US20130274078A1 - Wrist saver block - Google Patents

Abstract

A wrist saver Yoga block includes a handle which decreases stress and strain of a user's wrist joint by lessening the degree of extension of a user's wrist so as to substantially prevent the user's wrist from being positioned at a 90 degree angle with respect to the user's hand when the user is performing Yoga, poses, Pilates, push-ups, hand stands, dips or other upper body weight bearing exercises.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
• This application is a non-provisional application of and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/785,868, filed on Apr. 15, 2011. The entire contents of are incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND
• This invention relates generally to sports accessories and exercise equipment, and more particularly, to a wrist saver block for Yoga poses, Pilates, push-ups, hand stands, dips, and other upper body weight bearing exercises.
• Lightweight foam blocks are known in the art of Yoga and Pilates and are used for several purposes. Such blocks or “bricks” are commonly used to achieve better form or flexibility while performing a Yoga pose, for example, to aid users unable to touch the ground with their hands during a particular pose. Blocks may also be placed between the legs during leg lifts in Pilates. Although commonly referred to as “Yoga blocks,” such blocks are not limited for use in Yoga or Pilates.
• When performing Yoga, Pilates, push-ups, or dips, users often experience pain in the wrist joint as a result of pressure applied to the wrist and hand by the user's body weight. For example, in a traditional push-up exercise, the user's hands are placed at a 90 degree angle relative to the arm. This position puts much stress on the wrist joint, resulting in pain and discomfort.
• When striving for the perfect push-up or plank, the most ideal position for a person with wrist discomfort is to have their wrist completely locked and straight. In orthopedic literature, 20-40 degrees of dorsiflexion of the wrist is considered an ideal position for grip strength and axial stresses. This wrist position is often observed in weight rooms with respect to exercisers using dumbbells.
• However, conventional Yoga or exercise blocks do not alleviate wrist pain experienced by users. It is therefore desirable to provide a wrist saver block, which overcomes the preceding disadvantages. Thus, the present invention seeks to combine a traditional Yoga block with a handle of a dumbbell to create a two-in-one product that provides the features and benefits of a traditional Yoga block for balance and support in addition to a wrist support during the performance of upper body weight bearing exercises.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
• A wrist saver block is provided for decreasing the amount of stress and strain of a user's wrist joint by lessening the dorsiflexion (extension) of a user's wrist so as to provide a healthier and more comfortable position. The wrist saver block decreases the amount and degree of extension of the user's wrist to comfort the wrist and substantially prevent the wrist from being positioned at an undesirable 90 degree angle and perpendicular to the user's forearm when performing Yoga poses, push-ups, Pilates, hand stands, standing push-ups against a wall, dips or other upper-body weight-bearing exercises.
• The wrist saver block is comfortable, economical, and effective to help prevent wrist injuries. The wrist saver block reduces the amount stress of weight-bearing exercises on the user's wrist when performing Yoga poses, Pilates poses, push-ups, etc.
• The wrist saver block incorporates a lightweight block with a handle disposed therein to enable proper positioning for the wrist to minimize wrist pain, while also serving as a Yoga block. In some embodiments, the wrist saver block may be generally rectangular can be made from a variety of materials including, but not limited to, foam, cork and wood.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a wrist saver block according to an embodiment of the invention.
• FIG. 2 is a side perspective view of the wrist saver block ofFIG. 1.
• FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of a person using the wrist saver block ofFIG. 1 to perform a push-up exercise.
• FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of another person using a stack of the wrist saver blocks ofFIG. 1 to perform a push-up exercise.
• FIG. 5 is a rear perspective view of another person using a stack of the wrist saver blocks ofFIG. 1 to perform a dip exercise.
• FIG. 6 is a top perspective view of a wrist saver block with interlocking mechanisms according to another embodiment of the invention.
• FIG. 7 is a plan view of the handle according to an embodiment of the invention.
• FIG. 8ais a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a wrist saver block.
• FIG. 8bis an alternative perspective view of the wrist saver block ofFIG. 8a.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
• Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the above-described drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways.
• As shown inFIGS. 1-3, thewrist saver block1 has a generally rectangular or cube-shaped body10 with a center opening20 (hand hole) generally in the middle of thetop surface11. The center opening20 is at least large enough to accommodate a fist or hand of the user (exerciser) therein. More specifically, thewrist saver block1 includes asymmetrical cubical body10 with surfaces comprising atop11, bottom12,front13,back14,left side15, andright side16. Thebody10 can also be elongated or a different shape without departing from the scope of the invention.
• With continued reference toFIGS. 1-2, thewrist saver block1 includes a manuallygrippable handle30 extending through the middle of the opening20 from one end of thebody10 to the opposite end of thebody10. The center opening20 permits the user's hand to grasp or grip thehandle30. InFIGS. 1-2, thehandle30 extends from thefront side13 to theback side14 of thebody10. Thehandle30 in the opening20 may or may not be centered across and within the depth of the opening20. As shown inFIG. 7, thehandle30 may include axial or longitudinal raised, finger-grippable protrusions31 to facilitate gripping by the user's hand. Thehandle30 can be solid or tubular and may be covered and cushioned with foam, rubber or other elastomeric material.
