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Exercising is an integral way to get the body in peak fitness form, but many times the techniques we are implementing are not the safest and can lead to a potential risk of an injury. Therefore, our goal in this project is to take a common exercise that is often performed incorrectly and create a mechanism which allows the user to perform the motion without increasing their risk for injury. After meeting with the Director of Applied Sports Science for UT Athletics, we decided to tackle the issues regarding a split leg squat. A split leg squat is performed when the lifter takes a staggered stance with each foot in the posterior and anterior directions, respectively. Seen in Figure __, with the feet drawn hip-width apart, the lifter lowers the posterior leg until the anterior leg forms a ninety-degree angle through the shank and thigh segments. The posterior can be either in an elevated position or simply level with the corresponding limb.
Figure____:
Rupture of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) is a common injury which can occur due to a multitude of reasons including sport and exercise. A typical remedy after ACL surgery is for individuals to go through rehabilitation as a means to strengthen the affected limb back to working conditions. One of the common exercises performed includes the split leg squat which focuses solely on the injured side such that the opposite will not compensate for movements.
A mechanical system which can restrict lateral and sagittal movements of the effective side of the knee will allow the users to perform safe and optimal exercise minimizing their potential risk for injury or re-injury, in this case.
Project Goal: Design and build a mechanism which will assist a person performing a split leg squat to have proper form and prevent further injury.
