Elevated reclining exercise chair

Abstract

A resistance chair includes an elevated stationary seat with a front edge and a back edge. An arm is rotatably engaged with the back edge of the seat and is rotatable to a position below horizontal with respect to the elevated stationary seat. A back support is secured to the arm and supports the back of a user sitting on the elevated stationary seat. At least one resistance element is connected to the elevated stationary seat and urges the first arm to an upright start position and assists a user performing an abdominal crunch to return to an upright abdominal crunch position from a fully extended abdominal crunch position with the arm below horizontal with respect to the elevated stationary seat. The resistance element also resists against rotation of the arm away from the upright start position and resists against the user moving from the upright abdominal crunch position to the fully extended abdominal crunch position.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A resistance chair comprising:
 an elevated stationary seat having a front edge and a back edge;   a first arm rotatably engaging the back edge of the seat and rotatable to a position below horizontal with respect to the elevated stationary seat;   at least one back support secured to the first arm and supporting the back of a user sitting on the elevated stationary seat; and   at least one resistance element connected to the elevated stationary seat;   wherein the at least one resistance element urges the first arm to an upright start position and assists a user performing an abdominal crunch to return to an upright abdominal crunch position from a fully extended abdominal crunch position with the first arm reclined below the elevated stationary seat; and   wherein the at least one resistance element resists rotation of the first arm away from the upright start position and resists against the user moving from the upright abdominal crunch position to the fully extended abdominal crunch position with the first arm below the elevated stationary seat.   
     
     
         2 . The resistance chair of  claim 1 , wherein the elevated stationary seat further comprises a pair of opposing hand supports spaced above the elevated stationary seat. 
     
     
         3 . The resistance chair of  claim 1 , wherein the elevated stationary seat comprises a flexible sheet in tension between a pair of parallel rails. 
     
     
         4 . The resistance chair of  claim 1 , wherein the resistance element is angled downwardly relative to the elevated stationary seat. 
     
     
         5 . The resistance chair of  claim 4 , wherein the resistance element is an elastic member, wherein the elastic member is an elastic resistance band. 
     
     
         6 . The resistance chair of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a second arm having a first end and a second; and   an adjustable hinge attached to the first arm, the adjustable hinge being movable between fixed locations along the first arm.   
     
     
         7 . The resistance chair of  claim 6 , wherein the first end of the second arm is connected to the adjustable hinge and the second end of the second arm is connected to a roller. 
     
     
         8 . The resistance chair of  claim 7 , wherein moving the adjustable hinge along the first arm changes a maximum recline angle of the first arm. 
     
     
         9 . The resistance chair of  claim 7 , wherein moving the adjustable hinge upward along the first arm increases the maximum recline angle of the first arm, and wherein moving the adjustable hinge downward along the first arm decreases the maximum recline angle of the first arm.