If you’ve ever seen a Bhangra performance or taken a Bhangra dance class, you’ll know how energetic this dance style is. With its high kicks and wide squats, it’s almost like Bhangra was made to be a workout!
Bhangra originates from the Northern Region of India and is derived from traditional forms of Punjabi folk dance. It is characterized by powerful bass, shoulder-shaking treble sounds, high-energy and often high intensity choreography, and joyous lyrics. Historians estimate that around the 14th or 15th century, Punjabi farmers would dance and sing songs about village life to pass time while working in the fields, eventually using the dances to celebrate good harvests during a festival called Baisakhi. The dance was performed exclusively by men, accompanied by folk instruments such as the tumbi (a single-string plucking instrument), the dholak (a small barrel-shaped drum), and the sarangi (a bowed musical instrument with up to thirty-five strings).
In BollyX classes, you’ll be getting your heart rate up by dancing to Bhangra songs. It is one of the three South Asian dance genres featured in the format. Here are the 3 top reasons having Bhangra in your dance fitness class is highly beneficial:
It spikes your heart rate
Not only does the music get you excited about moving, but Bhangra footwork generally involves high impact hops, which drive the heart rate up in no time! Additionally, the set position in Bhangra is usually with your arms extended above your head at a 45° angle in front of your body. Anytime your arms are over your head, it drives the heart rate up since your body is working extra hard to pump blood against gravity to your arms. Don’t be surprised if you feel your heart rate climb quickly within a minute of dancing Bhangra!
It works your muscles from head to toe
In addition to working your heart muscle, you’re also getting an amazing workout for your skeletal muscles. Your upper body muscles, especially the shoulders, get toned simply by holding your arms up and out in the fully extended position.
Let’s not forget about the lower body muscles: most of the basic Bhangra moves involve hops and are done on the balls of your feet, which makes you engage your calf muscles to keep the heels elevated, and engage your abs for balance.
One other common move in Bhangra is called ‘jugni’ which is done by maintaining a low wide squat while you step slowly to the side. Moves like jugni help strengthen the glutes, quads, hamstrings and core muscles.
It’s almost impossible not to smile
Working out isn’t only for physical reasons – there’s the mental reason too. Bhangra dancing is a great way to relieve stress, forget any worries you have and just check out for an hour with a smile on your face! I don’t know about you, but something about Bhangra music just makes me want to stand up and start dancing around the room. The beat of the dhol drum comes on and my shoulders involuntarily begin moving to that beat. Smiling has incredible health benefits – it releases endorphins which act as anti-depressants, helps to relieve stress, and can boost your immune system, to name a few. So as tough as your workout may be, smiling is a really great way to get through it!
Comment below with your favorite Bhangra song!
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About the author: It only takes talking to Malvika for a few minutes to find out just how much she loves dance. By day she works in Business Intelligence, but spends every other waking moment dancing or thinking about dance. She has trained in Bharatanatyam, a classical dance form of South India, since the age of 4 and has gone on to expand her dance repertoire to Bhangra, Raas/Garba, Bollywood, and pretty much anything that involves smiling and moving. Through BollyX, Malvika has not only discovered a way to share her love for South Asian dance, but has also developed a newfound passion for nutrition and healthy living and hopes to share this through her blog at www.dancingchai.wordpress.com!