GB2400329A

GB2400329A - Leg stretching apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2400329A
Application number: GB0308443A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Paul Jefferies; David Bowman
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-04-11
Filing date: 2003-04-11
Publication date: 2004-10-13
Also published as: GB0308443D0

Abstract

The present invention encompasses apparatus adapted to stretch the muscles, tendons and ligaments of a leg, the apparatus comprising a leg rest 20 positionable with respect to a floor to support an elevated leg of a user standing on the floor. The leg rest 20 is movable by the user along a substantially vertical axis when the apparatus is in use. The leg rest 20 may be reciprocated along the vertical axis by the user manually turning a handle 46. A method for stretching the muscles, tendons and ligaments of a leg by means of the present invention is also contemplated.

Description

STRETCHING APPARATUS AND METHOD

The present invention relates to apparatus for assisting a user to stretch his or her leg and back muscles, tendons and ligaments and in particular to an apparatus and method for exercising, conditioning and stretching the hamstrings.

It is widely acknowledged that the stretching of muscles, tendons and ligaments is an essential factor in preventing muscular injury, aiding rehabilitation from a muscular injury and improving suppleness and flexibility. For brevity, injury to the muscles, tendons or ligaments will be referred to collectively herein as muscular injury.

Muscular injuries can occur when muscle fibres and related tissues are strained through excessive stretching, leading to muscle rupture or tearing. These types of injuries can vary in their severity and subsequent time to recovery. The more serious types of muscular injury can completely incapacitate the sufferer with the injured muscle taking up to three months or longer to repair.

The hamstring muscles in particular are very susceptible to tears, strains and other common sporting injuries. The hamstrings are muscles located in the back of the thigh and their main function is in helping the knee to bend and the hip to extend. Hamstring injury is commonly caused by the imbalance between the hamstring and the thigh muscles (quadriceps) which can easily overpower the hamstring thereby tearing it. The hamstring/quadricep balance is particularly important in sports requiring a high degree of speed, power and agility such as track and field sports, football, basketball, tennis, martial arts and waterskiing.

One muscle injury can also lead to injury to other muscle groups as they overcompensate for the injured muscle. For example, tightness in the hamstrings places increased stress on the lower back, potentially causing lower back pain or aggravating existing lower back pain.

Stretching muscles as part of warm-up and warm-down procedures before and after exercise can prevent injury and future problems. However, it should be noted that stretching itself is an exercise that can result in injury or be ineffective if it is not performed correctly.

The main considerations of a stretch are its intensity, its duration and its release. Ideally, a muscle should be stretched at an intensity which does not over-strain and injure the muscle, but which is intense enough to benefit the muscle being stretched. Often, as the muscles warm up, a number of stretches with increasing intensity will be performed. Each stretch should be held for long enough to allow the muscle to release its tension, relax and elongate, normally 10 to 30 seconds. Most importantly, the stretch must be released gently. Sudden or jerky movements while the muscle is stretched can cause the elongated muscles fibres to knot.

Traditional hamstring stretching techniques include standing, seated and recumbent stretches which may be assisted or un-assisted. In one common unassisted stretching method, a person lies on their back with one leg raised and pulls the raised leg towards their chest, using one or both hands, to stretch the hamstring of the raised leg. In an alternative unassisted stretch, a person stands on one leg while resting the other leg on a raised support such as a table, chair or bar. The hamstring stretch is intensified by the person pivoting their torso forwards about the hip towards their raised leg. Again, the hands may be used to grip the raised leg in order to pull the chest closer to that leg thereby stretching the hamstring further. There are many more variations of these basic stretches which need not be described here.

The stretch in both of these techniques can be augmented and intensified with the help of an assisting partner who, in the case of the recumbent stretch, pushes the other person's raised leg towards their chest and, in the standing stretch, pushes their chest towards their raised leg by applying gentle force to their back.

There are problems associated with both the assisted and unassisted stretching techniques.

