Exercise methods and apparatus
View Patent ↗An exercise apparatus has left and right foot skates which are constrained to move back and forth in reciprocal fashion. Left and right foot platforms are movably mounted on respective foot skates and constrained to move up and down in reciprocal fashion. The apparatus may be operated in different modes of operation, including a first mode, wherein the foot skates are free to move back and forth and the foot platforms are free to move up and down; a second mode, wherein the foot platforms are free to move up and down, but the foot skates are locked (or biased) against movement; and a third mode, wherein the foot skates are free to move back and forth, but the foot platforms are locked (or biased) against movement. Resistance may be provided to back and forth movement of the foot skates and/or up and down movement of the foot platforms.
1. An exercise apparatus, comprising:
a base;
a left skate and a right skate, wherein each said skate is mounted on the base for back and forth movement relative to said base;
a left foot and a right foot support, wherein each said foot support is pivotally mounted on a respective skate; and
an adjustable biasing means, common to each said foot support, for biasing each said foot support to move through a skiing path of motion in one mode of operation by requiring relatively less user imposed horizontal force to move each said skate, and relatively more user imposed vertical force to pivot each said foot support, and for alternatively biasing each said foot support to move through a stepping path of motion in another mode of operation by requiring relatively more user imposed horizontal force to move each said skate, and relatively less user imposed vertical force to pivot each said foot support.
2. An exercise apparatus, comprising:
base;
a left link and a right link, wherein each said link is mounted on the base for movement in a first direction relative to the base;
a left foot support and a right foot support, wherein each said foot support is mounted on a respective link for movement in a second, discrete direction relative to the respective link; and
an adjustable resistance means, linked to each said link and each said foot support, for resisting both (a) movement of each said foot support relative to a respective link, and (b) movement of each said link relative to the base, wherein said means is constrained to simultaneously adjust resistance to both (a) movement of each said foot support relative to a respective link, and (b) movement of each said link relative to the base.
3. An exercise apparatus, comprising:
a base;
a first pulley mounted on the base;
a second pulley mounted on the base;
a spring interconnected between the first pulley and the second pulley to bias the first pulley toward a particular orientation relative to he second pulley;
left and right links mounted on the base for movement in a first direction relative to the base, wherein the left and right links are linked the first pulley; and
left and right foot supports mounted on respective said links for movement in a second, generally perpendicular direction relative to the base, wherein the left and right foot supports are linked to the second pulley.
4. The exercise apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising a second spring interconnected between the base and one said pulley to bias the one said pulley toward a particular orientation relative to the base.
5. The method apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising a means for selectively adjusting the effective length of the second spring to change the bias imposed between the one said pulley and the base.
6. The apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising a means for selectively adjusting the effective length of the spring to change the bias.