Tone up with the masala bhangra workout!

The Masala Bhangra Workout is in its tenth year and Sarina Jain, who started it all, is in Mumbai to shoot her seventh workout video. The popular fitness trainer in the US wants to give her latest video a 'real Bollywood feel'.

So Jain and her troupe of lovely ladies from the US have been in Mumbai for over two weeks and have shot their video on the sets of an Ekta Kapoor show.

In an interview, Sarina Jain tells Abhishek Mande how she stays fit, the foods we must avoid and just how you can get those flat abs.

What makes the masala bhangra workout so unique?

It's like any other workout, actually, only the steps are easy to follow. The workout is taken from the North Indian folk dance, something I used to do as a kid. It is effective because you are constantly moving for over 45 minutes to an hour. Further, you can join at any point in the class and still burn calories. Most of my students are Americans and this is very alien to them. The music and the moves are fun and by the time they're done, they're so hooked on not just to the workout but also to a culture. Finally, at the end of 45 minutes you don't even realise that you've worked up a sweat because in all likelihood you were busy enjoying yourself!

How different is it from aerobics?

It is quite like aerobics, only Indian style. The steps used in the workout are the steps we've been doing for ages. In the dance form, you call out to the beat of the drum, dance to the music and celebrate. That is what the masala bhangra workout is all about too. It is a great cardio-vascular workout and I'd like to think it is better than many other workouts.

Do you need to know how to dance to do the masala bhangra workout?

Not at all! If you have to left feet, there's nothing you can really do about it, can you? The idea is to just have fun and try to learn. There have been people who have just come over to my class and decided that they want to burn calories. As weeks go by, they begin to learn each step till they know it well. Chances are that by the time you're done with the course, you've learnt a few steps already. Finally, it is all about losing weight and staying fit.

Do you need music?

Well, yes, preferably. Bhangra is all about music. If you can dance to the music in your head that's great, but having music in the backdrop makes it more fun.

What are the kinds of food/ food habits that Indians should avoid to remain healthy?

By and large, Indian food is good. Indians have an issue with the heart -- we don't have a good cardiovascular system. So the best way to stay healthy is to not eat chapatis or rice after 8 pm. Also avoid bread, because it usually just sits inside and isn't easily digestible. Avoid eating anything that has cream. Go instead for yellow dal, vegetables, salad or yoghurt.

Finally, how do you keep fit?

The thing is, I am always working out because I teach about 18 classes per week -- that's over 18 hours of masala bhangra workout. But when I am teaching, I am constantly thinking of the class, what they might want and how they can burn more than 500 calories per session. But I also need to workout for myself. That is when I practice Bikram Yoga for about four hours a week. I usually try and run for about 20 minutes every day and regularly do weight training exercises too.

See videos:
3 great ways to get flat abs
Here's how you get a sexy back