With unassisted stretches, the intensity of the stretch depends on the arm strength of the person performing the stretch in pulling their leg towards their chest or their chest towards their leg. There may also be difficulty in maintaining balance while exerting the necessary force. Therefore, these unassisted types of stretches tend not be as effective as those performed with assistance. They also risk injury if the user loses balance during a stretch or if a support used, such as a table or chair, is unstable.

The assisted stretch may be better in these respects but it incurs its own risk of injury as a partner may be unable to respond quickly enough to discomfort felt by the person exercising, leading to muscular injury. Also, self-evidently, assisted stretching requires an assisting partner and so will not be possible if such a person is not available.

Another problem with using a support such as a table, chair or bar is that it is difficult to vary the intensity of a stretch in terms of increasing the angle of the leg.

Cord and pulley systems are known which attempt to provide a means of controlled hamstring stretching. One such apparatus is set out in US Patent No. 3,834,694 which describes a horizontal platform on which the user lies in a supine position and to which is attached a cord and pulley system including various weights. One end of the cord is attachable to the ankle of the user's leg to be stretched and the other end to the weights.

Another cord which is part of a clutch system enables the user to lower and raise their leg by controlling the engagement of the weights.

The apparatus of US 3,834,694 provides no way for a user to vary the intensity of a stretch during the stretch as the force to be applied is pre-set. Further, if the weight is set too high before the stretch, the user risks overstraining their muscles. There is also a risk of injury if a stretch is released too suddenly. The apparatus is also bulky and awkward to move, assemble and use.

Portable apparatus employing the pulley and cord principle have been described in US 6,338,700 and US 5,634,873. These apparatus do not employ weights but, as with the conventional unassisted stretching techniques, depend on the strength of the user to pull their leg via the cord and pulley system. One end of the cord has a strap for attachment to a user's leg while the other end has a handle for the user to grip and pull in order to raise and lower their leg. This arrangement still poses a safety problem in terms of the release of the stretch which is controlled only by the potentially tired arms of the user, and so could be too sudden.

In general, the cord and pulley systems described above are limited in terms of the range of muscles which they stretch. They are also potentially harmful to the lower back of a user.

Therefore there is a need for a preferably portable apparatus for stretching the leg muscles and which provides a controlled means of applying and releasing the stretch.

From one aspect, the invention resides in apparatus adapted to stretch the muscles, tendons and ligaments of a leg, the apparatus comprising a leg rest positionable with respect to a floor to support an elevated leg of a user standing on the floor, the leg rest being movable by the user along a substantially vertical axis when the apparatus is in use. Preferably, the leg rest is reciprocally movable along the substantially vertical axis.

The apparatus allows the user to control the intensity by which the leg muscles are stretched by controlling the height of the leg rest in use, unlike the existing use of chairs, low walls and other fixed supports often employed for hamstring stretching exercises where the height and position of the leg rest is fixed. The apparatus may also include a positioning means for fixing the position of the leg rest with respect to the floor so that the stretch may be maintained.

Advantageously, the leg rest is adapted to be rested upon by part of the user's elevated leg and for this purpose may comprise a bar that is generally horizontal in use. The bar may be padded to protect the part of the user's leg, foot or ankle that rests on the leg rest, such as the Achilles region or the instep. Preferably, the bar has a concave upper surface to provide comfort to the user's ankle while ensuring that lateral location to promote stability and avoid injury.

The apparatus also preferably includes a body, so that the leg rest is movable along the substantially vertical axis with respect to the body. Advantageously, the leg rest is connected to the body by a support member movable with respect to the body and preferably the leg rest is movable with respect to the support member. Conveniently, the leg rest may also be removable from the support member for ease of portability. Optionally, the leg rest may be pivotable with respect to the support member about the substantially vertical axis when the apparatus is in use, allows the user to stand at various positions around the apparatus while 0 allowing the leg rest to pivot to compensate for this.

The support member may be movable with respect to the body by a drive means associated with the body and preferably, the drive means involves geared engagement between a drive member and the support member. Conveniently, the drive member is pivotally mounted to the body and is operated manually. In a preferred embodiment, the drive member is associated with or incorporates a pinion and the support is associated with or incorporates a rack.

