{"id":365,"date":"2019-11-16T10:20:31","date_gmt":"2019-11-16T10:20:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonejoint1.wpengine.com\/?p=365"},"modified":"2021-07-28T16:24:58","modified_gmt":"2021-07-28T16:24:58","slug":"chad-esker-can-testify-to-the-health-benefits-of-exercise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonejoint.net\/old\/blog\/chad-esker-can-testify-to-the-health-benefits-of-exercise\/","title":{"rendered":"Chad Esker can testify to the health benefits of exercise"},"content":{"rendered":"

Two simple choices changed the course of Chad Esker’s life.<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Eight years ago, Esker decided to make some lifestyle changes when his doctor suggested he should take medication to control his high blood pressure.\u00a0At the time, Esker, a 37-year-old account support manager at Wausau Financial Systems, worked at a desk and didn\u2019t have a regular exercise routine. He made two choices that would transform his life.<\/p>\n

He stopped drinking soda pop and started jogging.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe first day was tough,\u201d remembers Esker. \u201cI weighed more than 200 pounds and struggled to jog one mile.\u201d<\/p>\n

But, he persevered.<\/p>\n

Three months later, his health had improved considerably. Esker lost more than 30 pounds, his blood pressure returned to normal limits, and his late-night anxiety attacks stopped.<\/p>\n

When Wisconsin\u2019s winter temperatures impacted Esker\u2019s daily run, he joined the YMCA in Weston. He took advantage of the YMCA\u2019s services and added swimming to his weekly workout routine. His first day at the pool a group of swimmers asked if he would like to join them. Little did he know that joining the swim group would spur him on to greater accomplishments in the world of fitness.<\/p>\n

\"\"Swimming puts Esker on track for competition.<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The members of the swim group encouraged each other to reach the maximum level of physical fitness possible. This philosophy motivated Esker. During one early morning swim, he heard the word \u201ctriathlon\u201d for the first time.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really didn\u2019t want to compete at first,\u201d said Esker. \u201cBut my friends kept pushing me to sign up, for the Woodson YMCA Triathlon, so I did. I placed third in my first event.\u201d<\/p>\n

After the Wausau Triathlon, Esker was hooked. The following spring, he competed in his first full 26.2-mile marathon. He continued his training to complete a second Wausau Triathlon and then competed in his first Ironman event, which included a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride, and a 26.2-mile run distance run. Esker would compete in other races, but didn\u2019t finish on the leader board.<\/p>\n

An injury kept Esker from peak performance.<\/strong><\/h2>\n

After the spring 2014 marathon in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Esker experienced severe pain and swelling on the outside of his left knee. He suffered an Iliotibial (IT) band injury, a common running injury.<\/p>\n

The IT band is a thick connective tissue that runs from the hip to the knee. It stabilizes the knee as the leg bends and extends. Classified as an overuse injury, the IT band becomes inflamed and causes pain on the outside of the knee. The risk of Iliotibial Band Syndrome is greater if a runner turns the leg inward as he or she runs. But the syndrome can occur if runners:<\/p>\n