Aerobic exercise vest

Abstract

An aerobic exercise garment is in the form of a vest having a resistance member attached at the lower portion of the vest on each side of a midline extending from the front to the back of the vest. Each resistance member has a hand engagement member. In use the resistance members would crisscross each other and the user would place the user's hand in an open condition into each hand engagement member so that the user could swing the arms in a natural swing.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Walking and running are common forms of exercise. Unfortunately, in the normal walking and running only a limited portion of the body receives exercise. It would be desirable if some form of exercise garment could be provided to result in an aerobic workout.

There is a known garment which has been marketed as being a vest, but in its primary form is actually in the form of a harness in that it comprises a plurality of straps which extend from a belt and over the shoulders of the user and then back to the belt. The garment is intended to combine aerobic exercise with upper-body strength. In order to accomplish this, resistance elements are anchored in the area of the shoulder. Each resistance element terminates in a hand grip member which is grasped by the user so that the user can stretch the resistance elements by an outward pulling. Variations of this type of device include incorporating resistance tubes into an actual garment with the tubes then emerging from the garment in the vicinity of the shoulders. In addition to having resistance elements anchored at the shoulders, the garment also has arm exercise tubes mounted to the back which would then partially wrap around and press against the sides of the user. Further, leg tubes are anchored at one end to the ankle and the other end is either anchored to the waist or may be gripped by the hand. Despite the good intentions of such garment a maximum aerobic value is not achieved for a number of reasons. For example, the pulling motion of the user does not result in a natural swing. In addition, by gripping the hand grip member with the fingers curled at the end of the resistance tube, tension is created which results in the muscles becoming tightened. Further, because the anchor points for the resistance tubes are at the shoulders the most effective arm motion is not achieved. Anchoring other resistance tubes in the back creates unnecessary discomfort by the tubes pressing against the user's sides without adding aerobic benefit.

Various patents describe other forms of resistance garments including many patents from the present inventor.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of this invention is to provide an aerobic exercise garment in the form of a vest which permits the user to move the arms in a natural type swing.

A further object of this invention is to provide an aerobic exercise vest wherein during use the muscles tend to relax.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an aerobic exercise vest which incorporates various features to enhance its use.

In a preferred practice of this invention an aerobic exercise vest includes a pair of resistance elements, each of which is mounted on a different side of the midline or longitudinal center line of the vest which bisects the vest into two sides on each side of a plane extending to and from the front and back of the vest. The anchor point for each of the resistance elements is generally low on the vest being preferably no higher than the belly button area. Each resistance element preferably terminates at its outer end in a hand engagement member which would be engaged by the hand of the user while the hand is in an open condition.

Other aspects of the invention involve modifications to the vest to provide accessory locations for resistance elements and types of exercise movements and to maximize the convenience of having a vest as the base garment for the resistance elements.

THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of an aerobic exercise vest in accordance with one embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of an aerobic exercise garment in accordance with this invention similar to that of FIG. 1 but in the form of a harness;

FIGS. 3-4 are front elevational views of further alternative aerobic exercise vests in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 4A is a detailed side elevational view of the rear extension flap in the vest of FIG. 4;

FIG. 5 is a rear elevational view of a vest in accordance with this invention;

FIGS. 6-8 are schematic diagrams showing us of various garments in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 9 is front elevational view of yet another form of vest in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 10 is a rear elevational view of the vest shown in FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a rear elevational view of an alternative form of vest in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 12 is a front elevational view of still yet another vest in accordance with this invention; and

FIG. 13 is a side elevational view showing the vest of FIG. 12 in use.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A preferred practice of this invention is illustrated in FIGS. 12-13. Before discussing those figures, however, other variations of the invention, such as illustrated in FIGS. 1-11, will be described.

