Abstract:
An exercise board game for promoting exercise and fitness is disclosed which has a game board, movable playing pieces for each of one or more players, a plurality of exercise technique cards having instructions on performing exercises, and equipment for use following selection of an exercise. The game board has a playing surface with a path to advance said playing pieces. The player will roll a colored die and pull a card from a corresponding colored deck. The player will attempt to perform the exercise challenge on the card and, after successful completion, move the playing piece along the game board path. The board piece is marked to follow a path with the movable pieces based on the roll of a die and the level of the exercise challenge.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application is based upon and claims benefit of copending and co-owned U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/418,527 entitled “Exercise Game”, filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Dec. 1, 2010 by the inventor herein, the specification of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    This invention relates to the field of board games and more particularly to a board game designed for players of the game to improve their athletic ability by performing various exercises in playing of the game. 
         [0004]    2. Background 
         [0005]    Doctors and health specialists have long advised people to engage in some form of physical activity, in that even seemingly insignificant activity can be very beneficial to the overall health status of the person. Many people do not participate in a regularly scheduled physical activity or exercise program, and, to many people, calisthenics and the like quickly become routine and boring, and therefore are not performed with any regularity. It is well known that people will more willingly engage in exercise or physical activity that is fun, enjoyable and challenging. When physical exercise becomes a game, people do it for fun and enjoyment; hence, much less self-motivation is required. Devices and apparatus are often all that is needed to convert physical exercise into a game that has an objective other than the mere physical benefit. Hence, such devices as the hula-hoop, Frisbee and the like have achieved substantial popularity. In addition, exercise that can be done by two people simultaneously has proven to be more popular than individual activity, especially if an element of competition is involved in the activity. This is evidenced by the popularity of games such as croquet, badminton, tennis and the like. The device or apparatus also serves as a gauge by which a person can measure his improvement through continued use. This, too, will encourage continued participation in the activity, as the participant can see improvement and is encouraged and challenged thereby to do even better. 
         [0006]    Coaches train athletes in the specific skills for participation in a specific physical activity. In some, but not all cases, the coach may enlist the assistance of others in this endeavor. For example, the coach may refer the athlete to a specific subcategory of coach known as a strength-and-conditioning coach or to another subcategory of coach known as an exercise coach. This referral is designed to attempt to enhance the athlete&#39;s basic physical skills. The higher the level of competition, the more likely an athletic participant will have access to other specialists including, but not limited to nutritionists, exercise physiologists, and psychologists. These professionals also aim to refine and optimize athletic performance through a myriad of non-physical means within their specific area of expertise. 
         [0007]    There are known in the art a variety of board games designed to encourage weight control, dieting, nutrition, and exercise. A common theme to most of these games is to encourage weight control and exercise. Although encouragement is good, nothing prevents the game players from disregarding all information and encouragement obtained during the playing and never actually practicing good exercise or nutrition at any time. The present invention has a major advantage of not only encouraging exercise in playing the game, but makes exercise an actual part of playing the game. This way the participant not only enjoys the friendly competition in playing the game with others, but also obtains the healthy advantages of exercise during the actual playing of the game. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0008]    It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an exercise game that avoids the disadvantages of the prior art. 
         [0009]    It is yet another object of the invention to provide an exercise game that is inexpensive and of simplified construction so as to be commercially feasible. 
         [0010]    A further object of the invention is to provide an exercise game that can accommodate more than one player. A related object of the invention is to provide an exercise game for one to four players or teams. A further related object of the invention is to provide an exercise game that promotes competition among players. 
         [0011]    Another object of the invention is to provide an exercise game having a unique game board and a variety of game equipment. 
         [0012]    Another object of the invention is to provide an exercise game that provides protection against ultraviolet radiation. 