To allow the user to control the drive member conveniently and easily, a handle is advantageously provided that can be manipulated by the user in use. Preferably, the handle is connected to the drive member via a universal joint which allows for rotation of the drive member and enables the handle to hang accessibly but out of the way when not in use. In order to provide uni-directional pivoting movement of the drive member for ease of use, the handle preferably comprises a ratchet means so that the user need not change his or her grip on the handle while pivoting the drive member to drive the support member and leg rest upwards.

It is preferred that the support member is or includes a shaft oriented substantially vertically in use. For simplicity and ease of manufacture, the body preferably has a first cavity for receiving the shaft. This first cavity is preferably cylindrical and has a longitudinal axis oriented substantially vertically in use. The body may also have a second cavity for accommodating the drive member which intersects the second cavity.

In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus also includes locking means for locking vertical movement of the leg rest with respect to the body. This enables the user to hold a stretch safely at the desired height and leg angle. The locking means is suitably attached to the body and can clamp and/or engage with the support member. Preferably, the locking means comprises a pin movable with respect to the body and the support member and which can be advanced into a recess in the support member. For ease of operation to the user, the pin is preferably in threaded engagement within a third cavity within the body, intersecting with the first cavity.

Advantageously, the apparatus includes a damper for slowing movement of the support member with respect to the body. This prevents the support member from sudden downward movement under downward vertical load applied though the leg rest by the leg of the user during use. Such sudden downward movement could otherwise cause injury to the user. The damper ensures that the support member and thus the ankle rest move down slowly to allow the user to safely lift his or her leg back onto the floor thus avoiding injury. Preferably, for simplicity, the damping is by virtue of friction between sliding surfaces of the damper.

However, damping may also be by virtue of resistance to fluid flow within the damper.

Conveniently, the body is height-adjustable with respect to the floor which means that the apparatus may be adjusted to suit users of different sizes and abilities. Preferably, the body is supported above the floor by at least one leg resting upon the floor which is removably attachable to the body. The or each leg may be adjustable in length which allows for height adjustment of the body with respect to the floor. In preferred compact arrangements, the or each leg includes two or more sections removably and/or repositionably attachable to each other in which the sections interact telescopically with one another.

Preferably, the body is supported by a single leg which has a foot for spreading the weight of the apparatus across the floor. In order to make the device portable and easy to assemble, the foot is removably attachable to the associated leg and comprises at least two parts foldably or detachably attached to each other.

Advantageously, the apparatus may also include at least one handgrip which the user can pull against during a stretch to intensify the stretch. Preferably, the handgrip is movable with respect to the body and moves in register with the leg rest so that it is accessible to the user at all the positions of the leg rest. In this respect, the handgrip may be mounted to the leg rest and/or the support member. In order to enable the user to more easily reach the handgrip, the handgrip preferably has a longitudinal axis oriented outwardly and downwardly with respect to the support member.

The invention also comprehends a method of stretching the muscles, tendons and ligaments of a leg, comprising standing on one leg on a floor, resting the other, elevated leg on a leg rest that can be raised and lowered with respect to the floor, and raising the leg rest to stretch the muscles, tendons and ligaments of the elevated leg resting on the leg rest.

Advantageously, the method further comprises manually operating a drive member to move the leg rest along a substantially vertical axis which provides control to the user of the movement of the leg rest during a stretch. Further, by locking the vertical movement of the leg rest with respect to the body, the user can sustain the stretch on their elevated leg. The stretch can be intensified and augmented by gripping at least one handgrip during the stretch, which handgrip is preferably adjacent to the leg rest.

In order that this invention may be more readily understood, currently preferred embodiments will now be further described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure l is a partially sectional front view of a stretching apparatus according to the invention; Figure 2 is a cross-section of the body of the stretching apparatus taken on line II-II of Figure l, with the clamp pin and knob omitted for clarity; Figure 3 is a partial cross-section through the body of the stretching apparatus taken on line III-III, of Figure l; Figure 4 is a partially sectioned front view akin to Figure l but showing the stretching apparatus of the invention supported by a variable-height pillar; Figure 5 is a partially sectioned front view corresponding to a detail of Figure 4 but showing the removal and folding of a base plate; and Figure 6 is a schematic drawing showing the stretching apparatus of the invention in use for three exemplary exercises: (a) a basic stretch; (b) a forward stretch; and (c) a bend stretch.

