Abstract:
An improved exercise apparatus, such as a treadmill, which includes a pressure receiver, such as a padded plate or bar, which a treadmill user applies pressure against while using the treadmill. A pressure sensor and a display may be included which measures and indicates the amount of pressure applied, and/or the amount of deviation from a desired amount of pressure. Having the user apply pressure to the pressure receiver, additional muscle groups in the user&#39;s body are exercised. The treadmill belt may be either motorized or non-motorized, with the ability to allow the user to go either forward or backward thereon while still applying pressure to the pressure receiver. The speed of the belt, the resistance applied to the belt (if unmotorized), and the elevation angle of the belt may be adjusted to suit the user.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention relates to exercise equipment generally, and, more specifically, to treadmill exercise equipment. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Treadmills are the most popular method of exercise equipment used at home and in gyms, etc. A user of the treadmill adjusts the speed and, possibly, the direction of a belt on the treadmill to suit the user&#39;s desire for exertion. In addition, the user can adjust the inclination of the treadmill to further control the amount of exertion. However, treadmills generally provide exercise to only limited set of muscle groups located mostly in the user&#39;s legs. 
         [0003]    One approach to increase the utility of the treadmill is adding moveable arms along the side of the treadmill to simulate cross-country skiing. The amount of force needed to deflect the arms and the length of the arms are adjustable to the needs of the user. This adaptation to the basic treadmill adds the ability to exercise the arm and shoulder muscles at the same time as the leg muscles. 
         [0004]    Another approach, such as a treadmill named The Force and manufactured by Woodway of Waukesha, Wis., has a user wearing a harness (tether) strapped across the user&#39;s chest, the user having the ability to adjust the resistance of the treadmill&#39;s belt. No provision is made to measure the force exerted by the user on the harness. Because this arrangement restricts the selection of muscle groups in the user&#39;s torso for exercise and the amount of exercise applied the user&#39;s torso muscles is not measured, the user&#39;s torso muscles are not exercised properly if at all. 
         [0005]    To date, there has not been a treadmill that allows for the selective exercise of muscles in a user&#39;s torso. 
         [0006]    Therefore, it is desirable to provide for a treadmill that allows a user to select a muscle group in the user&#39;s lower back, abdominal, and gluteal regions. Further, it is desirable that a user be able to select the amount of exercise/exertion applied to the selected muscle groups. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    These and other objects of the invention may be obtained generally with an exercise apparatus, such as a treadmill. In one exemplary embodiment, the treadmill has a belt for a user to tread thereon and a pressure-measuring device attached to the treadmill. The measuring device is adapted to receive pressure from a user while using the treadmill. 
         [0008]    In an additional embodiment of the invention, a method of exercising includes treading on a belt on a treadmill while exerting pressure on a pressure receiver, and measuring the pressure exerted. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    The invention may be understood generally from the following figures, none of which is to scale: 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  is a side-view of a treadmill adapted to include a pressure receiving apparatus in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram of an exemplary computerized control system for a treadmill according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a illustrative display panel for the treadmill of  FIG. 1  according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention; and 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is an exemplary embodiment of the pressure receiver and a pressure sensor for the treadmill of  FIG. 1  in accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0014]    An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in  FIG. 1 . Here, a treadmill  10  having a base  11 , a belt  12 , and a pedestal  13  supported by vertical members  14 . In the base  11  is a motor (not shown) that drives the belt  12  at a speed and, possibly, direction, controlled by a user (not shown). In addition, the base  11  may include a motorized mechanism (not shown) for raising and lowering a portion of the base  11  such that the elevation angle or pitch of the belt  12  (and, possibly, base  11 ) is higher or lower, respectively, to change the level of exertion experienced by the user treading (walking or running) on the belt  12 . 
         [0015]    The speed/direction of belt  12  and the angle of the base  111  are typically controlled by a user though a control panel (not shown) located in pedestal  13 . Pedestal  13  also provides support for the user as he/she uses the treadmill  10 . Levers  15  may also be provided to give additional exercise to the user as he/she uses the treadmill  10 . 
         [0016]    In the exemplary embodiment of the invention and described in more detail below in conjunction with  FIG. 4 , a pressure receiver  18  is provided that a user of treadmill  10  pushes against as he/she exercises. Preferably, pressure receiver  18 , such as a padded plate or bar, is disposed in such a way that as a user exercises, the user&#39;s abdomen or chest presses against receiver  18  as the user walks on belt  12 . Moreover, the receiver  18  is moveable so that the user can position the receiver  18  to a position comfortable to the user and/or where the user may then enable exercise of certain muscle groups, such as in the abdomen, back, and gluteal regions. Specifically, it is desirable for the height of the receiver  18  to be adjusted such that it is centered on the user&#39;s sternum (mid-chest). Further, the receiver  18  may be adapted to allow the user to hold the receiver  18 , through the use of hand-holds or openings in the receiver  18 , so that the user can apply force or pressure to the receiver  18  either by pushing or pulling thereon. 
         [0017]    For purposes of this description, the terms “force” and “pressure” are used interchangeably. 
         [0018]    While not shown, the receiver  18  may be mounted on something other than the treadmill  10 , such as a wall (not shown) or a framework (not shown) which is in turn attached to a floor, wall, or to the treadmill  10 . 
