An exercise apparatus or machine according to the present disclosure is adapted to support a user above a floor while the user performs hip thrust or other exercises. The exercise machine includes a head support and a foot support for supporting the torso and feet of a user so that the hips of the user are suspended in an exercise area between the head support and foot support.

A posture and movement training garment 100 comprises at least one elastic element 1-22 arranged to be stretched upon movement of the wearer's trunk and/or at least one of the wearer's limbs away from a predetermined rest or neutral position, thereby to provide the wearer with gentle elastic recoil sufficient to provide the wearer with additional kinaesthetic and/or touch feedback resulting from the movement, substantially without inhibiting the movement. A complementary sports training or physiotherapy garment 300 comprises a fabric base and pockets 50-55 for the reception of weights, the garment further comprising strips of relatively inextensible material 67 forming a network interconnecting the base material within the pockets, in which the majority of the strips run generally longitudinally of the wearer's limbs and torso and form a branched network with bases mainly originating at the wearer's shoulders and/or hips; and wherein the network does not completely encircle the wearer's limbs and torso. The weights may comprise a body 220 formed from an elastomer, in which the body contains an embedded plurality of pieces 216 of a harder, denser material, each piece having a minimum dimension of at least 1.5 mm and in which the individual pieces are movable relative to one another, whereby the body retains its flexibility.

An exercise apparatus may include a rectangular platform, first and second attachment points, first and second rails and friction reducing runners on the rails. The platform may have an upper face, a lower face, two long edges and two short edges. The first attachment point may be disposed along one of the long edges. The second attachment point may be disposed along the other of the long edges. The first rail may be attached to the lower face of the platform proximal to one of the short edges of the platform. The second rail may be attached to the lower face of the platform proximal to the other of the short edges of the platform. The first and second rails may be spaced apart to define a passageway beneath the apparatus, wherein the passageway is configured to allow the apparatus to pass over a standard sprinter's starting block without contacting any part of the starting block.

Disclosed are various approaches for determining the maximum oxygen consumption of a person, also known as maximum aerobic capacity or VO.sub.2 Max. A person is positioned on a treadmill. Attached to the person is a harness configured to apply a horizontal force to the person. A work rate for the person can be calculated based at least in part on the magnitude of the horizontal force applied by the harness and the velocity of the belt. The maximum oxygen consumption for the person can then be calculated based at least in part on the previously calculated work rate.

A walking assistance apparatus includes stimulus applying means for applying a stimulus to a leg part on which a walking assistance apparatus is mounted and state detection means for detecting a supporting leg condition and a lifted leg condition of the leg part on which the walking assistance apparatus is mounted. The stimulus applying means applies a first stimulus to the leg part when the state detection means has detected that the leg part on which the walking assistance apparatus is mounted is in the lifted leg condition, and the stimulus applying means does not apply a stimulus to the leg part or applies a second stimulus that is weaker than the first stimulus when the state detection means has detected that the leg part on which the walking assistance apparatus is mounted is in the supporting leg condition.

A belt for use in performing hip raising exercises is provided. The hip thrust belt of the present invention comprises a flexible supporting pad coupled to a flexible belt. Hook-and-loop fasteners are provided on the belt to secure the ends of the belt to dumbbells or other weights including barbell weight plates and kettlebells. The hip thrust belt allows the weights to hang on the outer sides of the user's hip and thereby increases the effort required to perform hip raising exercises. Hip raising exercises are believed to strengthen the gluteal and hamstring muscles.

A multi-purpose athletic training platform exercise device is provided. A user may stand atop a platform and exercise while connected to a downward pulling source of resistance. This machine allows the user to walk forwards, backwards and side-to-side freely while still having attachment to the resistance source via a connecting means. This will activated all the muscles in the lower body while tractioning the lower back and helping to reduce pelvic tilt. The resistance maybe varied during the user effort. The user is able to step off the machine to climb up or down a step, or walk up and down a ramp that may be provided.

Apparatus (60) for supporting a subject (2) in an inverted state comprises a ground engaging plinth (8) and a support platform (12) pivotally coupled to the plinth (8) about a first pivot axis (15) so that the support platform (12) is pivotal between a first state with a subject (2) in a supine state on the support platform (12) and a second state with the subject (2) inverted on the support platform (12). The subject is supported in the inverted state on the support platform (12) by shoulder engaging elements (24), and is secured to the support platform (12) by a torso strap (35). A foot engageable element (77) connected to a weight carrying bar (84) through connecting members (79,82) extending through an elongated slot (80) in the support platform (12) allows leg and abdominal muscles to be exercised by urging the foot engageable element (77) in the direction of the arrow A against weights (85) carried on the weight carrying bar (84). A carrier element (81) slideable on a guide bar (83) guides the foot engageable element (77). Handgrips (86) are connected by steel cables (87) around pulleys (88,89,90,91) to the weight carrying bar (84) for facilitating exercising of arm, shoulder, chest and back muscles.

An adjustable training apparatus includes a harness that is worn over an upper torso of a person training, and two tensioning devices that are secured to the harness. Each tensioning device includes a cord that extends from the device, with an outer end of the cord being configured to be secured to a body part of the person training. A method of conducting anaerobic resistance training is further disclosed.

Exercise apparatuses that may be particularly useful or treating and strengthening connective tissue. For example, apparatuses that may have or be reconfigured to have multiple (e.g., three or more) configurations that are suspended from above by a ceiling or stand. The equipment facilitates the stabilization of the body according to the principle of tensegrity, so that the tension in all movements is omni-directionally coherent, thus creating omni-tensional integrity, which may be helpful in treatment and strengthening of muscular connective tissue (fasciae) in musculoskeletal dynamics, to restore, rebuild, strengthen and regain elasticity within the human fascial network. These apparatuses can support the user at an oblique body angle while the user performs various movements.