Apparatus designed for exercising the rear leg muscles as well as the lower dorsal muscles of a patient

An apparatus for exercising the rear leg muscles and the lower dorsal muscles of a user, said apparatus comprising

• a bench having a first end and a second end and including a generally flat support surface on which a user can recline with his feet extending towards said second end,
• a footrest means which is fixedly connected to said bench to extend upwardly with respect to said support surface, said footrest means being adjustably positionable with respect to the length of said bench,
• a revolvable support means which is pivotally attached to said bench near its first end, said revolvable support means including a dorsal support element for supporting the back of a user who is reclining on said generally flat support surface of said bench and whose feet are in contact with said footrest means, and
• drive means connected to said revolvable support means, said drive means, when activated, causing said revolvable support means to pivot relative to said bench such that said dorsal support element will move upwardly and towards said second end of said bench and thereby cause the back of a user to move from a generally reclined position to an upright position generally perpendicular to said generally flat support surface and concurrently stretch the user's rear leg muscles and lower dorsal muscles.