FIG. 1 depicts the vest 1 in the front view in accordance with this invention. The vest is held snugly to the exerciser by use of the belt loop 21 and the belt 23. Any suitable fasteners such as a hook and loop type fastener system such as Velcro can be used to connect the belt ends. The hook side of the fastener is attached to the outside side of the belt and the loop side to the same side at the appropriate locations along the belt. The belt threads through the belt loop 21 and is cinched back upon itself and secured in position by means of the hook and loop fastener system. FIG. 1 illustrates two belts. The number of belts depends on the length of the vest, but one or more belts would be used to hold the vest snugly to the exerciser. Other types of fasteners can be used such as a belt with holes and a buckle, a belt with a slide buckle, etc. The preferred method is the hook and loop fastener system because it allows the best adjustment and holding.

The vest includes pockets 3 as shown in FIG. 1. These pockets can be permanently attached to the vest by normal sewing means or can be removably attached to the vest by means of hook and loop fasteners or any other suitable fasteners. The exerciser can use the pockets to carry an accessory such as a radio, water bottle, or personal items. Some exercisers use hand weights while walking and the pockets can be used to store these weights when not in use. Also, weights can be stored in the pockets to increase the load for the exerciser. The lower pockets 19 are attached to the vest in the front near the lower edge. These pockets are particularly useful for carrying weights.

As shown in FIG. 1 the vest 1 has a series of accessory or auxiliary loops strategically attached to it. The upper accessory loops 9 are located on the top of the right and left sides of the vest 1. The lower accessory loops 11 are located along the lower edge of the vest at the right and left sides as shown in FIG. 1. The exercise cords 13 are connected to these loops by use of the hooks 17. Each elastic cord 13 has a hand loop 5 at one end and a hook 17 at the other end. The exerciser attaches the elastic cord 13 to the desired accessory loop by means of the hook 17. The exerciser pulls against the elastic cord with the hand loop 5. In use the exerciser may pull straight outwardly by grasping each hand loop 5 with the right hand pulling the cord on the right side of the body and with the left hand pulling the cord on the left side of the body. As later described, however, in the preferred practice of the invention the right hand pulls on the cord which is to the left of the midline of the vest 1 while the left hand pulls the cord which is on the right side of the midline. Preferably, the hands would extend through each loop 5 by having some, but not all of the five fingers extend through the loop so that the hand could be in an open condition as later described. Thus, the loop might be of a sufficiently small size to be considered a thumb loop to permit the hand to be in that open condition.

If the elastic cord is attached to the upper accessory loop 9, the exerciser pulls down against the elastic cord and if the elastic cord is attached to the lower accessory loop 11, then the exerciser pulls up against the elastic cord. Thus the exerciser can perform arm exercise in either direction while walking to achieve total body fitness. The elastic cords 13 can be of various lengths and strengths to obtain the proper resistance for each individual exerciser. Therefore, a progressive program of fitness can be developed.

FIG. 1 also illustrates elastic cords 41 each having a loop 43 which may be placed around a foot. This provides the option aerobic exercise to the legs.

FIG. 2 shows the same device where the vest is replaced by a harness 25. The harness consists of a series of horizontal straps 27. The two ends of the horizontal straps 27 are connected by means of the belt loop and hook and loop fastener system similar to that shown in FIG. 1. The upper horizontal strap 29 does not need the coupling means since the harness can slipped over the exerciser's head. At least two vertical straps 31 are connected to the horizontal straps by conventional means such as sewing or heat fusing. Attached to the vertical straps 31 at the top of the harness are the upper accessory loops 9. The lower accessory loops 11 are attached to the lower vertical strap 27 at the right and left side. The harness is particularly useful where the exerciser does not want to wear a vest, such as during the warmer seasons.

FIG. 3 shows the use of rubber straps 33 rather than exercise cords. The rubber straps can be permanently sewn to the vest or removably attached. The zipper 35 separates the lower portion 38 of the vest from the upper portion 37 of the vest allowing for the use of a halter and the lower portion 38 of the vest allowing for the use of a weight belt.

