You’re on a dance floor at a wedding, shaking and grooving to the latest bhangra and Bollywood beat and suddenly you feel a sour smell coming out of the person next to you…IT’S YOUR UNCLE!

You may cringe at the thought of it but what you might not realize is that he’s getting a fantastic workout. It is one of the best ways to get in shape while listening to your favourite dance tunes. Genius!

While originally conceived as a folk dance in Punjab synonymous with the famous moves of shoulder shrugging, toe-tapping, and head shaking to the contagious beat of a dhol. Today, Bhangra dance has gone one step further from being just a party dance to becoming a popular way to get a good workout.

Bhangra or Bollywood dance studios has been mushrooming around the country of late. Many gyms and dance studios across the Klang Valley offer classes taught by trained Bhangra dance instructors who can guide you through the right moves to maximize calorie burn.

There is no one way to Bhangra, but there is no doubt that you’ll get a good cardio workout from this style of dance. To really get a good workout during Bhangra, try these methods to really help target your muscles:

Contract the muscles in your back: Squeeze these muscles tight while you dance, so they are fully engaged. Combining this with the rapid arm movement will help with the all-around toning of your back, arms, and shoulders.

Keep your core engaged: Keep your core engaged and focus on each individual muscle during the workout routine. This will not only help guide your body smoothly from one step to another, but you’ll also notice better posture and stronger abs in the long run.

Make each move count: When the beat is right, Bhangra involves quite a bit of jumping around and extending your legs. Make focused, steady movements instead of just thrashing your limbs about (which is never good anyway). This will give your lower body a great workout as well, from your hip flexors and quads and to your calves and hamstrings.

So, what are you waiting for? Get on the dance floor and sweat it out. Oh ya, make your uncle proud ok!



Image source: Shutterstock, WorldLifestyle, The Ailey school and CurleyTales