Abstract:
This invention is a physical fitness system employing weighted feather-fan-like equipment in a feather fan dance routine to provide an enjoyable way for a person to achieve strength, endurance, and flexibility fitness, with special emphasis on upper body, arm, and shoulder work.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/565,427, filed Nov. 30, 2011, which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    This invention has been created without the sponsorship or funding of any federally sponsored research or development program. 
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    This invention involves an exercise and fitness system. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    It is generally recognized that physical fitness, including strength, endurance, and flexibility fitness are an important part of every person&#39;s general well-being. Because it is an activity which essentially is a lifetime commitment and involves considerable amounts of time and effort, it has been found helpful to attempt to make physical fitness activities enjoyable and pleasant. 
         [0005]    One traditional direction was to incorporate the exercise directly into a performing art form such as classical ballet, and more recently, various other performing dance disciplines. 
         [0006]    Another less performing-art direction is the incorporation of dance routines, including hip-hop, and Latin, and accompanying music, into an exercise regime in order to increase the enjoyment and entertainment function of the exercise. This has been extremely successful, especially for female exercisers. 
         [0007]    What is needed in the spectrum of exercise routines is a system which not only develops all of the strength, endurance, and flexibility aspects of exercise, but also provides special emphasis on the flexibility and toning of the upper body, arms, and shoulders. 
         [0008]    These and other difficulties experienced with the prior art devices have been obviated in a novel manner by the present invention. 
         [0009]    It is, therefore, an outstanding object of some embodiments of the present invention to provide a system for encouraging and achieving physical fitness in an efficient and effective manner. 
         [0010]    Another object of some embodiments of the present invention is to provide a system for encouraging and achieving physical fitness in a way that also enhances confidence and self-esteem. 
         [0011]    A further object of some embodiments of present invention is to provide a system for encouraging and achieving physical fitness that does not involve expensive and complex equipment. 
         [0012]    It is another object of some embodiments of the present invention is to provide a system for encouraging and achieving physical fitness that can be used in readily available facilities. 
         [0013]    It is a further object of some embodiments of the present invention to provide a system for encouraging and achieving physical fitness that is simple and easy to use. 
         [0014]    With these and other objects in view, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the invention resides in the combination of parts set forth in the specification and covered by the claims appended hereto, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0015]    This invention is a burlesque fan dance routine in which weights are added to the handle portion of the fan or fans in order to increase the upper body, arm, and shoulder exercise challenge of the routine. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0016]    The character of the invention, however, may best be understood by reference to one of its structural forms, as illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0017]      FIG. 1  shows a typical pose which would be an element of a burlesque fan dance routine embodying the principles of the present invention, 
           [0018]      FIG. 2  shows the front side of a fan embodying the principles of the present invention, 
           [0019]      FIG. 3  shows a close-up of the front side of the handle of the fan embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 . 
           [0020]      FIG. 4  shows a close-up of the front side of the handle of the fan embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 , including the hand of the exerciser positioned under a strap on the front side of the handle and with the palm against the handle. 
           [0021]      FIG. 5  shows a close-up of the back side of the handle of the fan embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 , including a weight pocket, an interchangeable weight, and a strap with a snap to hold the weight in the pocket. 
           [0022]      FIG. 6  shows a close-up of the back side of the handle of a second fan embodiment 2. 
           [0023]      FIG. 7  shows a close-up of the back side of the handle of the second fan embodiment, including the hand of the exerciser positioned under a strap on the front side of the handle and with the palm against the strap, and the fingers wrapped around the strap. 
           [0024]      FIG. 8  shows a close-up of the front side of the handle of the second embodiment 2, including a weight pocket, an interchangeable weight, and a strap with a snap to hold the weight in the pocket. 
           [0025]      FIG. 9  shows a close-up of the front side of the handle of the fan embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 , in which a hand is in a glove, and the glove contains a weight in a weight pocket. 
           [0026]      FIG. 10  shows a close-up of the front side of the handle of the fan embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 , in which a hand has a weighted bracelet around it. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0027]    The fitness system of this invention, designated as numeral  10 , incorporates the type of fan dance routine that has roots in classical dance routines of numerous far eastern cultures. More preferably, the system incorporates the type of burlesque fan dance routine made famous by actress-dancer Sally Rand during her performances at the 1934 Chicago world&#39;s fair. In that style of performance dancing, Ms. Rand conducted a lyrical dance routine in which a large ostrich feather fan in each of her hands was constantly moving with respect to her body in order to achieve a highly entertaining visual effects. 
         [0028]    In addition to the dance routine, this fitness system includes the two feather fans (or simulated feather fans),  11  and  12 , with the modification that the fans are provided with the ability to be weighted at the handle  13  and  14  in order to increase the exercise challenge offered by employing the feather fans in the dance routine. It should be understood that the fans are mirror-imaged for the right and left hands of the user so only the right-hand side fan is generally shown, but the numbers for the left side follow each entry. This could also be accomplished by adding weights to the exerciser&#39;s hands, by, for example, having the exerciser  15  wear weighted bracelets  16  and  17  on each wrist, or having the exerciser wear weighted gloves  18  and  19  on each hand. 
         [0029]    Preferably, the weight system  21  and  22  would allow weights  23  and  24  to be added to the fan handle from 1 pound to 5 pounds, in 1 pound increments. 
         [0030]    Traditionally, the fan handle is a plate that can be grasped between the user&#39;s thumb and fingers. Because the added weights  23  and  24  would make securely holding the fan  11  and  12  more difficult, in the preferred embodiment of the invention, the handles would be provided with an enhanced grasping systems  25  and  26  , for example, a strap  27  and  28  that go over the back of each of the exerciser&#39;s hand  29  and  31 , to improve the grip of the exerciser&#39;s hands  29  and  31  on the handles  13  and  14 . A wrist strap  32  and  33 , tethered to each fan handle might also be provided to keep the weighted fan  11  and  12  from falling to the floor. 
