Exercise device for exercising upper body simultaneously with lower body exercise

An exercise apparatus for exercising the upper body simultaneously with lower body exercise, the apparatus comprising:

• a lower body exercise machine;
• and
• at least one upper body exercise module attached to the lower body exercise machine, each upper body exercise module comprising:
• an elongated connector having first and second ends;
• a user engagement connected to the elongated connector first end for engaging or being engaged by a body appendage of a user;
• and
• a resistance mechanism for resisting a tensile force applied to the first end of the elongated connector, wherein the resistance mechanism is not powered exclusively by elasticity of the elongated connector;
• each upper body exercise module adapted to provide resistance to a full natural forward or backward arm swing of at least one arm of the user;
• wherein the lower body exercise machine comprises a machine selected from a group consisting of:
• air walkers/gliders, upright and recumbent bicycle machines, torso-twisting disks, cross-trainers, steppers, elliptical exercise machines, cross-country and downhill ski machines, trampolines, squat machines, rowing machines, stretching machines, and abdominal machines.

An exercise apparatus for exercising the upper body simultaneously with lower body exercise, the apparatus comprising:

• a lower body exercise machine;
• and
• at least one upper body exercise module attached to the lower body exercise machine, each upper body exercise module comprising:
• an elongated connector having first and second ends;
• a user engagement connected to the elongated connector first end for engaging or being engaged by a body appendage of a user;
• a spool connected to the elongated connector second end and on which the elongated connector is adapted to be wound;
• a resistance mechanism for resisting a tensile force applied to the first end of the elongated connector, the resistance mechanism is adapted to provide frictional resistance to unwinding of the spool;
• and
• a retraction mechanism for automatically rewinding the spool;
• each upper body exercise module adapted to provide resistance to a full natural forward arm swing of at least one arm of the user.

An exercise apparatus for exercising the upper body simultaneously with lower body exercise, the apparatus comprising:

• a lower body exercise machine;
• at least one upper body exercise module attached to the lower body exercise machine, each upper body exercise module comprising:
• an elongated connector having first and second ends;
• a user engagement connected to the elongated connector first end for engaging or being engaged by a body appendage of a user;
• and
• a resistance mechanism for resisting a tensile force applied to the first end of the elongated connector;
• each upper body exercise module adapted to provide resistance to a full natural forward arm swing of at least one arm of the user;
• and
• a support structure for preventing the user from being pulled off of the lower body exercise machine by the resistance of the upper body exercise module.

An exercise apparatus for exercising the upper body simultaneously with lower body exercise, the apparatus comprising:

• a lower body exercise machine;
• at least one upper body exercise module attached to the lower body exercise machine, each upper body exercise module comprising:
• an elongated connector having first and second ends;
• a hand grip connected to the elongated connector first end for being gripped by the user with an open or loose grip;
• and
• a resistance mechanism for resisting a tensile force applied to the first end of the elongated connector, wherein the resistance mechanism is not powered exclusively by elasticity of the elongated connector;
• each upper body exercise module adapted to provide resistance to a full natural forward arm swing of at least one arm of the user.

An upper body exercise module for attaching to a lower body exercise machine to allow exercising the upper body simultaneously with lower body exercise, the upper body exercise module comprising:

• a mounting interface for mounting the upper body exercise module to the lower body exercise machine;
• an elongated connector having first and second ends;
• a user engagement connected to the elongated connector first end for engaging or being engaged by a body appendage of a user;
• a spool connected to the elongated connector second end and on which the elongated connector is adapted to be wound;
• a resistance mechanism for resisting a tensile force applied to the first end of the elongated connector, the resistance mechanism is adapted to provide frictional resistance to unwinding of the spool;
• and
• a retraction mechanism for automatically rewinding the spool;
• the resistance device adapted to provide resistance to a full natural arm swing of the user.

A method of exercising, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) an exerciser walking on a treadmill having a plurality of rear-mounted upper-body resistance devices, each upper body resistance device independently mounted behind and along one side of a walking space on the treadmill such that the exerciser is able to step onto and off of the treadmill from the rear of the treadmill unimpeded by the resistance devices or any mounting structure associated therewith;
• (b) the exerciser loosely gripping a user engagement of each rear-mounted resistance device in each hand;
• (c) the exerciser walking with a stride that is longer and lower than a normal walking stride for that exerciser;
• and
• (d) the exerciser experiencing a metabolic exercise rate when engaged only in a walking stride that is equivalent to a metabolic exercise rate experienced by that exerciser for a running stride.

