Patent ID: 7214171

Claim:
A training device for reinforcing a desired relative positioning of extremities during a gliding, spinning, twisting or jumping maneuver, including: an elongate tension member having a nominal length when in a relaxed state, with the nominal length selected relative to a user for an extension of the tension member, when in the relaxed state, from the user's foot at least to the user's waist; a first coupling structure adapted to releasably couple a first end of the tension member proximate to and with respect to a selected foot of the user; a second coupling structure adapted to releasably couple a second end of the tension member proximate to and with respect to a selected hand of the user and thereby cooperate with the first coupling structure to operatively link the selected hand and selected foot through the tension member; wherein the tension member is extensible elastically, through relative movement of the selected hand and the selected foot when so operatively linked, at least to a predetermined level of elongation corresponding to a maximum distance between the selected hand and the selected foot during a maneuver, and wherein the tension member exerts a tensile force that increases with tension member elongation to an upper-level tensile force corresponding to the predetermined level of elongation; wherin the tension member at said predetermined level of elongation has an extended length of at least about 1.65 times the nominal length; and wherein the tension member has an elasticity selected such that the upper-level tensile force is less than a tensile force necessary for any substantial muscle exercise or muscle stress, whereby the tension member, as it is elongated during the maneuver, tends to guide the selected hand and the selected foot toward a desired relative positioning with minimal impact on freedom of movement.