Tip of the week: Remember not to judge yourself by others. You are you, they are they, and the sooner you accept that the happier you will be.

Far too often I'll have people tell me that they want to look like so-and-so: “I want to have a stomach like hers!” or “I want arms like his!” The sooner we start appreciating the fact that each of us is a unique individual with assets all our own, the sooner we stop feeling bad because we don't look like someone else.

I have yet to meet someone who doesn't have something about them, be it physical or mental, that isn't wholly, wonderfully unique to them and no one else. For some it may be their abs or arms or chest. For others it may be a keen wit or capacity to love without fear, or a host of other things.

In the context of health and fitness, this is a very important concept to understand because when you take it upon yourself to meet someone else's standards you doom yourself to failure. It may sound trite, but focus on being the best you can be and you can't go wrong.

Q: I tried touching my toes the other day and to my dismay could barely get my fingertips past my knees! I'm 66 years old and didn't think I was in terrible shape, but my lack of range is concerning me. What do you think Joe?

A: Well, I don't know if I'd exactly be concerned — lots of people can't touch their toes. However, if you have no underlying medical condition that would prevent flexibility I would suggest that you work on lengthening that stretch.

The benefits of good flexibility are numerous, from improved circulation to a reduced risk of injury when you engage in physical activity. You will also notice it in the morning, upon waking. As we age the body tends to stiffen when inactive, as during sleep. This is why it becomes increasingly more difficult to get out of bed the older we get. A limber body is far easier to rouse than one that's stiff.

I suggest you begin stretching slowly with a goal of touching your toes in four weeks. If your fingertips are currently about 1 foot away from your toes that would mean that you need to increase your stretch by a little less than a half-inch each day. Very possible.

Here's how to do it: Find an old, light-colored towel. Sitting on the floor with your back to the wall and legs straight out in front, hold the ends of the towel in each hand and loop it over your feet. Move your hands up to where you feel a comfortable stretch then mark the spots on the towel where your hands were with a magic marker. Divide the space into half-inch segments and with each day's stretch, aim to move in one notch. At the end of four weeks you should be touching your toes without the need of the towel!

Q: Is there anything I can do to make myself taller? I'm 19 years old and only 5-foot7. I'd like to be at least 5-foot-9.

Unfortunately, once you're passed puberty there isn't much you can do to increase your height. Your bones have fused, so they won't be growing. I'm sorry to break this news to you.

That doesn't mean you can't do some things that will at least give you the appearance of being taller, if not actually being taller. First of all, there is something to the old method of hanging from a bar to “stretch.” Now, we're not talking a significant difference here, but by stretching out the back and then training it, followed by more stretching, allows for supportive muscle to build up around the spine, keeping if from compressing as much as it would otherwise. You can gain up to one-half inch in height this way.

Besides stretching, simply carrying yourself with straight, not slouched, shoulders and a straight back with your head up and chest out can give the appearance that you're taller. This is something I tell to all my employees and all the bodybuilders — “Head up! Chest out! Back straight!” You should always stand proud and tall, and people will then see you that way.

Joe Weider is acclaimed as "the father of modern bodybuilding" and the founder of the world's leading fitness magazines, including Shape, Muscle and Fitness, Men's Fitness, Fit Pregnancy, Hers, Golf for Seniors and others published worldwide in over 20 languages. To find out more about Joe Weider, write to him and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2008 CREATORS SYNDICATE INC.