| Method and device to enable and assist the elderly and females to exercise their abdominal and lower back muscles -> Monitor Keywords |
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  Method and device to enable and assist the elderly and females to exercise their abdominal and lower back musclesThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20080039295. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001]This invention is in the field of exercise resistance machines for improvement of general health, especially strengthening the abdominal muscles known in Latin as rectus abdominis. These muscles control the tilt of the pelvis to improve the mechanical positioning of the spine. The exercising provides physiotherapeutic effects to strengthen, build and rebuild muscles and bone mass and prevents muscle and bone mass deterioration while avoiding any pressure on the lower back and the unique massage roller simultaneously promotes back muscle relaxation. This patent relates to and caters for the special needs of the elderly, those convalescing from injury or surgery and females. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002]The use of machines for exercising the body is well known in the art. For many decades it has been considered beneficial for a person's health to exercise regularly. The benefits are many and probably some that we are not yet aware. A few of the better known benefits are to the functioning of the heart, the blood vessels, the blood cells, the muscles, the bone structure, the functioning of the brain, the levels of cholesterol and blood sugars, and the general feeling of well-being. There was a time when it was felt to be not so beneficial for the elderly to exercise but now it is considered also very beneficial. Obviously, the degree of stress on the body and length of time of such exercise varies from person to person depending on age, general health and any specific disabilities endured. [0003]One of the factors that make it difficult for the elderly is their lack of agility. They often have pain when moving their various limbs. This discourages them from starting to exercise even though when they have exercised, usually they feel better than beforehand. If they avoid exercising then they do not enjoy the many side benefits of exercising and a vicious cycle is sometimes created whereby their health deteriorates generally. Most prior art exercise machines do not take into account the special needs of the elderly and therefore help to create this barrier. The machines are often cumbersome, sometimes complicated to operate, without easily understandable instructions, without handles to aid entering and exiting and without taking into account the sometimes frail and painful limbs of the elderly. They are basically designed for the young and middle aged. [0004]The elderly either currently suffer from ailments that are best assisted by controlled exercise or are likely to suffer from such ailments if they do not exercise, for example, heart disease, weight control, walking stability, osteoporosis or lower back pains. [0005]Daily activities, that a younger person performs automatically without realizing how many muscles and joints are involved, can be a major cause of pain and other discomforts throughout the day for the elderly or disabled. [0006]Examples of such daily activities are bending to tie shoes, getting in and out of the car or bath, walking up stairs or a hill, pushing a shopping cart, carrying groceries and simply stretching to reach items. These are but a few of the hundreds of activities that an elderly person has to do daily and without regular exercising and muscle strengthening these everyday activities become more difficult as the person ages. [0007]Women are more prone than men to a bone disease called osteoporosis, usually from the age of menopause and older. One of the major recommended preventative measures for osteoporosis is regular exercising of the weight bearing kind in order to increase the bone mass. Furthermore, females more than males, require special features in exercise machines to cater for their more delicate body structures Therefore, it would be preferable for the elderly, those convalescing and females, to use exercise machines that are purpose built and user friendly for their specific needs. The apparatus of this invention is specifically and professionally designed for the special needs of this group of users. The innovation of this invention includes and/or takes into account amongst others, the following factors: [0008]the user's general lack of agility and possibility of various pains when moving into position to start exercising, during the exercising and when exiting, [0009]to give as much as possible clutter free access and a minimum of overhead apparatus to ease entry/exit and to avoid accidental injury to the user or a helper of the user, [0010]to have a dynamic seat. [0011]to have a choice of foot-bars at different heights to suit different sized people, [0012]the need for a back-rest to give the user a feeling of comfort, massage and stability, [0013]the need for smaller gradations of weights so that resistance and muscle stress can be more gradually increased, [0014]the proper placing of handles and bars to aid entering and leaving the machines and stabilizing handles to optionally hold while exercising, [0015]notices and instructions written in clear language and large print,and many other features for the benefit of the infirm as are herein described in greater detail. [0016]Prior art has addressed some aspects of the needs of older people. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,308,302 issued to Miller reveals a moveable exercise machine that can be brought to a chair ridden person to exercise. The novelty is more in the portability features than the use of the machine itself. US Patent Application No. 20040220019 issued to Maser reveal a special feature for older people namely that in a pedal machine both pedals can start at their lowest level instead of one up and one down. The Japanese Patent No. 2004016577 issued to Shigeo et al. reveals an exercise machine where the user can exercise in a recumbent position but the range of movements of the arms and legs is limited with no possibility of increasing or decreasing the stress to the arms or legs. Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 6,652,419 issued to Rota showing how beneficial the rebounding type of exercise is for all aged users especially the elderly. The uniqueness of this invention is the combination of all its various features into one device as are herein described. After years of research the innovators of this invention have found solutions to the above mentioned problems generally and to the specific problems and needs of the elderly and infirm. The result is incorporated in the apparatus of this invention as hereinafter described. The result is a user friendly machine that the infirm will want to use because it answers their special needs. It will help them overcome that so important initial step of starting to exercise. The commercial potential for such machines is great. Firstly the purchaser could be an end user of the exercise machine of this invention or an exercise club that also wishes to cater for the elderly, infirm or those recuperating from injury. Such exercise clubs will be able to attract more members and from a wider range of population. Exercise clubs for women only, will be able to offer machines user friendly for females. Old-age homes are likely purchasers of these machines, to improve the overall health of their members, to usefully occupy their time and to attract new members by showing quality facilities. Hotels often have exercise rooms and will want to provide quality facilities for their elderly customers. Hospitals or homes for rehabilitation after medical operations or accidents are another likely customer for such machines. Most of the features designed for older people will also assist people recouping from illness or operations. They will recover faster, reduce the number of visits to the physiotherapist and be happy that they are helping themselves to become independent and return to their normal routine. The manufacturers of this invention will be catering for a market that is expanding rapidly both by the greater percentage of people living to older ages and the increasing awareness amongst all sectors of the population that regular exercising is a key to improved health. Health funds have already recognized how many millions of dollars they save each year when their members maintain a better standard of health. As a result these health funds often subsidize for their members, the membership fees of exercise clubs. All these factors will contribute to the commercial success of this invention. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0017]It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description present embodiments of the invention, and are intended to provide an overview, or framework, for understanding the nature and character of the invention as it is claimed. The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention, and are incorporated into and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate various embodiments of the invention and, together with the description serve to explain the principles and operations of the invention. [0018]An object of this invention is to provide a machine to exercise and thereby strengthen the abdominal muscles as well as maintain bone mass of the infirm. This muscle strengthening and bone mass maintenance will in turn help to improve balance, improve posture, increase ability to sit from lying down and stand from the sitting position, increase pelvic suspension and reduce incidence of falls. Another object of the invention is to strengthen the muscles called rectus abdominis. [0019]Another object of the invention is to help to tilt forward the pelvis to improve the positioning and flexibility of the spine. Another object of the invention is to have a dynamic seat to enhance the exercising effect on the abdominal muscles. Another object of the invention is to have an upholstered and adjustable back and lumbar support pad that is dynamic on its longitudinal axis to support and massage the user's back as a result of the user's movements during exercising. [0020]Another object of this invention is to enhance a person's ability to balance. [0021]Another object of this invention is for the said exercise machine to be stably resting on the ground when in use and optionally moveable when so desired. [0022]Another object of this invention is to ease the access to and exit from the exercise machine where for example, there is no overhanging apparatus potentially capable of causing head or other injury and without sharp edges protruding from the apparatus. [0023]Another object of the invention is to have at least one static hand support bar to increase the user's stability while using machine and/or while entering or exiting. [0024]Another object of this invention is to have adjustable static handles to optionally hold onto while exercising. [0025]Another object of the invention is to make instructions for the user simple to understand and written in large print in a color that contrasts with its background. It is also an object to make the said instructions readable while the user is in position on the exercise machine. [0026]Another object of the invention is to have a picture on the body of the apparatus in a clearly visible position and color, illustrating an everyday task. This task the infirm often find difficult to carry out and is made easier by strengthening the specific muscles that the machine of this invention helps to strengthen. State of art exercise machines often mention on the machine the name of the muscles that will be strengthened by the machine or sometimes they have a picture of those muscles in a picture of a body. The user of an exercise machine will be able to relate much easier to a picture of the everyday task that will be enhanced by using the machine. It will give the user a greater incentive to work diligently at the said exercises. [0027]One of the everyday tasks that is associated with this invention is carrying of objects by holding them in ones arms opposite the stomach and/or chest. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0028]The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain, by way of example only, the principles of the invention: Continue reading... Full patent description for Method and device to enable and assist the elderly and females to exercise their abdominal and lower back muscles Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Method and device to enable and assist the elderly and females to exercise their abdominal and lower back muscles patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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