Plank Exercise Arm Support Structure for Elbow and Wrist Relief
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional plank exercise devices often cause discomfort and susceptibility to injury due to improper ergonomic design, particularly affecting the user's elbows and wrists, and fail to distribute body weight effectively during exercises.
Innovation Solution
An abdominal core and plank exercise apparatus featuring adjustable arm support pads and ergonomic hand grips that distribute body weight across the forearms and hands, reducing pressure on elbows and wrists, and includes a destabilizing device for enhanced muscle engagement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional plank devices use unrestricted sliding movement, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to susceptibility to overextension and injury
Solution Approach 1:
The device transitions from unrestricted sliding movement to controlled movement through a rail system with defined travel limits. The carriage moves along predetermined rails rather than sliding freely, providing dynamic control that prevents overextension while maintaining operational ease.
Solution Approach 2:
Rails and guide structures are introduced as intermediary elements between the carriage and ground surface. These intermediaries constrain the movement path and prevent harmful sliding motions, thereby improving reliability without significantly impacting ease of operation.
2Productivity
If conventional devices transfer bodyweight through the elbow, then the exercise effect is improved, but object-affected harmful factors worsen due to discomfort and strain on the elbow
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure is designed to distribute bodyweight across multiple contact points including the forearm, elbow, and hand rather than concentrating force solely on the elbow. This local quality change reduces pressure on the elbow while maintaining exercise effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The device adds a vertical dimension to force distribution by using a carriage system that can move along vertical rails. This allows bodyweight to be supported through the hand grip and forearm in addition to the elbow, distributing load across multiple dimensions and reducing elbow strain.
3Ease of operation
If conventional handle grips are positioned aligned with or higher than the user's arm, then ease of operation is improved, but object-generated harmful factors worsen due to wrist strain and ergonomic inefficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The handle grip position is adjusted to a lower position relative to the user's arm, changing the geometric parameters of the exercise setup. This parameter change creates a more ergonomic angle that reduces wrist strain while maintaining ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of positioning the handle grip at or above arm level as in conventional devices, the invention inverts this arrangement by positioning it lower. This inversion creates a more ergonomic configuration that reduces harmful wrist strain while preserving operational ease.
Data Source
AI summary
An abdominal core and plank exercise apparatus and related methods are provided. The exercise apparatus has an arm support pad and may include a hand grip and movable components for facilitating a user's abdominal strengthening. The apparatus interfaces with a ground surface.