THANDAV Program Improves Health Outco mes in Indian Adolescent Girls
Chennai, April 28th, 2025 – A new study ha s revealed the remarkable benefits of THAN DAV, a 10-minute dance workout based on High-Intensity Interval Trainin g (HIIT), in i mproving the health and life style habits of adolescent girls in India.
The program, which is culturally tailore d to Indian adolescents, has shown signi ficant improvements in physical activity levels, he art health, and overall well-being.
Key Findings from the THANDAV Study:
+1073 steps/day and +29.5 minutes of mod erate-to-vigorous physical activity.
· +0.9 kg muscle mass, −0.7 kg body weigh t, and −2.0% body fat.
· −4 mm Hg reduction in blood pressure and −3 bpm resting heart rate.
· +46.4 minutes of sleep and −199.7 minut es of sedentary time.
· Lower stress levels and reduced junk food intake.
· High engagement, with participants findin g the program fun and culturally relevant.
Dr. R.M. Anjana, Managing Director of Dr. Mohan’s Diabetes Specialties Centre and President of Madras Diabetes Research Foundation said, “The results of this s tudy demonstrate that even short bursts of ex ercise, like THANDAV, can have a profound impact on the health of adolescent girls. W ith rising concerns about childhood obesity and diabetes in India, this program offers a promising solution to combat these growing health challenges.”
Dr. Ranjani Harish, Senior Scientist at the M adras Diabetes Research Foundation added, “What makes THANDAV particularly excitin g is its cultural relevance a nd time- efficien cy. The program is fun a nd easy to incorpor ate into daily life, making it not only effecti ve but also enjoyable for the participants. T he feedback fr om the girls has been overw helmingly positive, with many expressing e agerness to continue the program long afte fter the s tudy ended.”
The study was conducted across two schoo ls in Chennai, with 108 girls aged 13 3–15 years. One school participated in the THAN DAV intervention, while the ot her served as a control. Over a 12-week period, the girls i n the THANDAV group experienced remarka ble changes, including an increase in daily steps by 1073 steps, a reduction in body fat by 2%, and improved muscle mass. Additio nally, participants reported significant redu ctions in both systolic and diastolic blood p res sure, along with a drop- in resting heart rate by 3 bpm.
The program’s success in improving ph ysi cal health is complemented by its abi lity to promote positive behavioural changes. Par ticipants in the THANDAV group showed re ductions in sedentary time and junk food c onsumption, while also reporting increased sleep duration. Thes e changes are particul arly important, as adolescent girls in India face significant barriers to physical activity due to social and environmental factors.
The THANDAV intervention combines popu lar music with structured dance roututines, making it an appealing and accesessible o ption for adolescent girls. The program’s h ybrid model, which includes b oth in-person and online sessions, has proven to be high ly effective in engaging participants and p roviding flexibility for busy adolescents.
This study’s findings underscore the import ortance of incorporating physical activitiy i nto the daily routines of adolescents, espec ially in combating the rising incidence of noncommunicable diseases (NCD Ds) such as diabetes and heart disease. By providing a culturally relevant and ti me-efficient way to stay active, THAND AV offers a sustainab le solution to impr ove the health of young people in India.
The program, which has already benefit ed over 10,000 women and girls since its launc h in October 2023, has the potent ial to be s caled widely across schools and communiti es. Dr. Anjana concludes, “With the growing health crisis among India’s youth, THANDA V stands as a bea con of hope, showing ho w innovative, fu n, and culturally tailored in terventions c an make a real difference in p ublic healt th.”
About Dr. Mohan’s Diabetes Specialities Ce ntres: Dr. Mohan’s Diabetes Specialities Ce ntre is a one-of-a-kind diabetes speciality c hain founded in the year 1991 headquartere d in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It is India’s leadin g diabetes care provid er offering comprehe nsive services for d iabetes patients. Dr. Mo han’s Diabetes Specialties Centres has 50 D iabetes centr es and clinics in India and ove r 8 lakh patients with diabetes have been r egistere d at these centres and more than 5.5 million consultations have been compl eted till date. The Gopalapuram (Chennai) centre is the flagship hospital. The centre s pecializes in Total Diabetes Care, Diabetes Eye Care, Diabetes Foot Care service s, Dia abetes Cardiac Care, Diabetes Dental Care, Preventive Care, Diet counseling and Pre cision Diabetes care.
Appointments can be booked by calling 8939110000 or visit: www.drmohans.com.