In FIG. 4 a rear-lower extension flap 35 is removably attached to the rear lower edge of the vest 1. The means of attaching the rear-lower extension flap to the vest can be a hook and loop fastener system, snaps, buttons or any other fastening method. Along the lower edge of the lower extension flap are a series of holes 36 to which the exercise cords 13 are attached by way of the hook 17. The hand loop 5 attached to the other end of the elastic cord 39 is placed over the exerciser leg calf. Thus as the exerciser moves his leg forward the elastic cord is stretched increasing the walking resistance.

FIG. 4A is a detail side view of the rear extension flap. The rear extension flap 35 is attached to the rear bottom of the vest 1 and extends downwardly and outwardly.

FIG. 5 shows the vest 1 from the rear. A permanent or detachable pocket 41 is located in the middle of the back of the vest. Like the other pockets contained on the vest it can be used to store weights and personal items such as glasses, water bottle, radio, and keys. The rear pocket allows for a balance of weight in the front and rear of the exerciser's body.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show schematic views of the invention in use by an exerciser. In FIG. 6 the exercise cord 13 is attached to the lower accessory loop 11. The exerciser's arms pull upwardly against the exercise cord 13 while walking. In FIG. 7 the exercise cord 13 is attached to the upper accessory hook 9. The exerciser's arms pull downwardly against the exercise cord. In both FIGS. 6 and 7 the rear-lower extension flap 35 is in use with one end of the exercise cords 39 connected to the flap and the other to the leg of the exerciser.

FIG. 8 shows a schematic view of the invention in use by the exerciser. This differs from FIGS. 6 and 7 in that the lower cord 41 is attached directly to the main body of the vest rather than a flap.

FIG. 9 depicts a further vest 10 in the front view in accordance with this invention. The vest is made from a one-piece material 12 that can be breathable. The vest 10 can have a detachable, washable liner. The front of the vest is completely open and can be closed by any suitable fastening means 14. The fastening means can be Velcro, as depicted in FIG. 9 or snaps, zippers, etc. The vest is held snugly to the exerciser by the use of the fastening means 14 and the use of the belt 16 that is attached to the vest 12. The belt 16 could be at least 4 inches wide and preferably between about 7 to about 12 inches wide and would wrap around the user's mid-section. FIG. 9 shows that the belt 16 can be tightened by the use of a suitable fastening means 18 such as Velcro, snaps, zipper, etc. In addition, to pull the vest snugly to the exerciser's desires, there are a pair of straps 22 that can be tightened or loosened by adjusting the tension in the straps. The straps 22 could be connected to the belt 16 by suitable fastening means 20 on the belt 16 that could either be a series of snaps, Velcro or any other fastening means known which engage complementary fastening means on straps 22.

The vest could also have a series of weight pockets 24 as shown attached to the vest 10. Also attached to the vest could be a series of loops 26. Some or all of the loops 26 may be used for the attachment of resistance cords such as previously described. The loops 26 advantageously would also be capable of use with bands or storing keys, etc. Also on the front of the vest would be a series of pockets 28 that would be capable of storing personal items such as keys, Walkman, wallet or any other small devices. FIG. 9 illustrates the vest to have detachable sleeves and a means for attaching and reattaching them. Velcro 30 could be attached around the arm hole as can be seen in FIG. 9. Other means, such as zippers, etc. could be used for reattaching the sleeves. The vest could also have safety (fluorescent) stripes in order for the user to be seen at night.

FIG. 10 depicts the back of the vest 10. The vest 10 has a pocket 32 which would be large enough for accessories such as ankle and hand weights, resistance cords, water bottles, etc.

