Sigma

S Extra! I met a Super Woman in my a to z travels. Becky Due has done a fabulous job with the challenge. I was drawn in by her B-Word post and so many of her other posts are encouraging and empowering as well. And she's on her fifth publication! Check her out!

From the messy countertop of the Lazy Housewife...

Showercize! I've mentioned this before and I'm finally getting around to elaborating on it. There are many tasks we do each day that require very little brain power. Showering is one of them. And many of us complain we do not have time to exercise. So I thought I would maximize my time by exercising in the shower - Showercize!* (*Copyrighted, because I said so!) And I've been doing it for over five years. 15 min/day!

But first, before I explain, for anyone interested in trying Showercize, I am issuing a...

DISCLAIMER! Always check with your doctor before taking on a new exercise program. And anyone who tries this in the privacy of their own shower better have a nonslip mat or stickers and a safety bar or something to grab onto. The Lazy Housewife is not responsible for any injuries sustained while doing Showercize.

That was fun. Also note, these are not aerobic, no jumping around! And I don't count unless specified. Now here are my moves (naming them was half the fun! you can just read to have a laugh! I know it sounds crazy, I crack myself up, too):

trunk twist stretch

• Inner Thigh Lifts - I have heard many aerobic instructors say that lifting your legs also works on your stomach muscles - yeah for multitasking moves! So when I wash my face and hair, I alternate lifting my legs with bent knee and thigh facing up.
• Trunk Twists - so hair is rinsed. When my back started hurting, I realized I needed to stretch it and exercise it more (I also got a back support pillow for my writing chair) There is an awesome back stretch where place your leg over your other leg and twist away from it (see pic) so I added it as an exercise. While adding conditioner and soaping up my washcloth, I lift and turn my right knee to the left and twist my upper body to the right, alternating sides. (I leave conditioner in through the body washing)
• Lunges - I recently added this move as varicose veins creep up my legs because I read doing lunges helps prevent/lessen them. During the body wash, I put my foot up on our built-in bench and lunge as possible. I know, if you have a stall shower, you're out of luck... But that's okay. I don't get many in and it's awkward, but I'm dedicated!
• Tricep Lifts - time to rinse the washcloth. Holding it spread out on both hands behind my back (under the water), I lift up, keeping elbows straight, about 20-25 times (I count these) then...
• Chest Press - Anyone remember "We must, we must, we must build up the bust!" ? Hook hands together at chest level and push, and squeeze washcloth at same time, only about 10 AND
• Chin Stretch - whenever I think of it, I work this muscle to curb that double chin that has been peeking out! Stick out your chin and lift and lower your jaw or just hold for 30 sec or do a combination AND
• Butt Crunch - gotta keep those legs moving, too. During the previous upper body steps, I alternate lifting each heel from the knee up to ninety degrees
• Stomach Suck-Ins! - Last one! This was the first move I incorporated, the biggest trouble spot! During the conditioner rinse out, I suck in that gut and release. I get in 50-75 reps, changing it up by holding in longer sometimes or shorter if I'm in a hurry.
• But that's not all! After the shower, I do a few exercises while putting lotion on my legs, I alternate from time to time between these two moves:
• Baby Kicks - laying on back, leaning up, alternate kicking legs in and out
• Frog Legs - same pose, but kick both legs in and out at same time

Other S TIPS: Showers & Sinks - probably in the top ten of least liked cleaning jobs. I keep Tilex Mildew & Mold cleaner, a scrubber brush, and a big plastic cup in my shower. See some gross buildup? Clean it while you're in there! And for sinks, I try to keep the surface areas clear, then I can easily wipe up in between cleanings, which lets me put off those cleaning longer!

Editing Tips

SHOW! - you've heard it before, hope you're applying it by using action verbs and dialog and rich descriptions! Don't tell what they feel, what is their reaction? what are they doing about it?
Semi-colons - use to separate two related, complete sentences; use sparingly
Slashes - informal, okay to use at your discretion, again, sparingly/not all the time
Sounds - for sounds we make with our mouths, use 2 letters after the initial letter, Ahh. See? Mmm. And for onomatopoeias (sound effect words), use italics. Whip it! Whoo-Pah!

commonly confused "S" words:
sheath (n) / sheathe (v)
shudder (v) / shutter (n)
snug (adj, a tight fit) / snugly (adv, fits tightly) / snuggly (adj, cuddly)
stationary (unmoving) / stationery (writing paper)
staunch (firm, steadfast, faithful) / stanch (to stop the flow of blood)

Find more A to Z posts here.