         [0031]      FIG. 1  shows a typical pose which would be an element of a burlesque fan dance routine  10  embodying the principles of the present invention. The exerciser  15  would have a first fan  11  in her right hand and a second fan  12  in her left hand. The exerciser  15  would conduct a lyrical dance routine in which the fans would be constantly moving with respect to her body in order to achieve a highly entertaining visual effects. In addition to the exercise of value of the dance routine itself, the weighted fans  11  and  12  would provide significant fitness resistance to enhance upper body, arm and shoulder strength, endurance, and flexibility. 
         [0032]      FIG. 2  shows the front side of a fan  11  embodying the principles of the present invention, particularly showing the handle  13  with a stabilizing strap  27 , and the plurality of ostrich feathers  34  with their shafts  35  connected to the handle and the feathers extending radially from the handle  13 . 
         [0033]      FIG. 3  shows a close-up of the front side of the handle  13  of the fan embodiment shown in  FIG. 2  particularly showing the stabilizing strap  27 . 
         [0034]      FIG. 4  shows a close-up of the front side of the handle of the fan embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 , including the hand  29  of the exerciser  15  positioned under a strap  27  and  28  on the front side (away from the exerciser) of the handle  13  and with the palm of the exerciser&#39;s hand  29  against the handle  13 . 
         [0035]      FIG. 5  shows a close-up of the back side of the handle  13  of the fan embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 , including a weight pocket  36  and  37 , an interchangeable weight  23  and  24 , and a strap  41  and  42  with a snap  43  and  44  to hold the weigh  23  and  24  in the pocket  36  and  37 . The weight  23  and  24  would be shaped to snugly and securely fit into the weight pocket  36  and  37  and to be held in that pocket by the strap  41  and  42  and it&#39;s incorporated snap  43  and  44 , which can be fastened to the upper edge of the pocket. The strap  41  and  42  can be unconnected to allow the weights of various weight to be interchanged to increase or reduce the fitness challenge created by the fans  11  and  12 . 
         [0036]      FIG. 6  shows a close-up of the back side (toward from the exerciser) of the handle  13   a  and  14   a  of a second fan embodiment  11   a  and  12   a,  including a holding strap  27   a  and  28   a.    
         [0037]      FIG. 7  shows a close-up of the back side of the handle  13   a  and  14   a  of the second fan embodiment, including the hand  29  and  30  of the exerciser  15  positioned under a strap  27   a  and  28   a  on the back side of the handle and with the palm against the strap  27   a  and  28   a,  and the fingers wrapped around the strap  27   a  and  28   a.    
         [0038]      FIG. 8  shows a close-up of the front side of the handle of the second embodiment, including a weight pocket  36   a  and  37   a,  an interchangeable weight  23   a  and  24   a,  and a strap  41  a and  42   a  with a snap  43   a  and  44   a  to hold the weight  23   a  and  24   a  in the pocket  36   a  and  37   a.    
         [0039]      FIG. 9  shows a close-up of the front side of the handle of the fan embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 , including the hand  29  and  32  of the exerciser  15  positioned under a strap  27  and  28  on the front side (away from the exerciser) of the handle  13  and  14  with the palm of the exerciser&#39;s hand  29  and  31  against the handle  13  and  14 . The hand  29  and  31  is in a glove  51  and  52 , and the glove  51  and  52  contains a weight  53  and  54  in a weight pocket  55  and  56 . 
         [0040]      FIG. 10  shows a close-up of the front side of the handle of the fan embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 , including the hand  29  and  32  of the exerciser  15  positioned under a strap  27  and  28  on the front side (away from the exerciser) of the handle  13  and  14  with the palm of the exerciser&#39;s hand  29  and  31  against the handle  13  and  14 . The hand  29  and  31  has a weighted bracelet  57  and  58  around it. 
         [0041]    The fans of the present invention can take a large number of forms and incorporate various ranges of parameters. Basically, the fan includes a handle, adapted to allow the fan to be held by the exerciser, and a sail, which is a large surface area, relatively light weight, thin element that is adapted to allow the exerciser to conceal or obscure selected parts of the exerciser&#39;s body, as part of the exercise routine. The handle preferably includes purchase enhancement means, such as holding straps or holding rings or glove elements, that allowed the exerciser to continuously and consistently hold the fan, even while it is weighted. 
         [0042]    The handle also includes a device for including and/or adding exercise weight to the fan, such as a pocket or straps or fasteners that allow weight elements to be attached to the handle. 
         [0043]    The sail can be formed of flexible ribs covered with paper or other sheet material, following the Oriental tradition. It also can be formed of feathers and particularly ostrich feathers. It can also be formed of artificial materials including artificial feathers, particularly those capable of being cleaned while still retaining their aesthetic benefits. 
         [0044]    The fan itself will have a surface area of at least 1 ft. 2  and can be as large as 15 ft. 2 , and preferably 4 ft. 2  to 8 ft. 2    
         [0045]    The fan, without the exercise weights, would typically be less than 2 pounds, and the exercise weights could add additional weight beyond that necessary to construct the fan itself. The additional exercise weight could be as low as half a pound but would preferably be available in 1 pound increments from 1 to 5 pounds. 
         [0046]    The weights could also be attached to the exerciser s wrists, instead of directly to the handle. This could be accomplished by, for example, weighted bracelet. 
         [0047]    It is obvious that minor changes may be made in the form and construction of the invention without departing from the material spirit thereof. It is not, however, desired to confine the invention to the exact form herein shown and described, but it is desired to include all such as properly come within the scope claimed.