Patent ID: 7632219

Claim:
An exercise apparatus for use by a user performing a striding exercise, the exercise apparatus comprising: a right foot engagement member including a first end portion and a second end portion and supporting the right foot of a user; a left foot engagement member including a first end portion and a second end portion and supporting the left foot of a user; first means for supporting and reciprocally lifting and lowering the first end portion of the right foot engagement member with an upward-downward reciprocating motion in response to the movement of a user's feet with striding steps during a striding exercise; second means for supporting and reciprocally lifting and lowering the first end portion of the left foot engagement member with an upward-downward reciprocating motion in response to the movement of a user's feet with striding steps during a striding exercise; means for allowing movement of the first end portions of the right and left foot engagement members in forward and rearward directions relative to the respective one of the first and second lifting-lowering means to enable the first end portions of the right and left foot engagement members to move with a variable length of forward-rearward travel determined by a length of the striding steps used by a user during a striding exercise; and means for supporting and guiding the second end portions of the right and left foot engagement members to follow a forward-rearward reciprocating motion with a variable length of forward-rearward travel determined by the length of the striding steps used by a user during a striding exercise.