At some point or another all runners, walkers and hikers experience an injury especially if you are pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone. I know so many runners who push through injury and this can sometimes be ok and at times disastrous causing more long term damage. It is so, so common and I am guilty of this as well.

The sharp shooting pain in your heel may seem like it’s never going to go away, but I promise you there is hope! Perhaps you have been struggling with it for years and tried everything from inserts to chiropractors to cortisone shots only for the pain to return.

We’ve all heard of the calf stretch where you stand in front of a wall (hands on the wall) with one foot in front of the other, front knee bent and the back knee straight pressing down through the heel to stretch the calf on the back leg. Hold the stretch for 20-30 seconds and then switch sides.

While this stretch is good, it’s not great. Not to mention the importance of the breath is rarely emphasized.