Exercise device simulating downhill skiing

An exercise device that simulates downhill skiing to develop skiing skills as well as to thoroughly exercise one's body and cardiovascular system, said exercise device comprising

• a frame including a base support member that rests on the floor or ground, said base support member having a front end, a back end and a longitudinal axis extending from the front end to the back end;
• an elongate support member that is pivotally attached to said longitudinal beam for pivotal, swaying movement about a pivot axis that is substantially parallel with said longitudinal axis of said base support, with said elongate support member extending upwardly from said base support member whereby said elongate support member sways back and forth above said base support member;
• biasing means associated with said elongate support member for exerting a biasing force on the elongate support member to bias the elongate support member toward an upstanding position lying in a vertical plane through said pivot axis;
• a platform for supporting a person in a standing position thereon, said platform being pivotally attached to a distal end of said elongate support member that extends upwardly from said base support member, whereby as said elongate support member sways back and forth, said platform moves in an arcuate, swinging motion in a substantially vertical plane that is substantially perpendicular to said pivot axis;
• said frame further including a forward member extending upwardly from the front end of said base support member, said forward member including hand engagement means which a person standing on said platform can grasp to maintain balance as the person pushes said platform downwardly in alternating movements first to one side of said vertical plane extending through said pivot axis and then to the other side of said vertical plane extending through said pivot axis in a motion simulating turns in downhill skiing;
• said forward member comprises an inverted, U-shaped member having two upstanding elongate legs attached at respective one ends thereof to said front end of said base support member, with the upper ends of said upstanding elongate legs being connected together by an elongate cross member that forms the base of the inverted, U-shaped member;
• and
• said hand engagement means comprises a pair of spaced apart, elongate, hand grip members extending substantially upwardly from said elongate cross member.

An exercise device that simulates downhill skiing to develop skiing skills as well as to thoroughly exercise one's body and cardiovascular system, said exercise device comprising

• a frame including a base support member that rests on the floor or ground, said base support member having a front end, a back end and a longitudinal axis extending from the front end to the back end;
• an elongate support member that is pivotally attached to said longitudinal beam for pivotal, swaying movement about a pivot axis that is substantially parallel with said longitudinal axis of said base support, with said elongate support member extending upwardly from said base support member whereby said elongate support member sways back and forth above said base support member;
• biasing means associated with said elongate support member for exerting a biasing force on the elongate support member to bias the elongate support member toward an upstanding position lying in a vertical plane through said pivot axis;
• a platform for supporting a person in a standing position thereon, said platform being pivotally attached to a distal end of said elongate support member that extends upwardly from said base support member, whereby as said elongate support member sways back and forth, said platform moves in an arcuate, swinging motion in a substantially vertical plane that is substantially perpendicular to said pivot axis;
• said frame further including a forward member extending upwardly from the front end of said base support member, said forward member including hand engagement means which a person standing on said platform can grasp to maintain balance as the person pushes said platform downwardly in alternating movements first to one side of said vertical plane extending through said pivot axis and then to the other side of said vertical plane extending through said pivot axis in a motion simulating turns in downhill skiing.
• said platform is bifurcated into two spaced apart, side-by-side sections having adjacent, facing sides that are substantially parallel with each other and also substantially parallel with said pivot axis;
• there are first and second elongate support members that are pivotally attached in side-by-side relationship to said longitudinal beam for pivoting about a common axis that is substantially parallel with said longitudinal axis of said base support, with both said elongate support members extending upwardly from said base support member so that both said elongate support members sway back and forth above said base support member;
• the distal end of the first elongate support member is pivotally attached to one of the sections of said platform;
• the distal end of the second elongate support member is pivotally attached to the other of the sections of said platform;
• said biasing means is associated with both said elongate support members for exerting a biasing force on each elongate support member to bias each elongate support member toward an upstanding position lying closely adjacent to a vertical plane through said pivot axis;
• said sections of said platform being held in their side-by-side relationship by a pair of rigid connectors at the forward and backward ends, respectively, of said platform;
• and
• each of said connectors being pivotally connected at their opposite ends to respective sections of said platform to hold the sections spaced from each other and to allow the sections to move up and down relative to each other as said platform moves in its arcuate, swinging motion.