DR. WALLACE: I'm an athlete in high school, and our head coach has started workouts for us late this summer in preparation for our upcoming season this fall.

The other day, I didn't feel well when I showed up at practice, but our head coach and even the assistant coaches insisted that I go through my regular workouts and just tough it out for the time being, despite not feeling 100%.

However, when I talked with one of my friends later at an event I attended over the weekend, she told me that it's not wise to exercise when you feel like you have a cold or a mild flu. Should I tell this to our coaching staff if I still feel sick next week? — A Student Athlete, via email

A STUDENT ATHLETE: When you don't feel well, it's often best to listen to your body as it will usually guide you correctly. But to answer your direct question, in general it's safe to exercise when you have mild symptoms of a particular affliction, as long as you don't have other illnesses or limiting conditions that could complicate things, such as asthma, for example.

It would also be wise to see a family physician if you're not sure how to best proceed. It really depends on how you feel on the day in question. If you have doubts, please contact your family physician to obtain a professional opinion. I can only give you general guidelines in the forum, and it's best to be seen in person if you feel you can't practice, given your symptoms.

Finally, you should take great care if you do engage in your practices to not spread your germs or illnesses to any teammates or even to your coaches. A good coaching staff would also seek to protect the overall team from coming down with a group illness, so speak up if you feel you need to, and mention this point to your coaches as well.

ANOTHER YEAR WITH MORE NONSENSE TO FOLLOW

DR. WALLACE: I'm worried about returning back to school for my senior year because my high school is very lenient and lets a lot of the students get away with almost anything.

I'm a serious student planning to attend college in the future and I don't like to waste my time at my current school. I don't like to put up with a lot of nonsense that some of the other students seem to think is fun in the classroom and on campus in general.

Why can't everyone just calm down and go to school to learn a few things? — Serious Student, via email

SERIOUS STUDENT: My advice is to control what you can control and let the rest of the "nonsense," as you put, just pass you by. Keep your eyes and ears open, of course, to protect your personal safety, and don't engage anyone who is obviously seeking to stir up trouble or unrest.

Some school districts have different rules than other ones do, and it's impossible for me to know specifically what's going on in your area, as some districts have different rules than other ones do. By the end of the school year, you will likely be headed off to college, where a very high percentage of the students are serious about their studies and their future.

For now, do your best to stick to your studies, but feel free to anonymously report anything untoward that you witness firsthand. If you hear rumors or secondhand information, stay out of it. Speak to your teachers as needed about this topic, too. Many of them are just as serious as you are.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. E-mail him at rwallace@thegreatestgift.com. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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