• Ahandle receiving portion21 is formed in thefront side13 andback side14 of thebody10 to receive thehandle30 therein. Thehandle receiving portions21 extend from the outer surface of thebody10 to thehole20. As shown inFIG. 2, thehandle receiving portions21 may have a size and shape substantially similar to that of thehandle30, so that thehandle30 may fit snugly inside thehandle receiving portion21.
• In some embodiments, thewrist saver block1 may be generally rectangular and may have a plurality of unique sides that allow the user to place the block at different heights according to the user's needs (three unique sides if the block is rectangular). When thehandle30 is not specifically being used, then theblock1 may be used in the traditional manner of a Yoga block. In this manner, theblock1 can rest on any of its sides11-16 creating different heights from the floor. Thus, if a user cannot reach the floor with their hands, the floor may be “elevated” by theblock1. Theblock1 may also be used as a balancing prop if the user needs to hold onto something for more support while performing exercises or poses. Alternatively, theblock1 could be placed under various body parts to assist the user with alignment or comfort.
• Accordingly, the broad,flat sides11,12 of theblock1 may be placed on the ground to position the block at its lowest height (FIG. 1); thesides15,16 may be placed on the ground to position the block at its intermediate height; and thesides13,14 may be placed on the ground to position the block at its greatest height (FIG. 2). In an exemplary embodiment, the wrist saver block is nine inches long, seven inches wide and four inches high.
• Thewrist saver block1 andhandle30 are preferably constructed from weight-bearing, shape-sustaining materials. Thewrist saver block1 andhandle30 can be made from a closed-cell EVA foam or similar lightweight, dense, and supportive substances or materials including, but not limited to, cork, wood, bamboo, impact-resistant plastic, composites, or metals such as, but not limited to, aluminum, titanium, or stainless steel.
• As shown inFIGS. 4-5, two or more wrist saver blocks can be stacked at a time, such as a stack of three, four, etc. The lowerwrist saver block2 in a stack can be placed forwardly, sideways, or upright so as to be longitudinal, lateral, transverse or vertical with respect to the upperwrist saver block3. The user will generally grip thehandle30 of the upperwrist saver block3. A taller person would generally use a taller stack ofwrist saver blocks1 compared to a shorter person. The wrist saver blocks1 are made of a sufficiently strong material and have enough surface contact and friction so that the wrist saver blocks1 provide a stable, weight-bearing, shape-sustaining structure when stacked. The elevation of thehandle30 above the floor or mat (especially from the stackable nature of the wrist saver blocks) facilitates a greater range of motion, enabling the user to perform deeper push-ups and deeper dips for a fuller muscle extension.
• As shown inFIG. 6, thewrist saver block1 may include interlockingmechanisms40 to better secure theblocks1 when stacked or nested. The interlockingmechanisms40 can include, but are not limited to, one or more textured surfaces, wavy edges, pegs, protrusions, buttons, snaps, indentions, joints, Velcro-type hook and loop fasteners, magnets, or such complementary joining sides, to securely interlock adjoining wrist saver blocks as well as to facilitate stability when two or more wrist saver blocks1 are stacked.
• An alternative embodiment of the wrist saver block is shown inFIGS. 8aand8b. Thewrist saver block100 is similar structurally to thewrist saver block1 described above, and includes abody110,hand hole120, andinternal handle130. However, instead of a substantially flat bottom surface, theblock100 includes aconvex bottom surface112. Theconvex bottom surface112 provides a destabilizing surface during push ups and/or planks that requires the exerciser to use more of their core muscles.
• During use of thewrist saver block1,100 while performing an upper body weight bearing exercise, the user's hand grips thehandle30 in theopening20 of thebody10 as one would normally grip a dumbbell. Thehandle30 is positioned high enough above the ground to keep user's knuckles and hand from touching the ground or mat (Yoga mat or exercise mat) when performing push-ups, dips, other Yoga poses or exercises. Theblock1,100 is generally used in a traditional push up or plank type of position, but may also be used in other positions or poses, such as a standing push-up against a wall.
• Thewrist saver block1,100 combines the usefulness of a Yoga block with traditional wrist and hand comfort of a handle. Thewrist saver block1,100 is designed to decrease the discomfort of weight bearing exercises on the user's wrist when performing Yoga poses, Pilates, push-ups, and triceps dips. Thewrist saver block1,100 with theinternal handle30,130 keeps the user's wrist joint at a more comfortable position while exercising by decreasing the stress on the user's wrist joint. This enables the user to maximize the effectiveness of the strength building exercise by allowing more repetitions or longer posing.
• Wrist saver blocks help with body alignment, form, and balance when performing Yoga poses, Pilates, and other exercises. Thewrist saver block1,100 incorporates optimal wrist positioning with the benefits of a Yoga block. In particular, thewrist saver block1,100 adds the benefits of a wrist protecting device with the benefits of a traditional Yoga block enabling the user to also shorten the distance between the user's hands and the floor and or Yoga exercise mat when stretching or exercising. This helps with body alignment, form and balance.
• Thewrist saver block1,100 is also designed to support the body in poses where flexibility issues may interfere with holding proper alignment. Theblock1,100 may act as an arm extension in forward bends and support the weight of the user's body in splits. Users can also deepen a pose by effectively raising themselves from the floor level through use of theblock1,100.
• Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it is to be understood that various modifications, substitutions, and rearrangements of parts and components, as well as other uses, shapes and sizes of the wrist saver blocks, can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of one or more independent aspects of the invention as described.

