Aerobic exercise is a popular form of exercise that improves one's cardiovascular health by reducing blood pressure and providing other benefits to the human body. Aerobic exercise generally involves low intensity physical exertion over a long duration of time. Generally, the human body can adequately supply enough oxygen to meet the body's demands at the intensity levels involved with aerobic exercise. Popular forms of aerobic exercise include running, jogging, swimming, and cycling among others activities. In contrast, anaerobic exercise often involves high intensity exercises over a short duration of time. Popular forms of anaerobic exercise include strength training and short distance running.
Many choose to perform aerobic exercises indoors, such as in a gym or their home. Often, a user will use an aerobic exercise machine to have an aerobic workout indoors. One such type of aerobic exercise machine is an elliptical exercise machine, which often includes foot supports that move in fixed reciprocating directions when moved by the feet of a user. Often, the foot supports will be mechanically linked to arm levers that can be held by the user during the workout. The arm levers and foot supports move together and collectively provide resistance against the user's motion during the user's workout. Other popular exercise machines that allow a user to perform aerobic exercises indoors include treadmills, rowing machines, stepper machines, and stationary bikes to name a few.
One type of exercise device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,166,067 issued to Roger Talish, et al. (hereinafter the “'067 patent”). In this reference, the term “loading means” includes, without limitation, vibrational loading mechanisms such as linear or rotary loading mechanisms, further linear actuators, rotary actuators, actuators that provide both linear and rotary motions, transducers and the like. The '067 patent, col. 2, lines 17-33. The loading mechanism thereby induces mechanical loading of bodily tissue adjacent to or supported by the support surface sufficient to facilitate the growth, development, strengthening, and/or healing of bone tissue. Id. The loading mechanism may include an actuator or transducer operatively associated with the support surface. Id. The loading mechanism may be associated with a support surface of any exercise device, including standard exercise devices such as rowing machines, stair climbing machines, elliptical trainers, bicycles, cross-country ski trainers, treadmills, Pilates machines, or weight training machines. Id. Further, Talish teaches that rotary loading mechanisms can be incorporated into the pivot points of the swing levers of an elliptical trainer so as to impart mechanical and cyclical loading to the patient's upper appendages and torso via handles. The '067 patent, col. 6, lines 57-67. Rotary loading mechanisms can also be incorporated into the flywheel components or pedal bushings of the elliptical trainer, so as to impart mechanical and cyclical loading to the patient's lower appendages and torso via pedals. Id. A linear loading mechanism can also be incorporated into the base of the elliptical trainer. Id.