The belt 16 has a lumbar support consisting of one or more malleable stays/rolls 34. These stays for example could be made of metal, plastic, stiff foam or a gelled chemical material such as commercially available heat packs or ice packs. The rolls could be made of foam or cloth. The stays/rolls additionally could be a massager/vibrator. The massager/vibrator could be battery activated. The massager/vibrator could also be insert inside the stays/rolls. The stays/rolls could be “D” shaped malleable pieces with the curved end placed towards the back and the flat end away from the back. The user could form the stays 34 to the desired shape for the user. The stays could be placed in the back of the belt at the desired location on the back. Additionally, the stays/rolls could be fastened to the back of the vest and positioned by Velcro to the desired location of the back. This is an important feature of the invention since it provides the desirable back support while the aerobic exercise is being done.

FIG. 11 shows another embodiment of this invention, which includes a lumbar support that consists of a pump mechanism 40. The bulb 42 could be squeezed to the desired pressure for the user. Once the bulb is squeezed it would inflate or deflate the bladder 46 to the desired pressure. Also, there could be a loop assembly 48 which would be capable of storing walking poles, resistance cords, etc. There could also be another pocket 44 attached to the back of this vest 10. The pocket 44 can also be open at the bottom to form a tunnel. This would allow for the storage of walking poles.

The vest would have a variety of ways of adjusting the back support to the desired needs of the user. The belt could be fastened together. The belt could additionally act as a waist shaper. A pair of suspenders could attach to the belt 16. the belt can have a lumbar support attached to the back of the belt. The lumbar support can consist of one or more malleable stays/rolls. The stays could be formed to the desired shape by the user. In addition, the stays can be placed in the desired area of the back for the most comfort of the user. Another way to adjust the back support would be by adjusting front straps connected to the belt.

FIGS. 12-13 show a preferred practice of this invention wherein the garment is in the form of a vest 50. Vest 50 may include many of the features and options described in connection with the prior embodiments. Vest 50 would include a front side 52 and a back side 54 which merge together at side portions 56. A midline 58 extends from the front to the back of the vest to divide the vest into a right side 60 and a left side 62 when viewed looking directly at FIG. 12. The vest has a lower edge 64. A lower region 66 extends upwardly from the lower edge 64 over a minor distance of the length of the vest to terminate at about the bellybutton of the user. The lower region is shown as terminating at the phantom line 68, although the actual garment would not necessarily have a physical line at the termination of the lower region. In the illustrated embodiment the lower region occupies from about ⅕ to ⅓ of the total length of the garment and preferably about ¼ of the total length of the garment. The actual length of the lower region 66 would depend upon the length of the vest since what is intended is that the lower region extends from the lower edge of the vest to the bellybutton of the user.

As shown in FIG. 12 a right resistance cord 70 is anchored at one end to anchor point 72 in the right side of vest 50. A left resistance cord 74 is anchored at one end at anchor point 76 to the left side of the garment. Both anchor points 72 and 76 are in the lower region 66. The anchor points could be permanent or detachable connections to the cords. The lower region extends laterally from one side portion 56 to the other side portion across the front of the vest 50.

Each resistance member 70,74 has a hand engagement member 78 at its free end. In use the hand engagement member 78 of the right resistance member 70 would receive the left hand of the user. Thus, the hand engagement member 78 for the right resistance member 70 could be considered as a left hand engagement member. Similarly, the left resistance member 74 would be used by the right arm of the user and the hand engagement member 78 of the left resistance member 74 may thus be considered as a right hand engagement member.

One of the features in the preferred forms of hand engagement members is that the hands of the user could be in an open condition having a loose, rather than a tight grip. The open condition relaxes the muscles and enhances the user having a natural swing in use of vest 50. FIG. 12 shows the hand engagement member 78 to be in the form of a mitt-type glove while FIG. 13 shows one hand engagement member 78 in the form of a mitt-type glove with a thumb opening. FIG. 13 shows another hand engagement member in the form of a thumb loop 80 which receives only the thumb. Other forms are a hand loop receiving four fingers (not the thumb) or a four or five finger glove. Various types of such hand engagement members are described in copending application Ser. No. 10/848,398, filed May 18, 2004. That application also discloses various types of attachment structure and materials that could be incorporated in a resistance exercise garment. All of the details of that application are incorporated herein by reference thereto.

