Upper leg and hip exercise method and device to preserve knee and ankle joint while exercising.

Abstract

Provided is an exercise device for performing exercises suitable to strengthen thigh and hip muscles such as a leg press machine, a total hip, and more particularly provides an exercise device for strengthening thigh and hip muscles while protecting the knees and ankle joints by enabling a user to locate a lower end of an arm on the user's thigh in a sitting or lying position and move the user's legs in order to minimize a load or stress added to the knee and ankle joints. In addition, the exercise method and the exercise device improve the exercise effect of strengthening thigh and hip muscles by increasing a hip joint motion range and a rotation axis.

1 . An exercise device for exercising upper leg portions and hips while protecting knee and ankle joints, the exercise device comprising:
 a frame;   a seat connected to the frame and configured to support a user in a sitting or lying position;   an arm pivotably connected to the frame and rotatable;   a thigh pad pivotably connected to a lower end of the arm and configured to contact the users thigh during use;   wherein a pivot axis of the arm portion is rotatable about both a y-axis perpendicular to the ground and an x-axis parallel to the ground so that the user performs a rotation activity about both the x-axis and the y-axis;   wherein the exercise device is configured to allow the user to sit or lie on the seat to have the sitting or lying position, locate his/her thigh on the thigh pad, and move the thigh backward from an exercise starting position where the thigh is pulled toward the users chest; locate one leg at a left side and rotate the leg rightward or vice versa; or put his/her legs together and spread the legs apart or spread the legs apart and put the legs together such that the user's thigh moves during exercises and the user flexes the hip while exercising.   
     
     
         2 . The exercise device of  claim 1 , wherein the arm connector comprises a first pivot axis parallel to the ground, a first roller configured to rotate about the first pivot axis, a first roller base configured to support rotation of the first roller, a bearing configured to support rotation of the first pivot axis, a second pivot axis perpendicular to the ground, a second roller configured to rotate about the second pivot axis, and a second roller base configured to support rotation of the second roller. 
     
     
         3 . The exercise device of  claim 1 , further comprising a resistive force generator configured to generate a resistive force against pivoting of the arm portion that rotates when the thigh pad moves.