← Introduction To Pungra · Lesson 1 of 6 · 14 minutes
What is Pungra, and why make exercise part of your life?
The music and dance make exercise enjoyable and sustainable. The health benefits are the North Star.
Where this comes from
- Since 1999 the founder has worked in digital adoption and taught community classes.
- In 2005 the founder realised that about 95% of people who join classes want exercise, not to perform on stage.
- From 2007 the founder trained as a fitness instructor and saw how different performing and fitness really are.
Do not be, like most people, confused
Pungra is a brand that focuses on exercise and fitness to Punjabi music, not performing arts. Many others make similar claims about “bhangra fitness”, “bhangra exercise” or “bhangra aerobics” but are really focused on performing.
- Exercise and fitness is judged by improvements in fitness, for example VO2 Max.
- Performing and entertainment is judged by how an audience feels.
Their goals, customers and industries are different.
Why so many people are confused
The idea of dancing has been colonised by performing arts. Most people grew up seeing dance in movies, on stage and on social media. It has not always been that way, and it does not have to stay that way.
The big idea
Exercise + Punjabi music − audience = Pungra
Four types of dancing
Two questions place any dancing on a simple map: who is it for (an audience, or yourself), and how much skill does it need?
- Partying: for an audience, low skill.
- Spiritual: for yourself, low skill.
- Performing: for an audience, high skill.
- Exercising: for yourself, high skill. This is Pungra’s focus.
Pungra compared with performance-led bhangra fitness
| Performance-led | Pungra | |
|---|---|---|
| Main aim | Be watched | Impress only yourself |
| Steps | Complicated on purpose | No choreography |
| Taught | Stop and start, step by step | On the fly, from a bank of movements |
| Commitment | Sign up for a course | No courses to sign up for |
| Best for | Performing for an audience | A good workout, no pressure |
Who is it for?
People who are busy, people in corporate jobs, and people who do not want to perform on a stage. You get a workout, not a show to prepare for.
Exercise is food for the brain
The book Spark by Dr John Ratey and Eric Hagerman explains that aerobic exercise raises BDNF, a protein that helps brain cells grow and stay connected. People report better focus, steadier mood, faster learning and more resilience to stress. One reviewer cautions that it can make exercise sound like a miracle cure, so treat it as a strong reason to move, not a guarantee.
Move exercise up your priority list
For many people exercise is leisure: something done last, if there is time left. Try treating it as closer to a job: higher on the list, with its own time.
Habits that stick
A fixed time and place removes the daily decision. Pick the same day each week, put it in your diary, and go to the same class or space.
Notice progress early
Energy, sleep, mood and stamina show before the scales. Ask yourself: do I have more energy, am I sleeping better, do I feel lighter afterwards, are stairs and walks easier?
Four badges, four stages
- Members: learn the idea and earn the badge.
- Activators: develop coaching skills to help the community grow.
- Instructors: certify to fitness-industry standards to lead your own classes.
- Organisers: make events and projects happen.