DEVICE FOR EXERCISING THE MUSCLES OF THE HUMAN BODY
An exercise device for exercising the muscles of the human body generally includes a tension cable having a distal end and a proximal end, a harness disposed at the distal end of the tension cable, and a body support, wherein the tension cable is slidably disposed within an opening in the body support, the opening extending from a distal end of the body support to a proximal end of the body support. The device may also include an anchor at the proximal end of the tension cable. Further, the exercise device may include an adjustment member removably affixed to the tension cable in a position relative to the body support.
This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/039,625 filed on Mar. 3, 2011 which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application 61/310,158, filed on Mar. 3, 2010.
This application relates generally to an apparatus for exercising the muscles of the human body. It may be beneficial for a user to obtain and utilize an exercise device that targets the leg and gluteus muscles that would be easily portable, light, and relatively inexpensive. This device may be used in the owner's home or be easily transported in luggage for use while traveling. Alternatively, the device may be used in a professional facility as part of a group exercise class, allowing the facility to provide a large number of devices to the students in the class, relatively inexpensively, while not taking up the amount of space that a traditional device would require. The device described herein allows the user to make use of an exercise device that is easily portable, lightweight, and relatively inexpensive to exercise the leg and gluteus muscles.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate various example systems, methods, and so on, and illustrate various example embodiments of aspects of the invention. It will be appreciated that the illustrated element boundaries (e.g., boxes, groups of boxes, or other shapes) in the figures represent one example of the boundaries. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that one element may be designed as multiple elements or that multiple elements may be designed as one element. An element shown as an internal component of another element may be implemented as an external component and vice versa. Furthermore, elements may not be drawn to scale.
As shown in
Additionally, the exercise device 10 includes a body support 22 that is disposed between the distal end 14 and proximal end 16 of the tension cable 12. The tension cable 12 may be slidably, or movably, disposed within an opening in the body support 22, where that opening may be entirely or partially within the body support, to allow the tension cable to be adjusted to the height and/or strength of the user. In one embodiment, the exercise device 10 may include an adjustment member 24 removably affixed to the tension cable 12 in a position relative to the body support. In another embodiment, the adjustment member 24 may be permanently affixed to the body support 22. In this embodiment, the adjustment member 24 may be capable of engaging the tension cable 12 while being affixed to the body support 22.
The tension cable 12 may have elastic properties, stretching from a first length to a second longer length when force is applied. In certain embodiments, the elastic tension cable may be made from or contain rubber, a rubber like material, or a polymer. In certain instances, the material of the tension cable may be latex-free. Conversely, the tension cable 12 will return to about its first length when the force is released. The tension cable 12 may made from an exercise or resistance band, or similarly formed cable. Such cables are generally made of an elastic rubber and may come in a variety of resistance strengths, ranging from about 5 pounds to about 32 pounds of resistance per foot. It is contemplated that the tension cable 12 may vary. For example, the tension cable 22 may be about two feet to about six feet in length, however the pre-expanded length may be made to suit the height and weight of the user. It is also contemplated that the tension cable 12 may be made in various resistance strengths, although the resistance of the tension cable may also be changed by altering the position of the adjustment member or the body support, as discussed below.
The distal end 14 of the tension cable 12 is attached to a harness 20 that is made to encircle, or be temporarily affixed or held to, the foot of the user. It is contemplated that the harness can be attached to the tension cable or may be integral with the cable. In one embodiment the harness 20 may be made of or contain Velcro™ or similar material strap that is adjustable to the size of the user's foot. In another embodiment, the harness 20 may be shaped like the front end of a shoe (not shown) or in a ring-shape and may be created in sizes to fit the user's foot.
The harness 20 is generally designed to attach or temporarily affix or hold the distal end of the tension cable to the foot of the user. Whether the harness is attached as a separate piece to the tension cable or is formed as an integral part of the cable, the harness 20 is generally affixed to the tension cable 12 in a sufficiently sturdy manner to allow the user to extend his or her leg from a kneeling or 90 degree angle to a position in which the user's leg is extended behind them, as shown in
Referring again to
In one embodiment, the body support 22 may include an inner cushioning layer, of foam rubber, memory foam, or other suitable material and optionally, an outer layer of lining, of cotton or non-slip material. The body support 22 is generally thick enough to cushion the user's knee against the weight of the kneeling body and also thick enough to allow the tension cable to be slidably disposed within the body support 22. As such, the body support 22 may include a distal end 26, a proximal end 28, and an opening 30 extending between them. The opening 30 may be entirely within the body support 22 or partially within the body support 22. Generally the opening 30 is circular and is large enough for the tension cable 12 be threaded there through.
