Patent ID: 7762936

Claim:
An apparatus for stretching at least a hamstring muscle of a leg of a user of the apparatus, the apparatus comprising: a first support positioned to engage an upper leg portion above a knee of the user, the upper leg portion extending from a hip of the user to a location in front of and between a lower and an upper torso of the user, such that respective longitudinal axes of both the upper leg portion and the torso form a stretching angle not greater than about ninety degrees; a second support positioned to engage a lower leg portion below the knee of the user during stretching, wherein the second support moves to extend the lower leg portion relative to the upper leg portion and move the lower leg portion towards the upper torso; wherein the first support restricts movement of the upper leg portion away from the upper torso beyond the stretching angle; wherein the first support allows movement of the upper leg portion away from the first support and toward the upper torso as the second support moves to extend the lower leg portion relative to the upper leg portion and generally towards the upper torso; and an actuator coupled to the second support and operable by the user to move at least the second support generally toward the upper torso and to move both the second support and the lower leg portion in at least a portion of an area between the hip and the upper torso of the user such that the second support has an angular displacement toward the upper torso and relative to the hip of the user greater than the concurrent angular displacement, if any, of the first support relative to the hip of the user, to cause stretching of at least the hamstring muscle of the leg of the user by extending the lower leg portion relative to the upper leg portion.