Exercise device

An exercise device for providing a stair stepping exercise or horizontal skiing exercise, or for permitting a combined stair stepping exercise in a generally vertical direction and a cross country skiing exercise in a generally horizontal direction, said exercise device comprising:

• a base support;
• a pair of spaced foot supports for supporting the feet of a user in a generally upright position;
• linkage means operatively mounting said spaced foot supports for movement in a generally vertical direction to simulate a stair stepping exercise and movement in a generally horizontal direction to simulate a cross country skiing exercise, said linkage means operatively arranged to permit said stair stepping exercise or said cross country skiing exercise to be performed at the discretion of the user by changing the striding action exerted through the feet of the user against said spaced foot supports;
• and
• resistance means operatively connected between said foot supports and said base support for separately resisting the downward movement of each of said foot supports upon a downward force exerted against an associated foot support and returning said foot support to a rest position upon release of said downward force.

An exercise device for permitting a range of paths of motion for the user's feet, said exercise device comprising:

• a base support;
• a pair of spaced foot supports for supporting the feet of a user;
• and
• linkage means operatively connected between said foot supports and said base support for mounting said foot supports for selective movement along paths of motion including a generally vertical movement and a generally horizontal movement, said linkage means operatively arranged to allow a user to select a path of motion by changing the force exerted through the feet of the user against said spaced foot supports.

An exercise device comprising:

• support means including a fixed support member;
• a parallelogram linkage having a pair of spaced generally parallel links pivotally mounted about horizontal axes on said fixed support member and extending outwardly from said fixed support member, said parallel links defining a pair of spaced guides remaining in a parallel relation to each other during pivotal movement of said links;
• a foot support assembly having a foot support member extending in a generally horizontal direction and a pair of spaced guide members in translatory engagement with said pairs of spaced guides;
• and
• resistance means operatively connected to said linkage for resisting the pivotal movement of said linkage and foot support assembly thereon;
• said linkage capable of being pivoted from a position in which said pair of links extend in a generally horizontal direction to an upwardly inclined position of said links, the spacing of said links progressively decreasing as said links are moved upwardly from the generally horizontal position of said links, said guides and said guide members being constructed and arranged so that said foot support member remains in a generally horizontal position throughout the pivoting movement of said links.

An exercise device comprising:

• support means including a fixed support member;
• a pair of parallelogram linkages each having a pair of spaced generally parallel links mounted for pivoting about horizontal axes on said fixed support member and extending outwardly from said fixed support member, said parallel links defining a pair of spaced guides remaining in a parallel relation to each other during pivoting movement of said links;
• a pair of foot support assemblies each having a foot support member extending in a generally horizontal direction and a pair of lower spaced guide members in supporting engagement with said pair of spaced guides, said guides and guide members being mounted for relative translatory movement upon pivoting movement of an associated parallelogram linkage;
• and
• resistance means operatively connected to said each linkage of said pair of linkages for resisting downward movement of said foot support member and for returning said each linkage to an upper position when no downward force is applied to said first support member;
• said links mounted for pivoting movement in an upper direction about said horizontal axes with spacing of said links progressively decreasing as said links move upwardly, said foot support members remaining in a generally horizontal position throughout the pivoting movement of said links.

An exercise device comprising:

• a base support;
• a pair of foot supports for supporting the feet of a user;
• and
• guide means connected between said foot supports and said base support for permitting said foot supports to move in a generally vertical direction for simulating a stair stepping exercise or a generally horizontal direction simulating a horizontal skiing exercise;
• said guide means designed and arranged to cause said foot supports to remain in a generally horizontal orientation during stair stepping, or skiing exercises.