How an NBA star went from shooting hoops to hot yoga

Former NBA star Joe Johnson is best known for his shooting. But “Iso Joe” has made a reputation for himself within the Atlanta hot yoga scene.

“I took this up closely because of “I even have poor flexibility and inflammation of the tendons in my knees and Achilles tendon,” she says. BLACK ENTREPRENEURSHIP“When I had those injuries, I didn’t do hot yoga, however it shut me down through the season. I had to sweat, but I could not run or walk. My (Atlanta Hawks) coach, Wally Blase, put me on it in 2009. It healed me in lower than per week. I do it on daily basis and have been an enormous advocate ever since.”

It can be a decade before Iso Yoga was born, but Johnson continued his each day practice until he retired in 2022. The studio officially opened in late 2023, allowing Atlanta residents to release their sweat through what many members consider a type of physical therapy.

“Hot yoga”, also often called Bikram Yoga, has turn out to be popular exercises lately, with the first-class led by controversial yoga instructor Bikram Choudhury within the Nineteen Seventies in Japan. The yoga practice takes place in heated rooms where temperatures exceed 100 degrees.

The sessions challenge the mind and body and might lead to increased flexibility and reduced stress levels. According to added heat may help blood circulation, and studies have shown improved cardiovascular health and muscle strength.

To spread the word, Iso Yoga also hosts weekly community days. These discounted classes encourage would-be hot yogis to get into the sweat zone. The studio has also partnered with organizations like HBCU Elite to engage black college athletes.

For Johnson, an important thing is to help the house team to an advantage,

“It’s a diverse community, but we can all sustain the same injuries,” he says. “No matter what health issues you have, this practice is very effective. It’s sacred to me. I always ask people to come. But I never force it because I know how exhausting it is, but it’s worth it. It’s the best, most difficult workout I’ve ever done, and I’ve been playing professional basketball for 18 years.”

The black-owned studio also boasts instructors who reflect the town’s population. One of their teachers, Brandon McIntosh, breaks black male norms through his representation. I take up this challenge with pride and hopes more black men will join him.

“I love being a black teacher and talking about it with young people or other black men,” explains McIntosh, who has a military background. TO BE“I was in the fitness business, but coming onto this site and learning the mental aspect of hot yoga, I’m able to bring that to them. They see a black, heterosexual man doing it and they say, ‘OK, maybe I’ll try it.’ I’m able to reach that demographic, so I love that.”

As Iso Yoga grows in Atlanta, and its proud owner is at school nearly on daily basis, Johnson is diversifying the yoga space while providing a brand new outlet for everybody to move, one mat at a time.

“The classes are growing and people want to know more. It’s been a lot of fun teaching people about their bodies and how much better they can feel,” Johnson says. “It’s a beginner’s practice; you might come in here and never have done it before, but your body will thank you for it.”