Referring initially to Figures I and 4, there is shown a stretching apparatus 10 comprising an ankle rest 12, handgrips 14, a vertical shaft 16 onto which the ankle rest 12 is mounted, and a body 18 that can be positioned at an appropriate height above a floor. Height adjustment of the body 18 with respect to the floor and fixing of that position will be described later with further reference to Figure 4. The ankle rest 12 is mounted to the body 18 of the apparatus 10 for vertical movement with respect thereto. The handgrips 14 are associated with the ankle rest 12 and move with the ankle rest 12.

In use of the apparatus, the ankle rest 12 supports the ankle of one of the user's legs, holding the leg in an elevated and preferably upwardlyinclined position. The user stands on the floor beside the apparatus 10 using his or her other leg and stretches the hamstring of the elevated leg, optionally bending the torso forwards about the hip and stretching out the arms to grasp the handgrips beside the ankle rest as will be explained later with reference to Figure 6.

The ankle rest 12 is disposed generally horizontally atop an upper end of the vertical shaft 16 in a T configuration and comprises a concave padded tube 20 terminating in the handgrips 14 that are inclined outwardly and downwardly from opposite ends of the padded tube 20. The shape and curvature of the padded tube 20 is ergonomically designed for comfort to the user's ankle, and in particular to avoid injury to the user's Achilles tendon. In the embodiment shown, by way of example, the radius of curvature of the concave padded tube is approximately 30cm.

The position of the handgrips 14 relative to the padded tube 20 is selected to maximise the effectiveness and comfort of a stretch and to enable the user to reach the handgrips 14 during a stretch. In this respect each handgrip 14 makes an angle of approximately 50 with the horizontal plane of the ankle rest 12, as shown in Figure 1. This angle may however vary 0 between about 0 and 90 i.e. horizontal and vertical.

A socket 20 depends from the centre of the padded tube 20 of the ankle rest 12. The socket 20 and the upper end of the vertical shaft 16 have complementary formations adapted so that the socket 20 receives the upper end of the shaft 16 in a sliding fit. To prevent the ankle rest 12 from being easily separated from the shaft 16 in the event of the stretching apparatus 10 being knocked or tilted, the upper end of the shaft 16 is penetrated by a transverse bore 24 housing a roll pin 26 that is biased resiliently out of the bore 24. The socket 20 has a groove 28 around its internal cylindrical face which aligns with and receives the pin 26 when the ankle rest 12 is correctly mounted on the shaft 16 so that a projecting part of the roll pin 26 snaps into the groove 28 to lock the ankle rest 12 to the shaft 16. However, the ankle rest 12 can be removed from the shaft 16 with an upward tug to dislodge the pin 26 from the groove 28.

The body 18 of the apparatus 10 comprises a vertical tube 30 having an open lower end and an open upper end. The upper end of the tube 30 receives a lower portion of the shaft 16 in a sliding fit, for which purpose the shaft 16 has an external diameter smaller than the internal diameter of the tube 30.

Reference will now be made to Figures 2 and 3 which respectively show transverse and longitudinal cross-sectional views of the body 18 of the apparatus 10. To drive vertical movement of the ankle rest 12 with respect to the body 18 of the apparatus 10, the shaft 16 has an array of parallel horizontal teeth on one side of the shaft 16, the array of teeth defining a rack 32 extending along the length of the shaft 16. This rack 16 engages with a pinion 34 mounted on a horizontal axis within the body 18 of the apparatus 10. More specifically, the upper end of the tube 30 is defined by a vertical tubular cavity 38 machined within an 0 aluminium block 40, which cavity 38 receives the shaft 16. A horizontal pivot pin 36 supports the pinion within a slot 42 intersecting the cavity 38, so that the pinion 34 engages the rack 32 of the shaft 16 received within the cavity 38.

