BollyX is a Bollywood-inspired cardio dance fitness program that utilizes high-intensity interval training (HIIT) principles which provide numerous health benefits to the participant. The class consists of intense, high impact dance moves (which drive the heart rate up) interspersed with moderately-intense, low impact moves (allowing for a short recovery) to give participants an exhilarating yet effective workout. The benefits of the BollyX workout extend into other areas as well, including improvements in both coordination and mind/body awareness.
Simply put, this total body workout builds strength, endurance, confidence, and community – the essential ingredients needed to unleash your inner rockstar!
High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
HIIT-type workouts are defined by alternating between periods of work (higher intensity, higher heart rate) and recovery (lower intensity, lower heart rate). BollyX designed the class format with HIIT principles in mind so that participants can reap the benefits of this method of training.
Interval training…
● is less energy efficient than steady state (therefore increases caloric expenditure)
● increases duration and magnitude of EPOC* (metabolism temporarily boosted)
● improves body composition (increases muscle, decreases fat)
● improves cardiovascular endurance more so than steady state
Additional advantages of choosing HIIT workouts over steady state include decreased risk of developing osteoporosis, Type-2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Total Body Workout
Participants taking BollyX classes are having so much fun dancing they don’t realize how much of a workout it is until they feel muscular soreness the next day. During a 50-minute BollyX class, dancers will engage and utilize most of the major muscle groups in their body when following the choreography provided. BollyX strives to create choreography that is not only authentic and fun, but also beneficial to improving one’s body composition. To name a few dance moves and the muscles they target, see below:
● Arm pulses overhead (targeting shoulders, biceps, triceps)
● Chugs in a low, wide squat position (targeting glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps)
● Bhangra skips (targeting calves, hip flexors and abs)
Coordination
Dancing to the beat of the music and learning how to pair the footwork with arm choreography is a great way to develop coordination and agility in a BollyX class. Taking a dance class for the first time can be intimidating. While BollyX can be enjoyed by everyone (no dance experience required), there is a slight learning curve if you are brand new to Bollywood and Bhangra dance moves.
Having said that, BollyX choreographs in a cyclic method so that all dance sequences are taught in a repetitive manner – the footwork is introduced first, then the arm choreography is layered in, then the whole thing is repeated. It allows all participants to develop the coordination and movement patterns over time to become proficient at South Asian dance technique. The goal in BollyX, first and foremost, is for each person to have fun while dancing to exhilarating upbeat music. It’s ok if you don’t get all the moves the first time. We have witnessed many people, over just a few weeks of doing BollyX regularly, mastering movements they never thought they could do. That’s when your inner rockstar is truly unleashed!
Mind/Body Awareness
While we all know that our minds can change our bodies (consciously engaging in a healthier, more active lifestyle through BollyX is just one example), Amy Cuddy reminds us that our bodies can also change our minds. The key to happiness and success dwells not only in how we think, but also in how we carry ourselves physically. By holding positions that Cuddy refers to as “power poses” for at least two minutes, we experience a 25 percent decrease in cortisol (the stress hormone).
BollyX uses Cuddy’s power poses as the underlying inspiration for its choreography and presentation framework. BollyX participants have the opportunity to practice these power poses many times throughout the 50-minute dance class. As a result, BollyXers are leaving class having accomplished more than merely breaking a sweat – they’re leaving feeling powerful, confident, and ready to tackle whatever challenges come their way.**
*EPOC = Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption: The elevation in oxygen consumption above resting level after exercise. That means your metabolism is higher and you burn more calories at rest (within 24 hours) after an interval-based workout session than compared to a steady state exercise session.
** http://www.huffingtonpost.com/amy-cuddy/body-language_b_2451277.html
Resources:
Treuth M.S. et al, Effects of exercise intensity on 24-h energy expenditure and substrate oxidation. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 36:1364–1371, 2004
Trapp, E.G. et al, The effects of high-intensity intermittent exercise training on fat loss and fasting insulin levels of young women. Internat J Obes. 32:684–91, 2008.
Talanian, J.L. et al, Two weeks of high-intensity aerobic interval training increases the capacity for fat oxidation during exercise in women, J Appl Physiol 102: 1439–1447, 2007.
Helgerud, J. et al, Aerobic High-Intensity Intervals Improve VO2max More Than Moderate Training. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., 39(4):665–671, 2007.
About The Author
BollyX® – The Bollywood Workout – is a dance-fitness program that combines dynamic choreography with the hottest music from India’s entertainment industry. Its 50-minute cardio workout, based on high intensity interval training (HIIT) principles, gets you moving, sweating, and smiling all at the same time. Each class burns 500-800 calories and leaves you feeling like a rockstar! To learn more, go to bollyx.com