Claims (18)

What is claimed is:

1. An exercise device that supports a wrist of a user above a support surface, the device comprising:

a body formed of a resilient material and having a top surface, a substantially flat bottom surface that directly engages the support surface, and a lateral surface extending between the top and bottom surfaces;

a hole formed in the upper surface, the hole configured to have an opening large enough to receive a user's hand; and

a handle extending from the lateral surface across the hole between the top and bottom surfaces.

2. The exercise device ofclaim 1, wherein the body is rectangular or cube shaped.

3. The exercise device ofclaim 1, wherein the device is stackable on another of the exercise device.

4. The exercise device ofclaim 3, wherein the body includes an interlocking mechanism to secure the devices when stacked.

5. The exercise device ofclaim 4, wherein the interlocking mechanism includes at least one of surface texturing, pegs, buttons, protrusions, snaps, hook and loop fasteners, or magnets.

6. The exercise device ofclaim 1, wherein the body is made of foam.

7. The exercise device ofclaim 1, wherein the hole is symmetrical within the top surface.

8. The exercise device ofclaim 1, wherein the hole is circular.

9. The exercise device ofclaim 1, wherein the handle is a tubular rod.

10. The exercise device ofclaim 1, wherein the handle is disposed entirely within the periphery of the body.

11. The exercise device ofclaim 1, wherein the handle includes raised protrusions to facilitate gripping by the user.

12. The exercise device ofclaim 1, wherein the handle is covered and cushioned with an elastomeric material.

13. The exercise device according toclaim 1, wherein the device elevates the wrist with respect the fingers of the user's hand when the fingers grip the handle.

14. The exercise device according toclaim 1, wherein a length, width, and height of the body are different from each other.

15. The exercise device according toclaim 1, further comprising a handle receiving portion formed in the lateral surface to receive the handle.

16. The exercise device according toclaim 15, wherein the handle receiving portion extends from the hole to the lateral surface.

17. An exercise device that supports a wrist of a user above a support surface, the device comprising:

a body formed of a resilient material and having a top surface, a convex bottom surface that directly engages the support surface, and a lateral surface extending between the top and bottom surfaces;

a hole formed in the upper surface, the hole configured to have an opening large enough to receive a user's hand; and

a handle extending from the lateral surface across the hole between the top and bottom surfaces.

18. A method for using a device for reducing strain in a user's wrist while performing an exercise in which the wrist supports at least a portion of the user's body weight, the exercise performed on a substantially flat support surface, the device having a top surface, a substantially flat bottom surface, and a hole having a handle disposed therein, the method comprising:

gripping the handle with fingers of the user;

engaging the bottom surface of the device with the support surface;

transferring at least a portion of the body weight to the wrist, wherein the device maintains the wrist at an elevated position relative to the handle; and

performing an exercise with at least one hand of the user gripping the handle of the device.

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