Dance The Calories Away

Would you like to lose up to 1200 calories in just an hour? Devika Soni takes a closer look at Bokwa, the new dance fitness form that promises just that

Workout to good music? Check. Meeting new people? Check. Losing loads of extra calories? Check. We are all perpetually on the lookout for new ways to lose the extra calories we gain from gorging on all those burgers, fries and pizzas. The fitness programmes in India like pilates, yoga, aerobics, zumba and boot camp give us different experiences to achieve the same goal – keeping the weighing scale from breaking our hearts and appetites too. You don’t need to go on rigorous diets or run kilometres every morning; just join this new comer of the fitness world and dance your way through it. Bokwa is a new programme that is spreading across the fitness world like wildfire. This programme is based on shedding weight while drawing letters and numbers on the floor.

WHAT IS BOKWA?
Bokwa was started by LA based fitness instructor, Paul Mavi and fitness entrepreneur Johann Verheem in 2012. This workout regime was launched in the United Kingdom, which spread to the US and then took over the world. India was introduced to Bokwa by Senthil Kumaran in Chennai and was quickly adopted in Mumbai and Bangalore too. Bokwa gets its name from Bo (boxing) and Kwa (Kwaito – South African War dance). It is a hybrid of dance steps and war moves. Bokwa is the first of its kind to use a universal sign language as its core routine, which is the same whether you’re in Poland, Taiwan, New Zealand or India. Bokwa can have many variations and it does not have to be dance-based compared to its contemporaries.

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM A BOKWA CLASS
“Bokwa participants draw letters and numbers with their feet while performing an energising and addictive cardio workout routine. Moving together to today’s most popular music, participants of all ages draw the Bokwa ‘L, 3, J, K’ and dozens of other steps,” says Hemma Nowrojee, a certified Bokwa Instructor. It does not have the traditional eight-count routine; instead it’s about tracing letters and numbers to pop music. Bokwa’s closest ancestor Zumba is a workout routine inspired by tango, salsa, reggeaton and flamenco; whereas Bokwa sets its moves to music with energetic quick beats, pop and everyday music. Bokwa instructors begin the class by introducing you to the basic steps and explaining the moves. The assistant instructors would then help you keep up with the class. It is not a choreographed dance; it’s only about the moves. Once you know the moves, which are easy to remember, you can go with the flow. In the event that you’re ever bored with the same old steps you can have some fun by adding a hip move or even a shimmy.

WHO IS IT FOR?
Bokwa does not have a definite target audience. “Any and everybody can do cardio bokwa. It is a high energy cardio class, targeted at weight loss,” says reputed dance expert Aanchal Gupta, who is the director at Arts in Motion. Everyone from a four-year-old kid to a 75-year-old can practice this routine. Whether you are a trained ballroom dancer, or are trained for any Latin dance styles of have two left feet, Bokwa is for you. Mavi perfected these cardio moves over a span of eight years by tapping into his native South African roots. A Bokwa session can help you lose over 1200 calories. A Bokwa class is a great place to meet new people. “It’s a great class for the young and for housewives also, who have monotonous schedules. This is a good way to get out, meet people and have fun, while at the same time lose weight!” says Gupta.

THE FUTURE OF BOKWA IN INDIA
“It is growing but steadily. Presently, there is a wave of zumba classes everywhere. Sooner or later people will get tired of it and boredom will set in. People are always on the lookout for new avenues of exercising. Therefore, Bokwa has a lot of scope,” says Gupta. About the future of Bokwa in India, Nowrojee says, “It looks bright to me as it is something different. We do Bokwa to popular music that appeals to a global audience. The music is energising and addictive and it is like the same feel good songs you listen to in your car. “It looks bright to me as it is something different. We do Bokwa to popular music that appeals to a global audience. The music is energising and addictive and it is like the same feel good songs you listen to in your car,” he adds. Go ahead, give it a shot!

5 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD PICK BOKWA

1. You don’t have to be a dancer.
2. Bokwa is for everyone.
3. You lose 1200 calories per hour.
4. You can work out to good music
5. You’ll make friends!

 

Volume 4 Issue 6