Resistance garments having integral seamless resistive zones

Abstract

Garment, and method for forming a garment, comprising a fabric configured to conform to a body portion of a wearer, wherein resistive zones are seamlessly integrally formed in the fabric, and wherein the resistive zones are positioned in the fabric to resist movement of the body portion of the wearer.

1 . A garment, comprising a fabric configured to conform to a body portion of a wearer, wherein resistive zones are seamlessly integrally formed in the fabric, and wherein the resistive zones are positioned in the fabric to resist movement of the body portion of the wearer. 
     
     
         2 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the fabric is a knitted fabric or a woven fabric. 
     
     
         3 . The garment of  claim 2 , wherein the fabric is a three-dimensional (3D) knitted fabric. 
     
     
         4 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the resistive zones are resistive bands. 
     
     
         5 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the fabric and the resistive zones are formed using a circular knitting machine. 
     
     
         6 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the resistive zones are positioned in the fabric using virtual prototyping of a virtual model of the garment on a virtual model of the body portion. 
     
     
         7 . The garment of  claim 6 , wherein the virtual prototyping comprises finite element analysis (FEA) of the virtual garment model on the virtual model of the body portion. 
     
     
         8 . The garment of  claim 2 , wherein the resistive zones are seamlessly formed by varying knitting or weaving patterns of the fabric, varying composition of the fabric, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the garment comprises an arm sleeve, a leg sleeve, a body sleeve, a pair of pants, a top, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The garment of  claim 9 , wherein the garment comprises a resistance suit comprising the pair of pants and the top. 
     
     
         11 . The garment of  claim 9 , wherein the pair of pants comprises a waist and a pair of legs respectively terminating below leg calves of the wearer. 
     
     
         12 . The garment of  claim 11 , wherein the resistive zones are positioned to extend downwardly from the waist to rearwardly encircle and anchor under and to muscles of the leg calves of the wearer, and to forwardly encircle and anchor under and to the wearer's knee. 
     
     
         13 . The garment of  claim 11 , wherein the resistive zones are positioned to provide resistance to muscles of the wearer between the waist and the leg calves as the body moves, the muscles comprising gluteus maximus, upper leg muscles, lower leg muscles, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the resistive zones are positioned to resist biomechanical movement of the body portion, limit range of motion of the body portion, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         15 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the fabric comprises synthetic fibres, natural fibres, or a combination or blend thereof. 
     
     
         16 . The garment of  claim 15 , wherein the fabric comprises polyamide and elastane. 
     
     
         17 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the garment is configured as a sportswear garment, an exercise garment, a running garment, a yoga garment, a rehabilitation garment, a cross fit garment, a veterinary garment, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         18 . The garment of  claim 17 , comprising a rehabilitation garment, wherein the resistive zones are positioned to mimic targeted resistance provided by TheraBand therapy, sports taping, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         19 . A method, comprising:
 seamlessly and integrally forming resistive zones in fabric of a garment that is conformable to a body portion of a wearer, wherein the resistive zones are positioned in the fabric to resist movement of the body portion.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the resistive zones are seamlessly integrally formed in the fabric by 3D knitting.