The pinion 34 is turned by a rod 44 outside the block 40, whereby the user can turn the pinion 34 to raise or lower the shaft 16 and the ankle rest 12 by repeatedly twisting a ratchet handle 46 of the rod 44 about its longitudinal axis. By virtue of the rod 44 and the ratchet handle 46, this action is simple even in use of the apparatus 10, when one of the user's legs is in an elevated position and the user may therefore find it difficult to move. The rod 44 is articulated by a universal joint 48 so as to pivot with respect to the block 40 for ease of use and to hang accessibly but out of the way when not in use.

To lock the shaft 16 against vertical movement and against pivoting around a vertical axis, a keyway groove 50 extends along the shaft 16 on its side opposed to the rack 32. A female threaded horizontal bore 52 intersects with the cavity 38 and houses a lock assembly including a male- threaded clamp pin 54 that, by virtue of the co-operating screw threads, can be advanced or retracted by turning an external locking knob 56 outside the block 40. When fully advanced into the block 40, the clamp pin 54 clamps against a clamp pad 58 which slots into the keyway 50 but is moveable within the keyway 50. The clamp pad 58 has a recess 59 which receives the end of the clamp pin 54.

When the clamp pin 54 is fully advanced into the block 40, the shaft 16 is locked against vertical and pivotal movement by virtue of the clamp pad 58. When the clamp pin 54 is retracted, the tip of the clamp pin 54 and the keyway clamp pad 58 remain engaged yet the clamp pad 58 disengages from the keyway 50 which again allows vertical movement of the shaft 16 within the cavity 38. The keyway clamp pad 58 is made of a material different from that of the shaft 16, preferably phosphor bronze or any other material which has good frictional properties.

Alternatively, the keyway 50 may be provided with a series of recesses to receive the end of the clamp pin 54 thereby defining discrete positive lock positions by virtue of engagement between the clamp pin 54 and a recess, rather than relying on the frictional forces of clamping.

To prevent the clamp pin 54 from being unscrewed too far out of the block 40 and being removed entirely from the horizontal bore 52, the clamp pin 54 is provided with a circumferential groove 60 for receiving an end of a pin screw 62 in a threaded vertical bore 64 intersecting with the horizontal bore 52 of the clamp pin 54. The relative width of the groove 60 and pin screw 62 and hence the extent of horizontal movement of the clamp pin 54 in the bore 52 is such that the clamp pin 54 can be moved away from the keyway 50 to allow the shaft 16 to move vertically in the body cavity 38 past the keyway clamp pad 58, yet not so far that the end of the clamp pin 54 disengages from the clamp pad 58.

Turning now to Figure 4, the body 40 of the apparatus 10 can be positioned at various heights above a floor to suit users of different sizes and abilities and to augment the range of vertical movement of the ankle rest l 2. The body 18 of the apparatus l O stands on a supporting pillar mounted on a base plate 68 on the floor. The pillar 65 comprises a hollow outer tube 66, preferably of square section, with an open upper end for receiving the lower end of an inner tube of similar section, which can be the tube 30 associated with the body 18. A spring- loaded plunger 70 attached to the outer tube 66 can engage with any of a vertical array of seven holes 72 on the inner tube. The height of the body 18 from the floor is adjusted by lifting the body 18 to the desired height above the floor, causing the inner and outer tube 66 to slide telescopically in relation to each other. The desired height position is secured by allowing the plunger 70 to spring into a corresponding hole 72 on the inner tube.

Figures 4 and 5 also show how the pillar 66 fixes to a base plate 68, which base plate 68 is removable and for maximum portability. As Figure 5 shows best, the base plate 68 is in two parts 68a, 68b, each part 68a being surmounted by a projection 76 adjacent an edge of each part that cooperates with the corresponding projection 78 of the other part 68b when the parts are abutted against each other on the same plane. In an alternative arrangement, the two parts 68a and 68b of the base plate can also be hinged together along a central hinge line so that the base plate is foldable along the join line.

