Tip of the Week: Remember to take your eyes off the monitor and leave your desk several times a day.

I've been as guilty as anyone for having not heeded this bit of advice. While I don't use a computer (I am 88, after all), I have found myself glued to my desk chair for many hours on end, only to finally get up from it and find my joints stiff and my vision blurred.

So many of us have become accustomed to checking in to work and checking out from our body's needs. For two, three, four hours or more we'll sit, unblinking, working on whatever is in front of us at the time, neglecting to move, hydrate, nourish and relieve our poor bodies.

Well, now's the time to break that habit. Every hour I want you to get up and either go for a walk, have a stretch, grab something to drink or eat, or go to the bathroom. Respect your body as much as you do your work, and the work will seem that much less tedious and your body that much less tired at the end of the day.

Q: I'm 52 and going through menopause. In addition to the occasional hot flashes and mood swings, I've been told by my ob-gyn that I'm at increased risk of bone loss. I currently take a multivitamin that's designed especially for women, so it's enhanced with extra calcium. Other than taking supplements (I don't like swallowing pills), what else can I eat to help boost my calcium levels?

Joe: It's true that after menopause women will tend to see a loss in bone density. In fact, that's true for men as well after age 50 or so. However, while this may be a typical occurrence, it's not inevitable.

It sounds like you've got a good head start on the problem with your multivitamin. I would say that at this point you needn't look to nutrition, but rather exercise. Studies have shown that as little as three 30-minute walking sessions a week can lead to an increase in bone mass, and resistance training is even more effective.

The most important thing now is that you get active. In addition to regular exercise adding to your bone density, it will also help minimize the hormonal effects of menopause. The clinically proven mood-elevating sensation brought about from exercise works wonders in countering the mood-depressing effects you're experiencing.

Q: My 16-year-old son is addicted to working out. He'll spend up to three hours in the gym on weekend days, and after school he's there at least two hours. It's actually beginning to affect his studies. He's not training for a sport, but he says he wants to become Mr. Olympia. I know that you are considered the father of modern bodybuilding, but I'm concerned that he's overdoing it.

Joe: I understand your concern, and I actually share it, despite the fact that I am one of bodybuilding's biggest proponents.

I, myself, was rather addicted to lifting when I was 16. Weeks would go by during which I wouldn't take even a day off, I loved it so much. I would get incredibly sore from all the training, and while I'm sure I cut into my gains from all the overtraining, I would have had it no other way. I was fueled purely by enthusiasm.

It sounds as if your son has this same kind of enthusiasm, so I can empathize with his view. However, it's the rare person who can turn a passion for lifting weights into a career. It's so rare, in fact, that only 15 to 20 men even qualify to compete in the Mr. Olympia contest, the sport's ultimate show, each year. That's 15 to 20 in the entire world! And of those 15 to 20, 10 of them don't have a realistic chance of taking top honors.

Please tell your son that I say I'm proud of him for choosing to take control of his level of fitness in such an enthusiastic way, but that I want him to make training a part of a balanced life. Even I started to let up on the exercising so I could build my publishing business. If your son truly has the genetics to be Mr. Olympia, then he will see ample progress training four to five days a week for an hour and a half or less a workout. Training more won't bring about greater gains, only detract from the rest of his life and wear him out.

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.