Lower extremity receiving device for providing enhanced leg mobility during lower body exercise

Abstract

A lower extremity receiving device is disclosed, which facilitates enhanced gluteal muscle engagement, body stability, and range of motion. The device includes a self-standing sling that can stand upright and ready to receive a user's lower extremity and enable them to commence any combination of hip extension or hip abduction with proper form upon inserting their foot, the sling including a heel socket that surrounds and facilitates rotational movement of the user's heel during the applicable hip extension exercise, and a resistance harness connected to the sling and capable of engaging a resistance-transmitting line for exercise, the harness having a clearance space for providing clearance for a user's foot as they alternately insert or remove their foot. This functional framework of elements enables a user to perform full range of combination of hip extension and hip abduction under resistance, via hands-free insertion of either foot into the sling.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A lower extremity receiving device for hands-free lower body exercise, the device comprising:
 a) a self-standing sling, the sling configured to wrap securely around a portion of a user's lower extremity during exercise, the sling including
 i) a supportive scaffold adapted to provide structural support to the sling to help the sling stand up and open, the scaffold enabling the user to alternately engage and disengage the sling for exercise with either leg without any manual effort, the scaffold having
 an upper band that is adapted to receive and contain the user's posterior leg above their heel apex for substantial hip extension when upright, and to receive and contain the user's lateral foot for substantial hip abduction when side-lying, and 
 
 ii) a heel socket framed by the scaffold, the socket being adapted to surround and facilitate rotational movement of the user's heel throughout substantial hip extension, and to deform around the user's lateral foot during substantial hip abduction; and 
   b) a resistance harness connected to the sling, the harness being adapted to engage a pullable portion of a resistance-transmitting line, thereby coupling the sling with the line to facilitate delivery of force of resistance from the line to the sling during exercise, the harness being configured to provide
 a clearance space positioned substantially opposite the heel socket relative to the sling, the space providing clearance for the user's foot as the user alternately inserts their foot into and removes their foot from the upright or side-lying sling, 
   the lower extremity receiving device thereby enabling the user to perform full range of any combination of hip extension and hip abduction under line resistance via hands-free insertion of either foot into the sling.   
     
     
         2 . The lower extremity receiving device of  claim 1 , wherein the scaffold includes a spring function that induces the sling to expand and assume a semi-rigid open state for receiving the user's foot when not in use, but also allows the sling to wrap securely around the portion of the user's lower extremity during use. 
     
     
         3 . The lower extremity receiving device of  claim 1 , wherein the scaffold includes a plurality of straps that are joined to provide sufficient structural support to the sling, at least one of the straps serving as the upper band. 
     
     
         4 . The lower extremity receiving device of  claim 1 , wherein the scaffold includes sidewalls. 
     
     
         5 . The lower extremity receiving device of  claim 1 , wherein the sling includes a cushioning material that is attached to the supportive scaffold. 
     
     
         6 . The lower extremity receiving device of  claim 1 , the sling further including a lower heel stay that is adapted to receive and contain the user's foot during apex of a hip extension repetition, the lower heel stay also providing a bottom border to the socket. 
     
     
         7 . The lower extremity receiving device of  claim 6 , wherein the lower heel stay is one of:
 a lower band included in the scaffold; and   a heel strap connected to the scaffold.   
     
     
         8 . The lower extremity receiving device of  claim 6 , wherein the lower heel stay is adjustable, and thus capable of also adjusting a size of the socket. 
     
     
         9 . The lower extremity receiving device of  claim 6 , wherein the upper band and the lower heel stay respectively lie in substantially parallel planes. 
     
     
         10 . The lower extremity receiving device of  claim 1 , wherein the socket lies substantially in a vertical plane. 
     
     
         11 . The lower extremity receiving device of  claim 1 , wherein the socket and the upper band are shaped and positioned relative to each other as to substantially conform laterally about a common columned surface. 
     
     
         12 . The lower extremity receiving device of  claim 1 , wherein the harness connects two front ends of the sling to form the sling into a closed ring. 
     
     
         13 . The lower extremity receiving device of  claim 1 , wherein the harness is coextensive with the upper band. 
     
     
         14 . The lower extremity receiving device of  claim 13 , wherein the harness includes at least one loop through which a belt can pass. 
     
     
         15 . The lower extremity receiving device of  claim 13 , wherein the harness includes a belt adapted to connect to the resistance-transmitting line 
     
     
         16 . The lower extremity receiving device of  claim 13 , wherein the harness includes at least one loop through which an elastic resistance line can pass. 
     
     
         17 . The lower extremity receiving device of  claim 1 , wherein the harness is aligned substantially parallel to a bottom edge of the sling. 
     
     
         18 . The lower extremity receiving device of  claim 1 , wherein the harness with an top edge that is aligned substantially at an acute angle relative to a bottom edge of the sling, the angle having a vertex located opposite the socket relative to the harness. 
     
     
         19 . A lower extremity receiving device for hands-free lower body exercise, the device comprising:
 a) a self-standing sling, the sling configured to wrap securely around a portion of a user's lower extremity during exercise, the sling including
 i) a supportive scaffold adapted to provide structural support to the sling to help the sling stand up and open, the scaffold enabling the user to alternately engage and disengage the sling for exercise with either leg without any manual effort, the scaffold having
 an upper band that is adapted to receive and contain the user's posterior leg above their heel apex for substantial hip extension when upright, and to receive and contain the user's lateral foot for substantial hip abduction when side-lying, and 
 
 ii) a heel socket framed by the scaffold, the socket being adapted to surround and facilitate rotational movement of the user's heel throughout substantial hip extension, and to deform around the user's lateral foot during substantial hip abduction; and 
   b) a resistance harness connected to the sling, the harness being adapted to engage a pullable portion of a weight machine line, thereby coupling the sling with the line to facilitate delivery of force of resistance from the line to the sling during exercise, the harness being configured to provide
 a clearance space positioned substantially opposite the heel socket relative to the sling, the space providing clearance for the user's foot as the user alternately inserts their foot into and removes their foot from the upright or side-lying sling, 
   the lower extremity receiving device thereby enabling the user to perform full range of any combination of hip extension and hip abduction under line resistance via hands-free insertion of either foot into the sling.   
     
     
         20 . A lower extremity receiving device for hands-free lower body exercise, the device comprising:
 a) a self-standing sling, the sling configured to wrap securely around a portion of a user's lower extremity during exercise, the sling including
 i) a supportive scaffold adapted to provide structural support to the sling to help the sling stand up and open, the scaffold enabling the user to alternately engage and disengage the sling for exercise with either leg without any manual effort, the scaffold having
 an upper band that is adapted to receive and contain the user's posterior leg above their heel apex for substantial hip extension when upright, and to receive and contain the user's lateral foot for substantial hip abduction when side-lying, and 
 
 ii) a heel socket framed by the scaffold, the socket being adapted to surround and facilitate rotational movement of the user's heel throughout substantial hip extension, and to deform around the user's lateral foot during substantial hip abduction; and 
   b) a resistance harness connected to the sling, the harness being adapted to engage a pullable portion of an elastic resistance line, thereby coupling the sling with the line to facilitate delivery of force of resistance from the line to the sling during exercise, the harness being configured to provide
 a clearance space positioned substantially opposite the heel socket relative to the sling, the space providing clearance for the user's foot as the user alternately inserts their foot into and removes their foot from the upright or side-lying sling, 
   the lower extremity receiving device thereby enabling the user to perform full range of any combination of hip extension and hip abduction under line resistance via hands-free insertion of either foot into the sling.