The co-operating projections 76, 78 together define a cuboidal stud 80 that is a close sliding fit within the open lower end of the outer tube 66 of the pillar 65. The lower end of the outer tube 66 rests upon the base plate 68 which, together with close contact with the sides of the stud 80, holds the outer tube 66 and hence the pillar 65 orthogonal to the plane of the base plate 68. When in this position, secure attachment is assured by snap-fit engagement of spring-loaded projections 84 from the stud 80 into holes 86 in the outer tube 66 of the pillar 65. This state is shown in Figure 4. The two parts 68a, 68b of the base plate 68 are shown in Figure 5 having been removed from the outer tube 66 of the pillar 65.

Although not shown, the base plate 68 can be extended to define a footrest against which the foot or the heel of the user's standing leg abuts to stop that foot from slipping across the base plate 68 or away from the apparatus 10 during a stretch.

In use of the apparatus 10, the user sets the body 1 8 of the apparatus 10 at an appropriate height above the floor. Then, standing on one leg on the floor beside the apparatus 10, the user rests the other leg on the ankle rest 12 so that the back or front of the plot is supported by the curved, padded bar of the ankle rest 12, as shown in Figure 6. This curvature and padding protect the user's foot, ankle, leg and especially Achilles tendon during the exercise.

The user then turns the rod 44 to raise the ankle rest 12, thereby to increase the inclination of the leg rested upon it. When the ankle rest 12 is at an appropriate height, the knob 56 is turned to advance the clamp pin 54 to lock the ankle rest 12 against vertical movement. The user then gently stretches the hamstring of the elevated leg by bending the torso forwards about the hip while stretching out his or her arms to grasp the handgrips 14 beside the ankle rest 12. This is known as the forward stretch and is shown in Figure 6(b). The user may choose to perform a lighter stretch by not bending the torso as far as in the forward stretch, or indeed at all. This is known as the basic stretch and is shown in Figure 6(a). The basic stretch works on the hamstring, calf muscles and Achilles tendon of the raised leg only. The forward stretch also stretches the gluteal muscles of the supporting leg. The bend stretch, shown in Figure 6(c), stretches the hamstrings, calfmuscles and Achilles tendons of both the user's legs. In the bend stretch, the user again stands on one leg with the other leg raised but this time faces away from the apparatus 10 with the front of their raised foot supported by the ankle rest 12, rather than the Achilles region.

After exercising, the user must generally lower the ankle rest 12 and lean back to be able to lift his or her leg off the ankle rest 12 without undue strain. This may be achieved by releasing the locking knob 56 and lowering the ankle rest 12 by turning the ratchet handle 46, optionally after reversing the ratchet mechanism in the ratchet handle 46. Alternatively, the ankle rest 12 can be allowed to lower under the downward load of the elevated leg, the resulting downward movement of the shaft 16 turning the pinion 34 and the rod 44 as it does so.

It will be appreciated that sudden downward movement of the ankle rest 12 under the downward load of the elevated leg could cause injury to the user. To prevent this, a damper is provided which employs a horizontallydisposed sliding seal 82 fixed to the lower end of the shaft 16. The seal 82 spans the annular gap between the shaft 16 and the tube 30. By way of example, the seal 82 may be made of a neoprene rubber having an approximate Shore hardness of 80-85. Friction between the seal 82 and the tube 30 prevents the shaft 16 moving suddenly in a manner risking injury. Thus, the ankle rest 12 slides slowly down in a cushioned manner until it reaches a stop position where the user can lift his or her leg back onto the floor.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that other damper arrangements are possible, especially those relying upon restricted fluid flow withinthe damper. It will also be appreciated that the apparatus may be made suitable for seated users by lowering the height of the body of the apparatus to an appropriate height from the floor. In this case, the handgrips may be adjusted so that they extend further towards the seated user for the user to reach them.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its essential attributes as defined in the appended claims and other statements of invention 0 herein. For example, the handgrips associated with the ankle rest need not necessarily be attached to the ankle rest: they may be attached to the shaft or supported by auxiliary shafts moveable with respect to the body. The radius of curvature of the padded tube need not be 30cm as long as it is comfortable to the user during a stretch. The handgrips may be adapted or adjustable so that they extend towards the user providing a less intense stretch for less flexible users. The body may be supported from the floor by tripod legs or other supporting pillar structures whose length can be adjusted. Alternatively, the body of the apparatus can be statically or movably mounted to the floor, a wall or other structure above the floor by a height adjustable structure.

