Exercise Chair

Abstract

An exercise apparatus in the form of a chair has a seat that is flexibly connected to a base such as with a helical spring that allows flexing in multiple directions. The chair has a base such as a plurality of legs so that it may be fixed with respect to a floor. The chair may include handlebars having handles positioned no higher than the height of the seat above the floor. A user may flex his or body so that the seat flexes with respect to the base and thereby exercise the user's core musculature.

1 . An exercise apparatus comprising:
 a. a seat connected via a flexible means to a central mounting plate,   b. one or more handlebars connected to said central mounting plate,   c. a base connected to said central mounting plate,   d. a plurality of leg supports extending from said central mounting plate, and   e. a plurality of legs, wherein one of each of said plurality of legs is received in one of each of said plurality of leg supports, and further wherein said seat is flexible with respect to said central mounting plate and said one or more handlebars.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible means used to connect said seat to said central mounting plate is a spring. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the spring is a helical spring. 
     
     
         4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the base is fixed with respect to the floor. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more handlebars are telescopically connected to the central mounting plate, such that the height of the one or more handlebars can be adjusted by the user. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more handlebars are positioned no higher than a height of the seat. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the number of the one or more handlebars is two. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the seat is a rectangular shape having a longer dimension and shorter dimension, with the longer dimension along an axis drawn between the two handlebars. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of legs are telescopically connected to the plurality of leg supports of the central mounting plate, such that a height of the seat can be adjusted by the user. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the seat can be flexibly rotated around the central mounting plate in a pitch rotation. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the seat can be flexibly rotated around the central mounting plate in a roll rotation. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the seat can be flexibly rotated around the central mounting plate in a pitch and a roll rotation. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the seat can be somewhat flexibly rotated around the central mounting plate in a yaw direction. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible means applies a resistive force when the seat is flexed with respect to the central mounting plate. 
     
     
         16 . A method of exercising a user having a body having a waist comprising the steps of:
 a. sitting by the user on a seat connected via flexible means to a central mounting plate, said central mounting plate having a plurality of leg supports extending from said central mounting plate, and a leg received in each of the plurality of leg supports;   b. holding by the user none, one or more handlebars connected to said central mounting plate; and   c. flexing by the user the body at the waist such that the seat flexes with respect to the central mounting plate.   
     
     
         17 . The method of exercising of  claim 16 , wherein the user exercises by flexing the body such that the seat flexes with respect to said one or more handlebars. 
     
     
         18 . The method of exercising of  claim 16 , wherein the user exercises by flexing the body without pausing between movements. 
     
     
         19 . The method of exercising of  claim 16 , wherein the user having one or more legs additionally lifts at least one leg while flexing the body at the waist.