Rahul Manoharan is not in the "no pain, no gain" camp when it comes to fitness. He thinks working out should be fun, so fun that you don’t notice the pain. That is why he teaches a form of Bollywood dancercize called Shiamak’s Bollywood Workout.

It really gets the heart pumping with its high-energy Bollywood music, helping participants lose weight and get fit. But that’s not what people remember.

"The first thing that anybody would look forward to is that it is a fun workout," says Manoharan. "Because you are dancing the whole time, and learning new moves, you do not even feel like you are working out at the same time. One hour goes by like a blink of the eye."

You can check it out on YouTube, where it’s hard not to get caught up in its infectious, happy vibe. Watching it also gives you a sense of how physically demanding it can be, but all you remember after you do it is how much fun you had.

The workout follows the basic tenets of aerobics with a warm-up, followed by cardio, followed by core work and flexibility and, finally, a cool-down. But this is no step class. Every move is dance-oriented, says Manharan, incorporating the sensual Indian moves in a fluid way.

There are the bhumkas, pelvic moves similar to those of a belly dancer; there are jhabkas, shimmy-type moves; and there are nakhras, which are all about attitude. Manoharan says the program also incorporates salsa, hip hop and contemporary moves.

Like other dancersize programs, Bollywood benefits more than just your abs or your cardio strength. It also exercises your brain as you learn the moves and it builds good posture as well, says Manoharan.

"You don’t have to be a dancer to take this class," he says. "Just come and have fun. The dance happens automatically."

Bollywood had come to Vancouver before last year’s Oscars telecast, but when Slumdog Millionaire won best picture, interest in the dance form and workouts took off.

When it started a year ago, four workouts classes were offered in two centres in the Vancouver area. Now, 13 classes in nine recreation centres around the Lower Mainland offer Shiamak’s Bollywood workouts. And other facilities like the Glen Pine Pavillion in Coquitlam and the Renfrew Recreation Centre in Vancouver offer their own version of the form.