Garba and Dandiya: Swirl, sweat and soar
If you thought Garba was all song and dance, think again. The measured steps, energetic twirls and claps can benefit your body a lot more than imagined. "With Garba, you are sweating and doing cardio all the time," says Karaan Jodhani, founder, Folk Innovations, a community that promotes folk dances of India.

How does it help?
The inherent design of Garba demands that you use your whole body, making it an ideal workout. "The dance steps are inspired by nature. You do the taali (clap) over your head, sit down, stand up, take a twirl and this is choreographed to the pace of beats. This is just one of many steps. For instance,  Leheriyu imitates the waves; it can be calm, fast or stormy. It is a version of squats, it helps you tone your biceps and triceps because of the claps, while your leg muscles get a workout because of the sit-ups. Dhudhiyu is inspired by the moon — you jump a lot in circular movements in this step. The number of jumps is a measure of your stamina," he adds.