Claims

1. Apparatus adapted to stretch the muscles, tendons and ligaments of a leg, the apparatus comprising a leg rest positionable with respect to a floor to support an elevated leg of a user I standing on the floor, the leg rest being movable by the user along a substantially vertical axis when the apparatus is in use.

2. The apparatus of Claim l, including positioning means for fixing the position of the leg rest with respect to the floor.

3. The apparatus of Claim l or Claim 2, wherein the leg rest is adapted to be rested upon by part of the user's elevated leg.

4. The apparatus of Claim 3, wherein the leg rest comprises a bar that is generally horizontal in use. 20;

5. The apparatus of Claim 4, wherein the bar is padded.

6. The apparatus of Claim 4 or Claim 5, wherein the bar has a concave upper surface.

7. The apparatus of any preceding Claim, wherein the leg rest is reciprocally movable along the substantially vertical axis.

8. The apparatus of any preceding Claim, wherein the leg rest is movable along the substantially vertical axis with respect to a body being part of the apparatus. l

9. The apparatus of Claim 8, wherein the leg rest is connected to the body by a support member movable with respect to the body.

l O. The apparatus of Claim 9, wherein the leg rest is movable with respect to the support 0 member.

11. The apparatus of Claim 10, wherein the leg rest is removable from the support member.

12. The apparatus of Claim 10 or Claim I l, wherein the leg rest is pivotable with respect to the support member about the substantially vertical axis when the apparatus is in use.

13. The apparatus of any of Claims 9 to 12, wherein the support member is movable with respect to the body by a drive means associated with the body.

14. The apparatus of Claim 13, wherein the drive means involves geared engagement between a drive member and the support member.

15. The apparatus of Claim 14, wherein the drive member is pivotally mounted to the body.

16. The apparatus of Claim 14 or Claim 15, wherein the drive member is operated manually.

17. The apparatus of Claim 16, wherein the drive member is associated with a handle that can be manipulated by the user in use.

18. The apparatus of Claim 17, wherein the handle is connected to the drive member via a universal joint.

19. The apparatus of Claim 17 or Claim 18, wherein the handle comprises ratchet means providing for uni-directional pivoting movement of the drive member.

20. The apparatus of any of Claims 14 to 19, wherein the drive member is associated with or incorporates a pinion and the support member is associated with or incorporates a rack.

21. The apparatus of any of Claims 9 to 20, wherein the support member is or includes a shaft oriented substantially vertically in use.

22. The apparatus of Claim 21, wherein the shaft is received in a first cavity within the body.

23. The apparatus of Claim 22, wherein the first cavity is cylindrical and has a longitudinal axis oriented substantially vertically in use.

24. The apparatus of Claim 23 when appendant to Claim 14, wherein the drive member is accommodated in a second cavity within the body, intersecting the first cavity.

25. The apparatus of any of Claims 8 to 24, and including locking means for locking vertical movement of the leg rest with respect to the body.

26. The apparatus of Claim 25 when appendant to Claim 9, wherein the locking means is attached to the body and clamps the support member.

27. The apparatus of Claim 25 or Claim 26 when appendant to Claim 9, wherein the locking means is attached to the body and engages with the support member.

28. The apparatus of Claim 26 or Claim 27, wherein the locking means comprises a pin movable with respect to the body and the support member.

29. The apparatus of Claim 28, wherein the pin can be advanced into a recess in the support member.

30. The apparatus of Claim 28 or Claim 29, wherein the pin can be advanced against a keyway in the support member.

31. The apparatus of any of Claims 28 to 30, wherein the pin is in threaded engagement with the body.

32. The apparatus of any of Claims 28 to 31, wherein the pin is in a third cavity within the body.

33. The apparatus of Claim 32 when appendant to Claim 22, wherein the third cavity intersects with the first cavity.

34. The apparatus of any of Claims 9 to 33, including a damper for slowing movement of the support member with respect to the body.

