A passive-type treadmill is disclosed which includes a closed-loop belt rolling around a first and a second roller for providing a running platform, the first and second rollers being space apart, a resistance wheel contacting the first roller for providing resistance to the rotation of the first roller, the resistance wheel being capable of rotating around a shaft, and a spring urging the shaft and thus the resistance wheel against the first roller.

A wearable device such as a garment is disclosed, having at least one sensor, for sensing a parameter. Electronics are provided for processing the sensed parameter, and for providing feedback. Feedback may be in the form of proprioceptive tactile or audible feedback, or in the form of an adjustment of a performance parameter of the wearable device. In one implementation, the processor is configured to activate an effector to provide feedback to the wearer to make a body position correction to bring the position into alignment with predetermined body position reference data.

A respiratory pressure training strap includes a waist-back support, two shoulder straps, a chest strap and a belly strap; wherein the waist-back support is a main body of the respiratory pressure training strap, an upper portion of the waist-back support is connected to first ends of the shoulder straps, and a lower portion of the waist-back support is connected to the belly strap as well as second ends of the shoulder straps; wherein two ends of the chest strap are respectively connected to a left shoulder strap and a right shoulder strap of the shoulder straps; wherein the belly strap laterally extends from the lower portion of the waist-back support; wherein respiratory pressure regulators are respectively arranged on the waist-back support, the chest strap, and the belly strap. The present invention can realize the respiratory posture correction for the user by the reverse pressures.

An exemplary variable force pneumatic exercise staff comprises at least one staff segment including a pneumatic cylinder and a handle element. The pneumatic cylinder is elongated and has a handle engagement end and a staff first end disposed oppositely of one another. The pneumatic cylinder is actuatable between a compressed configuration and an extended configuration such that a cylinder length is greater in the extended configuration than in the compressed configuration. The handle element is affixed to the handle engagement end. The cylinder is configured to user-adjustably provide an extension resistance force for resisting the actuation toward the extended configuration, and a compression resistance force for resisting the actuation toward the compressed configuration. The cylinder may include a resistance controller allowing a user to manually adjust the extension and compression resistance forces. A segment coupler may be configured to rigidly couple the staff segment to a second staff segment.

An athletic tire training device includes a compressible body having a flat surfaced top, flat surfaced base, a surrounding wall extending between the top and base, and an interior wall extending between the top and base. The surrounding wall has an exterior surface with flat sides. The interior wall surrounds an open interior volume. The body has a weight of at least 20 pounds. The training device is usable in a variety of functional training exercises.

Training apparatuses configured to receive, and conform to, the back of a user's knee and provide varying resistance and tactile feedback to a user performing quadriceps exercises and methods for using such apparatuses are disclosed herein. A preferred embodiment of the training apparatuses for quad sets comprises a solid, deformable, resilient body that includes a non-skid base and a top surface with a recess configured to receive the back of a user's knee. The body of this embodiment is preferably made of open-cell polyurethane foam with a uniform density ranging between 1 lb/ft.sup.3 and 8 lbs/ft.sup.3, and more preferably between 1.5 lbs/ft.sup.3 and 4.5 lbs/ft.sup.3. The embodiment provides gradually increasing resistance to compression, e.g. tactile feedback to the user's knee, when the user increasingly pushes his/her knee down against the embodiment, and thus allows dynamic quad setting and strengthening.

A basketball shot training device comprising a wrist band 1; a finger piece 2 having two different size open ring holes 3, 4 for placement and securing on the user's index and middle fingers, a forked shaft portion 5 with a straight connection 6 to said open ring hole 3 for the index finger and a curved connection 7 to said open ring hole for the middle finger; and a straight shaft portion 8 connected at one end to said forked shaft portion and at the opposite end having an attachment means 9 to attach to said wrist band.

A modular fitness system and associated methods of use are disclosed. In at least one embodiment, the system provides a plurality of elongate weighted segments, and a plurality of handle links sized and configured for accommodating a hand of a user. The segments and handle links are removably engagable with one another in series so as to form an exercise structure. Thus, the user is capable of selectively engaging at least one of the segments having a desired weight with at least one of the handle links in order to form an appropriate configuration of the exercise structure for performing one or more desired exercises therewith.

A compressible material is provided for use with athletic equipment and apparel for enhancing the effects of physical exercise for a person. The material can include one or more compression members that extend from shoes, insoles for shoes, exercise gloves, wraps for exercise equipment, exercise mat or floor covering, headbands, socks, exercise garments, free weights and sports helmets. The compression members can be made of one or more of rubber, thermoplastic rubber, foam rubber, polyurethane rubber, silicone rubber, thermoplastic resin and thermoplastic elastomer. Positioning the compressible material such that it is between the user and any surface for example when exercising, requires the person to maintain balance while performing the exercise by using other muscles that would not ordinarily be used during the exercise, and provides proprioceptive feedback to the person's central nervous system.

A passive-type treadmill is disclosed which includes a closed-loop belt rolling around a first and a second roller for providing a running platform, the first and second rollers being space apart, a resistance wheel contacting the first roller for providing resistance to the rotation of the first roller, the resistance wheel being capable of rotating around a shaft, and a spring urging the shaft and thus the resistance wheel against the first roller.