Upper-Body Workout

I have friends who swear by Pilates, others who frequent Yoga salons, some who swear by going to the gym and still others who wouldn't miss their sessions with their personal trainers.

I'm a little more low-key in my exercise regimen, relying mostly on walking up and down the steep hills of our little town for an hour or so each morning, but while it's great cardio-pulmonary exercise and is slowly shrinking my derriere, it doesn't do much for the upper body, so I was delighted when East Bay Municipal Utility District came up with a new exercise to help their customers get in shape.

We have been catching the water that falls into our shower stall as the water heats and lugging it all over the house and garden to put to other uses. Our bucket is a five-gallon beauty from some big box hardware store. Because water weighs approximately 8 pounds per gallon, we are lifting about 30 pounds (we don't fill it to the top) each time we heft a bucket of water for the garden or the dishes. Isn't that great? Instead of pumping iron, we are pumping water. Who knew that EBMUD was so into the fitness craze? The bonus is that it saves water in this dry year, too. Isn't that handy?

Next time you see us, I will be ripped and My Beloved will be buffed - ready for the summer beachwear!