As shown in FIGS. 12-13, in use, the resistance members 70,74 would crisscross. Where the anchor points 72,76 are generally equally spaced from the midline 58 the crossing of the resistance members would take place generally in line with the midline 58. In use the user would swing the arms in a natural swing. A preferred type of swing would be over a gentle arc which extends from behind the back at a location almost to the midline and then move around the side portions and then to the front at a location to about the midline and then back in the reverse direction. The vest 50 also has the capability of using a modified natural swing which is more along a straight line or in a single plane moving outwardly of the side portions generally parallel to the midline or one which may have some slight inward or outward bend in its direction.

A preferred form of resistance member is an elastic cord and particularly a resistance member which is a tubing as described in copending application Ser. No. 10/848,938. Each resistance member is preferably of a length which is long enough to be taut when behind the hip of the user generally at the midline while the hand of the user is engaged with the hand engagement member. This would provide aerobic resistance when the user is walking or running. The aerobic resistance is enhanced by locating the anchor points of the resistance members in the lower region which would extend no higher than the bellybutton. Use of the vest would primarily provide aerobic value, but could also be used in connection with stretching or strength exercises. By having the anchor points of the resistance members in the lower region, the anchor points permit a natural swing and avoid the disadvantages where the anchor points might, for example, be at shoulder level which would create too much arm movement and an unnatural swing. The anchor points could be located in the back of the vest. Such location, however, is not as preferred as in the front since having the elastic resilient resistance members anchored in the back and then extend around the side portions and finally to the front across to the other side would cause the elastic resilient members to press against the sides of the user which might cause some degree of discomfort without adding any aerobic value.

The vest 50 could take any suitable form. Preferably, the vest is a closed garment in the sense of essentially completely covering the upper torso of the user. Broadly, however, a vest may be of a form which includes open areas even to the extent shown in FIG. 2 where the general vest structure is more similar to a harness. A closed vest is preferred since it provides the ability to include additional features, such as the previously described pockets and loops which could be used for housing weights and for storing personal items. The vest may be a pullover type made of one piece continuous material. Alternatively, the vest could be of the type shown in FIG. 9 where a longitudinal slit is provided from the upper edge to the lower edge, such as along the midline to create an opening that separates the right side from the left side with the opening then being closed by suitable fasteners such as a zipper after the vest is placed on the user.

The vest is preferably a sleeveless vest which includes an open arm area or arm hole near the shoulder of the vest to define a closed edge through which the user's arms would extend. As previously described fastening structure may be provided at the arm hole so that sleeves could be optionally secured to the vest.

The invention could be broadly practiced with any form of hand attachment member, including the loops previously described with regard to FIGS. 1-4. Such members could be used by gripping the member with the fingers in a bent condition. Preferably, however, the hand engagement member would be of such a structure that it could be used where the hand is in an open condition as previously described. The preferred forms of such hand engagement members would be a glove or mitten attached to the resistance member or would be a loop through which one or more fingers may extend leaving all of the fingers in an open condition.

If desired, vest 50 could include additional attachment sites for additional resistance members to provide the capability of using the vest in connection with different types of exercises such as the various sets of resistance elements shown in FIG. 1.

Claims

1. An aerobic exercise garment comprising a vest having a front and a back merging together at side portions, a midline extending from said front to said back dividing said vest into a right side and a left side when viewed from said front, said vest having a lower edge, said vest having a lower region extending upwardly from said lower edge over a minor distance of the length of said vest to terminate at about the bellybutton of the user, a right resistance member anchored at one end to said right side of said vest in said lower region at an anchor point, said right resistance member having a left hand engagement member at its free end, said right resistance member being of a length capable of having an outstretched left arm of the user having the left hand in said left hand engagement member and said right resistance member is taut, a left resistance member anchored at one end to said left side of said vest in said lower region at an anchor point, said left resistance member having a right hand engagement member at its free end, said left resistance member having a length capable of having an outstretched right arm of the user having the right hand in said right hand engagement member and said left resistance member is taut, and each of said resistance members being made of a resilient elastic material capable of being stretched and returning to its unstretched condition whereby said resistance members may cross each other while a user's right hand is in said right hand engagement member and a user's left hand is in said left hand engagement member and the user's arms may move in a natural swing with the user's hands in an open condition.