An exercise apparatus for exercising the upper body simultaneously with lower body exercise, the apparatus comprising:

• a lower body exercise machine;
• and
• at least one upper body exercise module attached to the lower body exercise machine, each upper body exercise module comprising:
• an elongated connector having first and second ends;
• a user engagement connected to the elongated connector first end for engaging or being engaged by a body appendage of a user;
• and
• a resistance mechanism for resisting a tensile force applied to the first end of the elongated connector;
• each upper body exercise module adapted to provide resistance to a full natural forward arm swing of at least one arm of the user;
• a docking engagement located forward of a user position on the lower-body exercise machine for receiving the user engagement in a non-use position with the elongated connector in an extended configuration, the docking engagement adapted to permit the user to optionally disengage and re-engage the user engagement while using the lower body exercise machine.

An exercise apparatus for exercising the upper body simultaneously with lower body exercise, the apparatus comprising:

• a lower body exercise machine;
• and
• one or more upper body exercise modules for attachment to the lower body exercise machine, each upper body exercise module comprising:
• a mounting interface for mounting the upper body exercise module directly to the lower body exercise machine or to an extension for mounting to the exercise machine;
• an elongated connector having first and second ends;
• a user engagement connected to the elongated connector first end for engaging or being engaged by a body appendage of a user;
• and
• a resistance mechanism for resisting a tensile force applied to the first end of the elongated connector, wherein the resistance mechanism is not powered exclusively by elasticity of the elongated connector;
• each upper body exercise module adapted to attach to and detach from the lower-body exercise machine or extensions;
• the lower body exercise machine comprising a plurality of locations for attaching the one or more upper body exercise modules or extensions.

An exercise apparatus for exercising the upper body simultaneously with lower body exercise, the apparatus comprising:

• a lower body exercise machine;
• and
• at least one upper body exercise module mounted to the lower body exercise machine, each upper body exercise module comprising:
• an elongated connector having first and second ends;
• a user engagement connected to the elongated connector first end for being gripped by a hand of a user;
• and
• a resistance mechanism for resisting a force applied to the first end of the elongated connector, wherein the resistance mechanism is not powered exclusively by elasticity of the elongated connector;
• each upper body exercise module adapted to provide resistance to a full, natural arm swing of at least one arm of the user.

An exercise machine for providing total body exercise, the exercise machine comprising:

• a lower body exercise mechanism adapted to provide lower body exercise for a user positioned in a use position on the exercise machine;
• at least two upper body resistance devices directly mounted on the lower body exercise machine, each adapted to provide resistance to backward arm movements of a user in the use position, each upper body resistance device comprising an elongated connector having first and second ends;
• a user engagement connected to the elongated connector first end for engagement of or by a portion of the user's upper body;
• and a resistance mechanism for resisting a tensile force applied to the elongated connector, wherein the resistance mechanism is not powered exclusively by elasticity of the elongated connector.

An exercise machine for providing total body exercise, the exercise machine comprising:

• a lower body exercise machine adapted to accommodate a user positioned in a use position;
• one or more upper body resistance devices directly mounted on the lower body exercise machine, each upper body resistance device adapted to provide resistance to backward arm movements of a user in the use position and comprising an elongated connector having first and second ends;
• a user engagement connected to the elongated connector first end for engagement of or by a portion of the user's upper body;
• a resistance mechanism for resisting a tensile force applied to the elongated connector, and a retraction mechanism for automatically retracting the elongated connector absent the tensile force, wherein neither the resistance mechanism nor the retraction mechanism are powered exclusively by elasticity of the elongated connector or user-applied force.

An exercise machine for providing total body exercise, the exercise machine comprising:

• a lower body exercise machine adapted to accommodate a user positioned in a use position;
• one or more upper body resistance devices directly mounted to the lower body exercise machines in a location not forward of the user, each device adapted to provide resistance to backward arm movements of a user in the use position and comprising an elongated connector having first and second ends;
• a user engagement connected to the elongated connector first end for engagement of or by a portion of the user's upper body;
• and a resistance mechanism for resisting a tensile force applied to the elongated connector, the resistance mechanism not powered exclusively by elasticity of the elongated connector, and
• one or more guides for directing the elongated connector to a point forward of the user.

An exercise machine for providing total body exercise, the exercise machine comprising:

• a treadmill having a use position for accommodating a user of the treadmill;
• one or more upper body exercise reels directly mounted on the treadmill forward of the user position, each exercise reel adapted to provide less than 10 pounds of non-adjustable resistance to backward arm movements of a user in the use position and adapted to function independently of the treadmill and independently of one another, each exercise reel comprising:
• an elongated, non-elastic connector having first and second ends;
• a hand grip connected to the elongated connector first end for engagement by the user;
• a spool, mounted within a housing, connected to the elongated connector second end, and on which the elongated connector is adapted to be wound;
• a spring attached to the spool adapted to provide resistance to unwinding of the connector from the spool and also adapted to provide a retraction force for automatically rewinding the connector onto the spool,
• the exercise reel adapted to fully retract when not in use such that a stop at or near the connector first end abuts the housing absent a sufficient unwinding force exerted upon the connector.