Apparatus and methods for exercising a limb of a user

Abstract

At least one elastic link may be simultaneously coupled to two different portions of a limb of a user in order to provide resistance to the limb when the limb attempts to change the distance between the two different portions of the limb.

1 .- 24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . Apparatus for use on a user's leg, wherein the user's leg comprises a cnemis, a foot, and an ankle joint that couples the cnemis to the foot, the apparatus comprising:
 an anchor component operative to be coupled to the cnemis at a first cnemis location along a length of the cnemis; and   a band that comprises an elastic band body that extends at least between a first band portion and a second band portion, wherein:
 the first band portion is operative to be coupled to the anchor component; and 
 when the anchor component is coupled to the cnemis at the first cnemis location and the first band portion is coupled to the anchor component and the second band portion is looped about at least a portion of the foot at a first foot location, an elastic portion of the elastic band body is operative to provide resistance to the user when the user attempts to increase a distance between the first cnemis location and the first foot location. 
   
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 25 , wherein the band is a closed loop. 
     
     
         27 . The apparatus of  claim 26 , wherein:
 the anchor component comprises a closed ring; and   the first band portion is coupled to the anchor component by passing through the closed ring.   
     
     
         28 . The apparatus of  claim 26 , wherein:
 the anchor component comprises a hook with a free end; and   the first band portion is removably coupled to the anchor component by looping about the hook.   
     
     
         29 . The apparatus of  claim 25 , wherein:
 the apparatus further comprises an other band that comprises an other elastic band body that extends at least between an other first band portion and an other second band portion;   the other first band portion is operative to be coupled to the anchor component; and   when the anchor component is coupled to the cnemis at the first cnemis location and the first band portion is coupled to the anchor component and the second band portion is looped about at least a portion of the foot at the first foot location and the other first band portion is coupled to the anchor component and the other second band portion is not looped about at least a portion of the foot, the elastic portion of the elastic band body is operative to provide a first resistance to the user when the user attempts to increase a distance between the first cnemis location and the first foot location;   when the anchor component is coupled to the cnemis at the first cnemis location and the first band portion is coupled to the anchor component and the second band portion is looped about at least a portion of the foot at the first foot location and the other first band portion is coupled to the anchor component and the other second band portion is looped about at least a portion of the foot, the elastic portion of the elastic band body is operative to provide a second resistance to the user when the user attempts to increase a distance between the first cnemis location and the first foot location; and   the first resistance is less than the second resistance.   
     
     
         30 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein:
 the anchor component comprises a first closed ring;   the anchor component comprises a second closed ring;   the first band portion is coupled to the anchor component by passing through the first closed ring; and   the other first band portion is coupled to the anchor component by passing through the second closed ring.   
     
     
         31 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein:
 the anchor component comprises a closed ring;   the first band portion is coupled to the anchor component by passing through the closed ring; and   the other first band portion is coupled to the anchor component by passing through the closed ring.   
     
     
         32 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein:
 the anchor component comprises a first hook with a first free end;   the anchor component comprises a second hook with a second free end;   the first band portion is removably coupled to the anchor component by looping about the first hook; and   the other first band portion is removably coupled to the anchor component by looping about the second hook.   
     
     
         33 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein:
 the anchor component comprises a hook with a free end;   the first band portion is removably coupled to the anchor component by looping about the hook; and   the other first band portion is removably coupled to the anchor component by looping about the hook.   
     
     
         34 . The apparatus of  claim 25 , further comprising:
 a base component comprising a base body extending between a first base end and a second base end, the base body operative to be positioned against the foot; and   an extender component comprising an extender body extending between a first extender portion that is coupled to the anchor component and a second extender portion that is coupled to the base component, wherein, when the anchor component is coupled to the cnemis at the first cnemis location and the base body is positioned against the foot and the first band portion is coupled to the anchor component and the second band portion is looped about at least a portion of the base body at the first foot location, the elastic portion of the elastic band body is operative to provide resistance to the user when the user attempts to increase the distance between the first cnemis location and the first foot location.   
     
     
         35 . The apparatus of  claim 34 , wherein the second band portion is operative to be removably coupled to the base component by looping under a portion of the base body such that the base body is positioned between the second band portion and the foot. 
     
     
         36 . The apparatus of  claim 34 , wherein the extender body prevents the anchor component from moving away from the first cnemis location when the anchor component is coupled to the cnemis at the first cnemis location and the base body is positioned against the foot. 
     
     
         37 . The apparatus of  claim 34 , wherein the second extender portion is rotatably coupled to the base component so that the base body is operative to rotate with respect to the extender body about an axis of rotation. 
     
     
         38 . The apparatus of  claim 37 , wherein the base body is operative to rotate with respect to the extender body about the axis of rotation to a first orientation so that at least a portion of the base body contacts a portion of the anchor component. 
     
     
         39 . The apparatus of  claim 38 , wherein at least one of the anchor component and the band is operative to hold the base body at the first orientation when the base body is not positioned against the foot. 
     
     
         40 . The apparatus of  claim 34 , wherein:
 the second extender portion is coupled to the base component proximate the first base end; and   the second band portion is operative to be coupled to the base component proximate the second base end.   
     
     
         41 . The apparatus of  claim 34 , wherein:
 the first extender portion is coupled to a first side of the anchor component;   the apparatus further comprises an other extender component comprising an other extender body extending between an other first extender portion that is coupled to a second side of the anchor component and an other second extender portion that is coupled to the base component; and   when the anchor component is coupled to the cnemis at the first cnemis location, the first side of the anchor component is adjacent a first side of the cnemis and the second side of the anchor component is adjacent a second side of the cnemis that is opposite the first side of the cnemis.   
     
     
         42 . The apparatus of  claim 34 , wherein the portion of the base body comprises a channel along a bottom surface of the base component for retaining at least a portion of the second band portion when the second band portion is looped about the at least a portion of the base body. 
     
     
         43 . Apparatus for use on a user's leg, wherein the user's leg comprises a first leg portion, a second leg portion, and a joint that couples the first leg portion to the second leg portion, the apparatus comprising:
 an first leg portion component operative to be coupled to the first leg portion; and   a link comprising a link body that extends at least between a first link body portion and a second link body portion, wherein:
 the first link body portion is operative to be coupled to the first leg portion component; and 
 when the first leg portion component is coupled to the first leg portion and the first link body portion is coupled to the first leg portion component and the second link body portion extends about at least a portion of the second leg portion, at least a portion of the link body is operative to provide resistance when the user attempts to increase a distance between the first leg portion and the second leg portion. 
   
     
     
         44 . A method for exercising a user's leg that comprises a first leg portion, a second leg portion, and a joint leg portion between the first leg portion and the second leg portion using an apparatus that comprises an anchor component and a band that comprises a band body extending between a first band portion that is coupled to the anchor component and a second band portion, wherein the method comprises:
 coupling the anchor component to the first leg portion;   coupling the second band portion to the second leg portion by looping the second band portion about a portion of the second leg portion; and   after both of the couplings, providing a resistance with the band body to the user's leg when the user's leg increases a distance between the first leg portion and the second leg portion.