Q: My heel has been hurting me lately. 
I don’t know what it is. I have been running a lot and probably not wearing the right shoes but I guess it’s too late to worry about that. It just really hurts and the pain has’t gone away. Not sure if you could give me any idea of what it is. Should I just rest and then see how it feels or could it be something serious that I need to have looked at right away? Thank you so much. Shelly V. FL.

A: I’m not a Doctor so I really don’t know what’s wrong with your foot. All I can say is that I know that some people can get Heel spurs. Heel spurs can be caused by impact forces on the foot, or from tight or injured fascia on the bottom of the foot. The plantar fascia (on the bottom of the foot) pulls away from the weakest point of its attachment on the bottom of the heel. Sometimes this can form a forward prolongation of the bottom, forward portion of the heel creating a “spur.” This spur digs into the soft tissue of the heel and can cause bursitis. During the formation of the initial stages of the heel spur. Medical attention should be sought as soon as possible. D-ray can detect spurs during early formation to prevent further debilitating formation. Again I am not a Doctor but would suggest you seeing and talking with one for peace of mind.

Q: I grew up learning to stretch before I workout. Now I’m hearing stretch only after I workout. I’m confused. Frank L. CT

A: This question is one I get a lot because the old school of thinking is to stretch before you workout. It is one of the hardest things to break people from doing too. People feel like they won’t perform as well without stretching first. This is not true but I’ll tell you what is true. I better never stretch cold muscles! Muscles must be thoroughly warmed up before you begin the stretching routine. Muscles are like rubber bands. If the rubber band is cold, it will not stretch very far before it breaks. Once it is warmed up, however, it will stretch farther and more efficiently. The only real benefit to stretching is to minimize spasms, promote relaxation of the muscles and speed up recovery time after exercise. So you must stretch after you workout to receive any relief from post workout soreness. It makes a world of a difference. I hope this helps clear things up for you.

Q: I tend to hold my breath when I do abs. I’m pretty sure I can’t even breathe if I wanted to when doing my crunches. Is this really a problem? Anonymous

A: You are going to be able to breathe when doing your abs if you practice. It is important that you learn how to breathe right because if you don’t and you hold your breath while exercising you could get dizzy or faint. This is very dangerous. What happens is an increased pressure in your chest prevents blood from returning to the heart. Lack of blood returning to the heart can also constrict the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain; this is known as Vasalva Maneuver.