2. The garment of claim 1 wherein said hand engagement member is a mitt/glove.

3. The garment of claim 2 wherein said mitt/glove is a mitt having an open thumb area.

4. The garment of claim 1 wherein said hand engagement member is a hand/thumb loop.

5. The garment of claim 1 wherein each of said resistance members is detachable from said vest.

6. The garment of claim 1 wherein said vest includes at least one pocket.

7. The garment of claim 1 wherein said vest is of closed structure for completely wrapping around and covering at least a portion of the torso of the user.

8. The garment of claim 7 wherein said vest is of pullover construction.

9. The garment of claim 7 wherein said vest includes a longitudinal slit extending completely down said vest at said midline to create a pair of longitudinal edges, and said longitudinal edges being selectively secured together by fastening structure to close said vest.

10. The garment of claim 1 wherein said vest is of open structure.

11. The garment of claim 1 wherein said resistance elements are tubings.

12. The garment of claim 1 wherein said lower region extends across said front from one of said side portions to the other of said side portions, and said lower region does extend to said back of said vest.

13. A method of performing an aerobic exercise comprising placing a vest on the user, attaching a right elastic resilient resistance element to the vest on the right side of a midline which extends from the front to the back of the vest, attaching a left elastic resilient resistance member to the left side of the vest with each of the members attached at a location between the lower edge of the vest and the bellybutton of the user, providing a hand engagement member, at the free end of each resistance member crisscrossing the resistance members at the front of the vest, the user engaging the hand engagement member of the right resistance member with the left hand of the user and engaging the hand engagement member of the left resistance member with the right hand of the user, and the user swinging the user's arms repeatedly back and forth to stretch the resistance members.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the user's hands engage each hand engagement member with the hand in an open condition.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the user swings the user's arms back and forth in a natural swing.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the natural swing is in an arc which extends back and forth from a location in back of the user near the midline and around the side of the user to a location in front of the user near the midline.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein each resistance member is anchored to the vest at the front of the vest.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein the user swings the user's arms back and forth in a natural swing.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the natural swing is in an arc which extends back and forth from a location in back of the user near the midline and around the side of the user to a location in front of the user near the midline.

20. The method of claim 13 wherein each resistance member is anchored to the vest at the front of the vest.

21. An aerobic exercise garment comprising a sleeveless vest for snugly fitting on the upper torso of the user, said vest having a front and a back merging together at side portions, a midline extending from said front to said back dividing said vest into a right side and a left side when viewed from the front, at least one anchor point in a lower region on each of said left side and said right side of said vest, a resistance member detachably mounted to each of said anchor points, each of said resistance members having a hand engagement member at its free end, at least one pocket in said vest, and a plurality of accessory anchor points on said vest for detachable engagement with resistance members.

22. The garment of claim 21 including a back lumbar support connected to said back of said vest.

23. The garment of claim 22 including at least malleable stay/roll attached to said lumbar support.

24. The garment of claim 22 wherein said lumbar support includes a pumping mechanism to inflate said lumbar support.

25. The garment of claim 21 including a removable rear-lower extension flap with accessory attachment points attached to said vest at the base of the back of said vest and extending downwardly away from said vest.

26. The garment of claim 21 wherein said sleeveless vest includes an arm opening on each side of said vest at the shoulder portion of said vest to form an arm opening, and fastening structure on each of said arm openings for selectively mounting a sleeve thereto.

27. The garment of claim 21 wherein at least one of said pockets is a tunnel open at both ends.