Tip of the Week: Beware overtraining! For some, the thought of training too much may be nearly impossible to fathom. But for those of us who can't imagine a day in which they didn't perform some form of physical activity, overtraining is a real risk.

How do you know when you've overtrained? The signs aren't always clear, but there are several you need to watch out for, including chronic fatigue, headaches, muscle soreness lasting more than three days and even skin sensitivity. While exercising is one of the best things you can do for your body, exercising too much can have a seriously deleterious effect.

Remember, your body does all of its growth and recuperation between workouts, not during them, so make sure to give it plenty of rest time accompanied by proper nutrition if you're going to make physical demands on it.

Q: What's the logic behind eating several small meals a day as opposed to the traditional three square meals a day?

Joe: As you know, most nutritionists these days advise eating four to six smaller meals each day rather than the two or three most Americans consume. Although many people these days forgo breakfast in favor of a coffee and doughnut on the run, their intended three-meals-a-day plan is one devised out of expedience rather than a physiological need: Breakfast fits in before the eight-hour work day, lunch breaks up the day and dinner flanks the day on the other end of breakfast.

The body, on the other hand, has requirements different from those of your employer. Ideally, it wants to receive a steady stream of nutritional input throughout the day. In lieu of this, you can schedule healthy "snack" sessions throughout your day and forgoing the traditional large meal.

By eating four, five or six smaller meals spaced out two-and-a-half to three hours each, you will not only keep your body stocked with the nutrition it needs but also provide an environment conducive to weight loss. You see, each time we eat a large meal we create something called an insulin spike, which is the release of insulin into our bloodstream to help deal with all the newly created blood sugar. This slows down our metabolism, causing us to retain fat we might otherwise burn. Smaller meals eaten at regular intervals have a reduced effect on insulin levels, allowing the body to continue burning at its normal rate.

But don't just take my word for it. Eat smaller meals more frequently throughout the day, and let me know the results. I believe you'll like them very much.

Q: I'm a 61-year-old man who recently had surgery to repair a ruptured disc in my lumbar region. I want to get back my old levels of strength and flexibility but am concerned about pushing too hard. Are there any exercises I should absolutely avoid?

Joe: As someone who underwent back surgery myself in recent years, I can tell you that I've had to modify my own training. As I'm sure you know by now, lower back surgery can be a blessing if you are suffering, as I was, from chronic pain. Sometimes that surgery can lead to other issues, however, and although they are certainly less distressing, they too need to be taken into consideration, especially when exercising.

Since everyone who undergoes back surgery has a different experience, I can only speak for myself when talking about exercises to avoid. You may have found yourself more or less limited than I, but being that you're just 61 and I'm nearly 88, I would assume that you've got more mobility than I at this point.

Personally, I need to stay away from lower back exercises like hyperextensions and deadlifts. Bent-over rows are difficult for me, too. I do find that seated cable rows offer a good alternative for back training for me, however. They put little in the way of pressure on the spine, but still hit most of the muscles of the back.

My advice to you is to find a good physiotherapist — someone who deals in sports medicine. They can look at your X-rays, do some simple tests and find the best plan of action for you as you work to build strength and flexibility back into your body.

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.