         [0019]    To assist the user in his or her exercise, a pressure sensor (not shown) is added to the receiver  18 . As will be explained in more detail below, the amount of asserted pressure is measured and may be displayed to the user so that the user can determine the amount of pressure applied or deviation in the amount of pressure from a predetermined amount of pressure. With this arrangement and the user applying an approximately constant pressure, muscles in the exemplary abdominal, back, and gluteal regions may then be exercised. 
         [0020]    Turning to  FIG. 2 , an exemplary control system  20  for the treadmill  10  ( FIG. 1 ) is illustrated. A computer system  21  (such as a microprocessor) receives inputs from the user and from the belt  12  (e.g., speed of the belt) and may optionally control an optional motor (not shown) driving the belt  12  ( FIG. 1 ), elevation control motor (not shown) in base  11  ( FIG. 1 ), and a display located in pedestal  13  ( FIG. 1 ). Advantageously and in this embodiment of the invention, the computer system  21  receives signals from a pressure sensor attached to pressure receiver  18  ( FIG. 1 ). While the computer  21  is not itself necessary and is not necessarily needed to control the speed of belt  11  and the elevation of base  11  (all of which can be adjusted manually), the computer system  21  can provide “programs” that provide a user a series of selectable workouts based on simulated terrains, such as rolling hills, steep assents/descents, etc., as desired by the user. The “programs” simulate the terrains by adjusting the angle of the base  11  and the speed of the belt  12 . In addition, the measured pressure applied to receiver  18  may also be used as part of the simulation and exercise programs. In this case, the stored “program” in the computer system  21  has a series of desired or predetermined pressures that the user is expected to apply to receiver  18  during the course of a workout depending on the speed of the belt  12 . 
         [0021]    It is understood that a treadmill  10  with a non-motorized belt  12  will operate substantially the same way as a motorized version. Instead, in the unmotorized preferred embodiment, the belt  12  has adjustable tension or resistance applied thereto for speed control, which may be under the control computer system  21  or manually set. Deviation from the desired pressure (as, for example, as determined from the exercise “program” executed by computer system  21 ) may then be displayed to the user so that he/she can adjust their level of desired exertion. In addition, the elevation angle of the belt  12  should be no more than 15° in either direction (e.g. “uphill” or “downhill”.) 
         [0022]    In  FIG. 3 , an exemplary display and control panel  30  is shown. This panel  30  is normally included in pedestal  13  ( FIG. 1 ) for viewing by a user. Inputs from buttons  31  and keypad  32  control the operation of computer  21  and the treadmill  10  ( FIG. 1 ). Aside from belt speed indication (SPEED), and angle of the base  11  ( FIG. 1 ) (ANGLE), a display of the applied pressure (PRESSURE) is also given. In addition, should a desired pressure be applied, deviation from the desired pressure is indicated by optional arrows or by symbols “+” and “−” in display PRESSURE along with the amount of pressure or the amount of deviation from the desired pressure. Indications on the control panel  30  may be instantaneous readings or readings averaged over a predetermined time interval (e.g. 1 minute) by computer system  21  and updated every few seconds (e.g. 5 seconds.) 
         [0023]      FIG. 4  shows an exemplary pressure receiver  18  including a pressure sensor  44 . The receiver  18  is attached to a vertical member  41  via a coupler  42 . Coupler  42  may be immovably affixed to vertical member  41  or has an adjustable feature to allow coupler  42  to be placed along member  41  to achieve a desired height of receiver  18 . Further, a gymbal, rotary, or flexible coupler may be added between receiver  18  and coupler  42  to provide two or more degrees of motion to receiver  18  as desired by the user. 
         [0024]    Vertical member  41  is coupled to a pressure sensor  44  via a coupling member  45 . Similar to that described above, coupling member  45  may be immovably affixed to the vertical member  41  or has an adjustable feature to allow member  45  to be adjusted in length where attached to coupling member  45  to allow for adjustment in height of receiver  18  by the user. 
         [0025]    Pressure sensor  44  has therein a conventional pressure transducer (not shown), such as a strain gauge, to measure the horizontal component of pressure exerted on member  45 . Such pressure sensors are well known in the art and should be insensitive to any torque moment resulting from pressure applied by the user to receiver  18 . As will be appreciated by someone skilled in the art, an alternative placement of a pressure sensor may be done where receiver  18  is attached to coupler  42 . With this configuration, communication from the sensor to computer  21  ( FIG. 2 ) is by wire, or preferably, wireless (RF) link. A skilled artisan may accomplish other configurations and designs for the receiver  18 . 
         [0026]    It is understood that the belt  12  may be bi-directional allowing the user to operate the treadmill  10  in reverse or “backward” with the user applying his/her back against the pressure receiver  18 , the elevation or tilt may be in either “uphill” or “downhill” direction, as well as also allowing use of an exercise “program” in computer system  21 . With such an arrangement, because the control panel  30  is now behind the user, an alternative or supplemental display may be desired (not shown). Alternatively, aural feedback indicating deviation from the desired pressure on receiver  18  and/or the speed of belt  12  could be indicated by a tone pitch or pulse rate. Preferably when the user is walking backward on the treadmill  10 , the pressure receiver  18  is positioned against the rhomboid region of the user&#39;s back, such as between the shoulder blades of the user. With this arrangement and the user applying an approximately constant pressure, the exemplary quadriceps and lower back muscle groups may then be exercised. 
         [0027]    Having described the preferred embodiment of this invention, it will now be apparent to one of skill in the art that other embodiments incorporating its concept may be used. Therefore, this invention should not be limited to the disclosed embodiment, but rather should be limited only by the spirit and scope of the appended claims.