An exercise device comprising; a platform, a first limb attachment means, a first extendable cord attached to the first limb attachment means, the first extendable cord being at least partially located within the platform, and a tensioning means within the platform, wherein the tensioning means can be adjusted to alter the resistance of the first extendable cord to extension.

An apparatus includes a brace assembly and a force-application assembly. The brace assembly includes a muscle-origin portion configured to connect proximate to a muscle origin of a muscle. The brace assembly also includes a muscle-insertion portion configured to connect proximate to a muscle insertion of the muscle. The force-application assembly is configured to connect to the muscle-origin portion and the muscle-insertion portion. The force-application assembly is also configured to extend between the muscle-origin portion and the muscle-insertion portion once coupled to do just so.

Embodiments allow the application of a settable and/or a programmable resistance to a trainee's leg Drive Phase and/or Recovery Phase while walking or running over extended or infinite distances. Multiple mechanical or electrical feedback loops or combinations of both to monitor the applied resistance to the Trainee by the tether or tethers and then control the amount of breaking (drag) or propulsion created by the Mobile training module during the acceleration and constant speed training phases to accurately generate, control and transfer resistance through the elastic tethers to the Trainee. Embodiments apply multiple, non-varying loads or programmable loads to multiple body parts of a trainee where applied resistance can be manipulated to both increase or decrease over distance as desired by trainee while the trainee is walking, running or sprinting over any distance.

A pulley system of an exercise device for suspended weight training includes a first block with a first pulley, a second pulley, and a first attachment point. A second block is removably coupled to a weight and includes a third pulley and a second attachment point. A grip is configured to be held by a user while exercising and has a third attachment point. A line having a first line end is fixedly coupled to the grip and a second line end fixedly is coupled to a connection element. The connection element is configured to be selectively coupled to each of the first attachment point, the second attachment point, and the third attachment point, permits a user to reduce an effective amount of the weight lifted by the user with movement of the grip to a pre-selected fraction of the weight.

In some embodiments, a heavyweight jacket includes a main body configured to fit on the torso of a wearer and sleeves that are fully detached from the main body. The sleeves advantageously facilitate putting on the heavy jacket, while providing a jacket of high weight. To form the heavyweight jacket, a pre-bonded fabric may be used. The fabric is pre-bonded and may optionally be further layered to increase the garment's weight without sacrificing flexibility or breathability. The layered fabric distributes the garment's weight evenly and ensures that the garment does not excessively restrict a wearer's freedom of movement or cause the wearer to overheat. The weight of the fabric may be increased by using a heavyweight glue to bond various layers of material together.

A gait trainer adapted for use with a treadmill and, optionally, a spinning cycle, provides greater accessibility for therapeutic and rehabilitative gait pattern training to individuals confronting injury, illness, or disability. The gait trainer is adjustable, to accommodate a wide variety of users with different stride lengths and needs.

Provided are a method for strengthening blood vessels with extreme ease and a compression and decompression control system used for performing the method. A compression and decompression control system 1 includes a band adapted to be placed around a particular part of a limb of a user and to apply a compression force to the particular part and a controller for controlling the compression force applied to the particular part with the band. The controller controls the compression force applied with the band in a manner that a compression operation applying a predetermined compression force to the particular part and a decompression operation completely removing the compression force applied to the particular part by the compression operation are alternately repeated. Repetition of the compression operation and the decompression operation allows the vascular endothelial cells of blood vessels of the user to generate a larger amount of nitric oxide, thereby strengthening the blood vessels.

The embodiments herein provide a portable hamstring stretcher for stretching hamstring muscles and inner thigh muscles. The portable hamstring stretcher comprises a primary board, a secondary board (leg pieces), a plurality of hinges, a chain, a plurality of ratchet straps, a ratchet, a plurality of hinges, and a plurality of adjustable straps. A user lies down on the primary board and wraps his legs using the adjustable straps on the secondary board to exercise the hamstring muscles.

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.

The present disclosure relates to methods for improving healthfulness, e.g., improving cardiovascular health, stimulating weight loss, and/or increasing muscle size/tone in animal subjects, including human subjects. In one aspect, the method comprises applying a core weight to each of the front and/or rear limbs of an animal subject at substantially the same distance from the torso so as to be substantially symmetrically placed, and such that each core weight lies within the distal ⅔ of the limbs; and wearing the core weights continuously for 6-20 hours per day for at least 2 days per week for at least 2 consecutive weeks. In certain embodiments, each of said core weights has substantially the same mass which is 0.2-1.0% of the total body weight of the animal subject, and each of said core weights spans less than ¼ of the total length of the limb to which it is applied.