hospital trial (Nyer et al.) found that 59% of adults with moderate to severe depression who did heated yoga for eight weeks halved their symptoms, against 6% on a waiting list. The trial studied people with depression, not athletes. Still, it matches what Andy Murray and the boxers say about mental strength and breathing under pressure.
If you want to try a class yourself, here is what to bring to your first hot yoga class.
What the Athletes Say in Their Own Words
Basketball and American football: protecting the body
The older generation set the pattern. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar credited the postures with lengthening his career. Joe Johnson started in 2009 because of tendonitis and kept going until he opened a studio. In the NFL, Jason Hatcher said it helped his knees heal, and Dwayne Allen logged more than 100 classes.
The common thread is maintenance. These players use the heat and the long holds to stay loose, so they can train harder on the days that count. For athletes who do hot yoga, that matters more than any single posture.
It also shows how celebrities who do Bikram yoga differ from casual visitors. They tend to treat the class as a training tool, with a schedule, and they keep going after the novelty fades. Brandon Bass went twice a week. Dwayne Allen passed 100 classes. Brock Osweiler and his offensive line became regulars, according to the studio owner.
Boxing, rugby and tennis: breathing and mind
The fighters talk about something different: breath. Paul Smith says he can concentrate on his breathing when it gets tough. Anthony Crolla credits it for his breathing too, and honestly admits he often wants the class to end. Andy Murray said it helped his fitness and mental strength. That honesty is useful, because a Bikram class is hard, and nobody on this list pretends otherwise.
The fixed sequence also explains the appeal for sport people. Because the postures never change, an athlete can measure progress posture by posture. For more on how the 90 minutes unfold, see what happens in a Bikram yoga class.
From the Star to the Student: Who Practises Next to You
Mr. Ian Terry and the YogaFX teaching team
Celebrities who do Bikram yoga sit in the same room as everyone else, with the same heat and the same script. Celebrities who do Bikram yoga also face the same hard moments halfway through. At YogaFX in Bali, Mr. Ian Terry teaches that class to students from more than 80 countries. He holds E-RYT 500, has over 12,000 teaching hours, and has trained more than 1,500 graduates since 2017.
He is also Master Trainer of the Republic of Indonesia Yogasana Sports Federation, so his students learn from a trainer appointed by a national federation.
His students have carried the method into competition. Graduates took 7 medals at the 2026 World Yogasana Championship; the full story is in our World Yogasana Championship 2026 report.
What students say
Here is what everyday students say about the training, and why it matters for anyone comparing options:
If you are looking to take an honest look at yourself, do some very hard work, and come out a changed person for the better, this is the program for you.
Matt, Google review, 2025
Mr. Ian is both tough on us when necessary, and loving when called for.
Liz, Google review, 2025
YogaFX teacher training is an efficient bootcamp.
Ajay, Google review, 2024
How to Try the Class the Way These Athletes Do
You do not need a famous name or a pro contract to follow the same pattern. The athletes above built a habit in small steps, for example one class a week at first, then more. A simple plan looks like this:
- Start with one or two classes a week for the first month, so your body can adapt to the heat.
- Drink water before class and replace fluids afterwards, but do not drink far more than you need.
- Rest when you need to. Sitting out a posture is normal, because the goal is to stay in the room.
- Build toward three classes a week once the first month feels comfortable. YogaFX suggests building up to three to five.
That is the plan we give new students, and it mirrors what most athletes on this list describe. Men with heart disease or other conditions should see a doctor before starting. Newcomers should also tell the teacher before class if anything feels wrong.
Train in the Same Room: Bikram Teacher Training in Bali
Seeing celebrities who do Bikram yoga is one thing, and learning the method is another. If these names made you curious, the YogaFX Bikram Hot 26&2 Yoga Teacher Training MasterClass is a six-day hybrid course: online preparation first, then an intensive in Bali. Graduates earn the Yoga Alliance RYT 200-Hour certificate and the Bikram Hot 26&2 200-Hour International Yoga Certification.
- Next batch: check-in Sunday 24 January 2027, check-out Friday 29 January 2027.
- Venue: Soham Wellness Center, Seminyak, Bali.
- Format: pre-course online study, then six days on site.
See the full Bikram yoga teacher training dates, cost and formats. If you would rather ask a person, message Mr. Ian on WhatsApp.
FAQ
Which celebrities do Bikram yoga?
Celebrities who do Bikram yoga on record include Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Andy Murray, Al Leiter, boxer Shawn Porter, rugby captain Paul O'Connell and actors Martin Sheen and Keir Dullea. Many more NBA and NFL players practise hot yoga. Each label in our tables follows the source, so check the Practice column before assuming a Bikram class.
Is Bikram yoga the same as hot yoga?
Not exactly. Bikram yoga is a fixed class of 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises, taught over 90 minutes in a heated room. Hot yoga is a broader term for any yoga in a heated room, and the sequence can differ. Many athletes on our list say hot yoga, not Bikram.
Did Bikram invent hot yoga?
Bikram Choudhury popularised the fixed 26 and 2 sequence in a heated room, bringing it to the United States in the 1970s. Heated yoga is now taught in many styles. In 2015 a US appeals court ruled that the sequence itself is not protected by copyright, so anyone may teach it.
Is Bikram yoga safe for athletes?
The heat is a real load, so respect it. In one study of Bikram classes, men's average peak core temperature reached 103.2°F, and one man reached 104.1°F. Build up gradually, rest when needed and replace fluids without overdrinking. Anyone with heart disease or another condition should consult a healthcare professional first.
Is this an official Bikram Choudhury teacher training?
No. The YogaFX course is independent training led by Mr. Ian Terry, E-RYT 500. He trained for five years, from 2014 to 2019, with the founder of the Bikram Hot 26&2 method. The programme awards Yoga Alliance RYT 200-Hour certification plus the Bikram Hot 26&2 200-Hour International Yoga Certification.
Still have questions? Message Mr. Ian and the YogaFX team on WhatsApp and we will answer them personally.