         [0013]    In accordance with the above objects, an exercise game for promoting exercise and fitness, having; a plurality of playing pieces for each of one or more players, a plurality of cards having instructions on performing exercises, and equipment for use after selection of an exercise. The game board has a playing surface with a path to advance said playing pieces. The player will roll a colored die and pull a card from a corresponding colored deck. The player will attempt to perform the exercise challenge on the card and, after successful completion, move the playing piece along the game board path. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]    The above and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention are considered in more detail, in relation to the following description of embodiments thereof shown in the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0015]      FIG. 1  is a top plan view of a game board layout according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is an illustration of the game playing pieces according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is an illustration of exercise cards for use in a game according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  shows a box for holding the cards of  FIG. 3  according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  shows a layout of the game and exercise pieces according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0020]      FIG. 6  shows a core mat for use in a game according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0021]      FIG. 7  shows a ladder for use in a game according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0022]      FIG. 8  shows a box for use in a game according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0023]      FIG. 9  is an illustration of a box cover for use in a game according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0024]      FIG. 10  is a top view of the interior of a storage box according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0025]      FIG. 11  is a top view of the interior of a storage box with game equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0026]      FIG. 12  is a close up view of a game board layout according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0027]    The invention summarized above and defined by the enumerated claims may be better understood by referring to the following description, which should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. This description of an embodiment, set out below to enable one to practice an implementation of the invention, is not intended to limit the preferred embodiment, but to serve as a particular example thereof. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that they may readily use the conception and specific embodiments disclosed as a basis for modifying or designing other methods and systems for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should also realize that such equivalent assemblies do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention in its broadest form. 
         [0028]    The game, according to the present invention, enables a method to learn basic athletic fundamentals, such as coordination, core strength, quickness, agility, endurance, and plymometrics. According to a preferred embodiment, the game can be played by a single player, 1-4 individual players, or up to four teams of two players each. An objective of the game is to be the first individual or team to move around the board through all of the playing areas and make it back to the locker room before any other individual or team.  FIG. 1  shows four playing areas consisting of baseball, soccer, football, and basketball. Corresponding playing pieces are shown in  FIG. 2 . Play of the game requires a timing device and at least one die having five colors coordinated to the cardholders. In some embodiments, at least one color may represent a wildcard. In some embodiments, the colors may be Blue, Silver, Black, and Green, with Red serving as the wildcard. Other colors can be used. 
         [0029]    The game should be played in a space having an area for use of the jump rope, box, ladder, and core mat, such as shown in  FIG. 5 . To set up the game, the game board is pulled out of the bottom of the box (see  FIGS. 8 and 9 ). Four decks of exercise cards, such as shown in  FIG. 3 , should be shuffled, and placed in a cardholder ( FIG. 4 ) in any of the spots on the board, such as shown in  FIG. 1 . In a preferred embodiment, there are at least four categories of cards; each category is associated with a type of exercise or drill, such as a jump rope exercise, a box exercise, a ladder drill, or a core exercise. Additional card decks and exercise equipment can be used.  FIG. 6  shows a mat for performing core exercises.  FIG. 7  shows a ladder for performing designated drills. It is contemplated that all the pieces can be stored inside the box (see  FIGS. 10-11 ). 
         [0030]    There are also warm-up and flexibility cards that can be placed on appropriate locations on the board. The warm-up and flexibility cards will be used in the beginning of the game to warm up an individual player or team, and then throughout the game as the player/team game piece passes over designated places on the game board, such as flexibility spots, in order to ensure the player(s) stay loose and prevent injury. Preferably, a means for demonstrating each exercise, such as a DVD with a video or a display poster, is available to show how to perform any of the exercises. 
         [0031]    According to an embodiment for one person, to start the game, the player selects a game piece and places it on the start position. Before the first play, the player picks a warm-up card and completes the exercise before starting the exercise categories. The player then rolls the colored die and picks a card from the colored box that corresponds to the color on the die. The player can choose an appropriate level for the exercise and then perform the challenge. If the player successfully completes the challenge, the player may move his or her game piece forward on the game board the designated spaces on the board according to the card pulled. The difficulty level of the card dictates how many spaces can be moved along the board (1 to 3 spaces). The player will then continue to roll the die and complete challenges described on the cards until he or she moves the game piece around the board to reach the locker room. If at any point the player pulls a card that is too difficult to complete at the selected difficulty level, the player must drop down a level so that he or she can successfully complete the exercise and keep moving along the board. 
         [0032]    To complete most challenges successfully, the player should try to complete the most number of repetitions as possible in 30 seconds. Core Level 1 cards require the player to hold the positions for as long as possible. 
