Exercise Device With Resistance Bands for Forefoot Placement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional athletic footwear devices fail to maintain consistent foot placement on the forefoot during brisk walking or running exercises, limiting their effectiveness for strength and conditioning workouts and proper technique form training.
Innovation Solution
An exercise device comprising a footwear part with traction elements and a brace part, along with removable resistance bands, is designed for attachment to the foot and knee, ensuring proper foot placement and providing adjustable resistance for varied workouts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional athletic footwear is used, then comfort and basic protection are provided, but consistent forefoot placement cannot be maintained throughout exercise
Solution Approach 1:
The footwear is divided into distinct functional zones: a forefoot portion with elevated profile and traction elements, and a heel portion with different characteristics. This segmentation allows each zone to perform its specific function - the forefoot maintains ground contact and provides traction while the heel remains elevated, ensuring consistent forefoot placement throughout the exercise.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the footwear sole have different profiles, rigidities, and surface characteristics. The forefoot portion has an elevated profile with protruding traction elements for ground contact and grip, while the heel portion has a lower profile. This local differentiation optimizes each area for its specific role in maintaining proper form and providing propulsion.
2Reliability
If exercise devices are designed to attach to shoe or sole, then heel ground contact is prevented, but consistent forefoot placement throughout entire exercise cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The footwear incorporates a resilient midsole material that dynamically adapts to the user's movement and ground contact forces. This dynamic cushioning system provides consistent forefoot support and shock absorption throughout the exercise, maintaining proper form whether the user is walking, running, or performing other activities.
Solution Approach 2:
The elevated forefoot design with traction elements ensures continuous ground contact and propulsion throughout the entire exercise cycle. The resilient midsole maintains continuous support, and the overall structure enables uninterrupted forefoot placement from initial contact through push-off, providing continuous useful action throughout the exercise.
3Productivity
If footwear is designed for comfort and protection, then basic athletic needs are met, but strength and conditioning effectiveness is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The footwear is designed to serve multiple functions: it provides comfort and protection like conventional athletic footwear, prevents heel ground contact to enable proper form training, maintains consistent forefoot placement for technique development, and provides resilient cushioning for strength and conditioning workouts. This multi-functionality makes the footwear suitable for various exercise types including walking, running, and strength training.
Data Source
AI summary
An exercise device includes a footwear part, a brace part and at least one resistance band. The footwear part has a foot receiving portion configured to receive a front portion of a user's foot. The brace part is configured to be releasably attached to a knee area of the user. The at least one resistance band is configured to be releasably secured at opposite ends thereof to the footwear part and brace part, respectively. The exercise device can be used, among other things, for conditioning and strengthening, for aerobic exercises, and to help individuals maintain proper foot placement throughout an entire exercise and improve their form by helping them stay on their forefoot when performing an exercise dealing with brisk walking or running.