The exercise device may also include an adjustment member 24. As shown in
In this embodiment, while affixed to the body support 22, the adjustment member 24 is capable of engaging the tension cable 12, securing the body support 22 to the tension cable 12 in a desired location. The adjustment member 24 may be a clamp or similarly suitable structure used to allow the adjustment of the length of the tension cable 12 extending between the proximal end 28 of the body support 22 and the harness 20.
In another embodiment, the adjustment member 24 may be separate from the body support 22, as shown in
With reference again to
Referring now to
As shown in
Once the tension cable 12 is in place, the weight of the user on the body support 22 will generally hold the tension cable 12 in place while the exercise device 10 is in use. As shown in
In other embodiments, the tension cable may be held in place by either holding the anchor 18 in the hand of the user, as shown in
While example methods and devices have been illustrated by describing examples, and while the examples have been described in considerable detail, it is not the intention of the applicant to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the methods and devices, and so on, described herein. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention is not limited to the specific details, the representative apparatus, and illustrative examples shown and described. Thus, this application is intended to embrace alterations, modifications, and variations that fall within the scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, the preceding description is not meant to limit the scope of the invention. Rather the scope of the invention is to be determined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
Claims
1. A device for exercising the muscles of the human body comprising:
- a tension cable having a distal end and a proximal end;
- a harness disposed at said distal end of said tension cable; and
- a body support, wherein said tension cable is slidably disposed within an opening in said body support, said opening extending from a distal end of said body support to a proximal end of said body support.
2. The device of claim 1, wherein said tension cable has elastic properties.
3. The device of claim 2, wherein said body support is disposed between said distal end of said tension cable and said harness.
4. The device of claim 1, wherein the device further comprises an anchor disposed at said proximal end of said tension cable.
5. The device of claim 3, wherein said device further comprises an adjustment member disposed between said body support and said distal end of said tension cable.
6. The device of claim 5, wherein said adjustment member is affixed to said distal end of said body support and is capable of securely engaging said tension cable.
7. The device of claim 5, wherein said adjustment member is removably affixed to said tension cable.
8. A device for exercising the muscles of the human body comprising:
- a tension cable having a distal end and a proximal end, wherein said tension cable has elastic properties;
- a harness disposed at said distal end of said tension cable;
- an anchor disposed at said proximal end of said tension cable; and
- a body support, wherein said tension cable is slidably disposed within an opening in said body support, said opening extending from a distal end of said body support to a proximal end of said body support.
9. The device of claim 8, wherein said body support is disposed between said distal end of said tension cable and said harness.
10. The device of claim 9, wherein said device further comprises an adjustment member disposed between said body support and said distal end of said tension cable.
11. The device of claim 10, wherein said adjustment member is affixed to said distal end of said body support and is capable of securely engaging said tension cable.
12. The device of claim 11, wherein said adjustment member is removably affixed to said tension cable.
13. A method of exercising the muscles of the human body comprising:
- providing a device comprising a tension cable having a distal end and a proximal end, wherein said tension cable has elastic properties; a harness disposed at said distal end of said tension cable; and a body support, wherein said tension cable is slidably disposed within an opening in said body support, said opening extending from a distal end of said body support to a proximal end of said body support;
- positioning a user in a kneeling position;
- placing the body support of the exercise device under a knee of the user and placing the harness around a foot of a user;
- using the user's weight on the body support to hold the tension cable in place while the exercise device is in use;
- extending the foot of the user from the kneeling position to an extended position behind the user.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the exercise device further comprises an anchor disposed at said proximal end of said tension cable.
15. The method of claim 14, further comprising holding the tension cable in place by holding the anchor in a hand of the user.
16. The method of claim 14 further comprising holding the tension cable in place affixing the anchor to a stationary point.
17. The method of claim 13, wherein the exercise device further comprises marking disposed on the tension cable; and wherein the tension cable may be adjusted relative to the markings to ensure appropriate resistive force is achieved by the user.
18. The method of claim 13, wherein a length of the tension cable extending from the body support to the harness may be adjusted by sliding the tension cable through the opening in the body support.
Type: Application
Filed: Dec 6, 2013
Publication Date: Sep 11, 2014
Inventor: Mark Doherty (Mars, PA)
Application Number: 14/098,766
International Classification: A63B 21/055 (20060101);