         [0033]    As the player moves the game piece around the board according to a certain difficulty level, all cards from completed challenges should be kept in a pile and the player&#39;s score should be marked on a score sheet. Once the player reaches the locker room, a total score is determined by adding all difficulty level points together. Each time an individual player plays the game, he or she should try to beat the previous score. Once a player has reached the highest point total by completing all Level 3 cards, a new test can be to keep track of the total time to finish the game (using Level 3 cards only). A player should record the exact time he or she starts and finishes the game, trying to decrease the total time it takes to complete the game. 
         [0034]    According to an embodiment for multiple individuals, to start the game every person picks a warm-up card to complete. After warm-up, one player, typically the oldest player, gets to go first and has control of the board. Other methods of determining the first player can be used. After the first challenge, control of the board is then awarded to the winner of each challenge. The individual with control of the board rolls the colored die and picks a card from the colored box that corresponds to the color on the die. The individual with control of the board can also choose the difficulty level to perform the activity described on the card. The individual with control of the board reads the card aloud and chooses one other player to compete against in the challenge. 
         [0035]    Typically, the most number of repetitions of the exercise described on the card performed in 30 seconds wins the challenge. In some embodiments, the amount of time to perform a challenge may be more or less than 30 seconds. Preferably, the rules for Level 1 challenges for the core activities are detailed on the cards. 
         [0036]    The winner of the challenge gains control of the board and moves his or her game piece the number of designated spaces on the board according to the card. The difficulty level of the card dictates how many spaces can be moved along the board (1 to 3 spaces). The player in control of the board keeps rolling and choosing cards until another player wins the challenge and gains control of the board. In case of a tie, the challenge is repeated until there is a winner. 
         [0037]    According to an embodiment for teams, to start the game, every team picks a warm-up card to complete. After warm-up, one team, typically the team with the oldest player, gets to go first and has control of the board. Other methods of determining the first team can be used. After the first challenge, control of the board is then awarded to the winning team after each challenge. The team with control of the board rolls the colored die and picks a card from the colored box that corresponds to the color on the die. The team with control of the board can also choose the difficulty level to perform the challenge on the card. The team with control of the board reads the card aloud and chooses a team member to compete in the challenge. All other team(s) then choose one member from their team to compete against the team in control of the board. 
         [0038]    Typically, the most number of repetitions of the exercise described on the card performed in 30 seconds wins the challenge. In some embodiments, the amount of time to perform a challenge may be more or less than 30 seconds. Preferably, the rules for Level 1 challenges for the core activities are detailed on the cards. 
         [0039]    The team that wins the challenge gains control of the board and moves their game piece the designated number of spaces on the board according to the card pulled. The difficulty level of the card dictates how many spaces can be moved along the board (1 to 3 spaces). The team in control of the board keeps rolling and choosing cards until another team wins and gains control of the board. In case of a tie, the challenge is repeated with the same players from each team until there is a winner. 
         [0040]    In any embodiment, the game board may include designated flexibility spots as shown in  FIG. 12 . As a game piece is moved along the board, it may pass a flexibility spot. Each time the game piece passes a flexibility spot, the individual or team pulls a flexibility card and completes the activity designated on the card. 
         [0041]    It is contemplated that once a player has mastered the fundamentals of the game, supplemental advanced decks of cards may be used. Such advanced exercises may encompass more equipment such as dumbbells, treadmills, kettle balls, medicine balls, stability balls, stability discs, hurdles, harnesses, resistance bands, sleds, weight vests. The advanced decks of cards will fit into the existing board and act as a way to advance performance beyond basic fundamentals. In addition, sports specific cards may be available for providing pre-season, in season and post season programs (which includes regeneration and posture training addressing any overuse injuries or issues created during the season). Sports specific programs may include, but are not limited to, football, basketball, baseball, softball, soccer, lacrosse, tennis, golf, MMA/Boxing, wrestling, track and field. 
         [0042]    It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the invention as shown in the specific embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as described. Having now fully set forth the preferred embodiments and certain modifications of the concept underlying the present invention, various other embodiments as well as certain variations and modifications of the embodiments herein shown and described will obviously occur to those skilled in the art upon becoming familiar with said underlying concept. It should be understood, therefore, that the invention might be practiced otherwise than as specifically set forth herein. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.