35. The apparatus of Claim 34, wherein damping is by virtue of friction between sliding surfaces of the damper.

36. The apparatus of Claim 34 or Claim 35, wherein the support member moves with respect to a friction surface fixed in relation to the body, and a friction member moves with the support member over the friction surface.

37. The apparatus of Claim 36 when appendant to Claim 21, wherein the shaft defining the support member is surrounded by a tube defining the friction surface.

38. The apparatus of Claim 37, wherein the friction member is a washer attached to the shaft and bearing against the inside of the tube.

39. The apparatus of Claim 37 or Claim 38, wherein the tube extends from the body.

40. The apparatus of Claim 39, wherein the tube is opposed to the leg rest about the body.

41. The apparatus of Claim 40, wherein the support member extends from the leg rest through the body to emerge within the tube.

42. The apparatus of Claim 34, wherein damping is by virtue of resistance to fluid flow.

43. The apparatus of any of Claims 8 to 42, wherein the body is heightadjustable with respect to the floor.

44. The apparatus of any of Claims 8 to 43, wherein the body is supported above the floor by at least one leg resting upon the floor.

45. The apparatus of Claim 44, wherein the body is supported by a single leg or pillar.

46. The apparatus of Claim 45, wherein the leg or pillar is removably attachable to the body.

47. The apparatus of any of Claims 44 to 46 when appendant to Claim 43, wherein the or each leg is adjustable in length.

48. The apparatus of any of Claims 44 to 47, wherein the or each leg includes two or more sections removably and/or repositionably attachable to each other.

49. The apparatus of Claim 48, wherein the sections interact telescopically with one another.

50. The apparatus of any of Claims 44 to 49, wherein the or each leg has a foot for spreading the weight of the apparatus across the floor.

51. The apparatus of Claim 50, wherein the foot comprises at least two parts foldably or detachably attached to each other.

52. The apparatus of any of Claims 49 to 51, wherein the foot is removably attachable to the associated leg.

53. The apparatus of Claim 52 when appendant to Claim 51, wherein a means for attaching the foot to the leg is in at least two parts, one part being associated with each part of the foot.

54. The apparatus of Claim 53, wherein the parts of the means for attaching the foot are held together by attachment of the foot to the leg.

55. The apparatus of any preceding Claim, and including at least one handgrip.

56. The apparatus of Claim 55 when appendant to Claim 8, wherein the handgrip is movable with respect to the body.

57. The apparatus of Claim 56, wherein the handgrip moves in register with the leg rest.

58. The apparatus of Claim 57, wherein the handgrip is mounted to, fixed with respect to, or integral with the leg rest.

59. The apparatus of any of Claims 55 to 58, wherein the handgrip is movable with respect to the leg rest.

60. The apparatus of any of Claims 57 to 59, wherein the handgrip extends outwardly from the leg rest.

61. The apparatus of any of Claims 57 to 60, wherein the hand grip extends downwardly from the leg rest.

62. The apparatus of any of Claims 55 to 61, wherein the handgrip extends towards the user during use.

63. A method of stretching the muscles, tendons and ligaments of a leg, comprising standing on one leg on a floor, resting the other, elevated leg on a leg rest that can be raised or lowered 0 with respect to the floor, and raising the leg rest to stretch the muscles, tendons and ligaments of the leg resting on the leg rest.

64. The method of Claim 63, further comprising manually operating a drive member to move the leg rest along a substantially vertical axis.

65. The method of Claim 63 or Claim 64, further comprising locking the leg rest with respect to the body to prevent vertical movement of the leg rest.

66. The method of any of Claims 63 to 65, further comprising gripping at least one handgrip during the stretch.

67. Apparatus adapted to stretch the muscles, tendons and ligaments of a leg, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, or as illustrated in any of the accompanying drawings.

68. A method of stretching the muscles, tendons and ligaments of a leg substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, or as illustrated in any of the accompanying drawings.