| More
Information |
|
|
|
|
| Category |
Healthcare |
|
|
| Title |
Marutijhula-An Innovative Health Care Chair |
|
|
| Details |
Health is wealth - an old saying that we get to get to hear, at each and every stage of our life. As a child, one is reminded by elders of the family to be careful and maintain good health. As we grow old, work pressures, steep deadlines, pollution and stress affects our health adversely. Time and/or monetary constraints may not permit one to the privilege of visiting health clubs/gyms, etc. Personal exercising instruments available in the market cause a big dent in the pocket as well. As an endeavour to resolve these problems innovator Shri Sakrabhai Prajapati has devised a complete solution to meet the health needs right at one’s own doorsteps – ‘Maruti Jhula: An innovative health care chair’.
Sakharbhai’s family is well knit joint family consisting of a wife (60 years), two sons (23 and 35 years), a daughter in law and a grandson. The family owns its own business, 'Brahamani Fabrica -tion Works’, where they make window grills and frames. Shri Prajapati who is now 65, has studied till SSC. He has always had special interest in Physical Education and has a Certificate in it also. Before starting his business, Prajapati was a physical education teacher in a High school.
The idea of making such a chair came to him in 1998 while he was nursing an accident injury. His shin bone was broken The doctor had advised him to exercise his legs by sitting and moving them up and down but he was unable to do so. Every time he lifted his legs his torso fell backwards. He saw his grandson rocking in a cradle and instantly got the idea of making a chair which can move to and fro rather than side ways as in the case of the cradle. Once he recuperated in 1999, he started working on the idea and after numerous hits and trials, experimenting with various designs, he finally came up with the first prototype. This was in the beginning of the year 2000. Thereafter, he commercialized it. He does make certain cosmetic changes to the structure, with new orders, as per the needs of the buyer.
He has shown his jhoola to a few doctors also who have complimented his innovation. After a media coverage of the Health Care Chair by NDTV, much interest has been generated in his jhoola and he has been receiving a large number of enquiries from across the country. So much so, that presently he is unable to meet the rising demand. He is looking forward to some sort of licensing for his innovation so that he can reduce the demand-supply gap at far off places and effectively meet his orders.
The said equipment is very simple and is actually a combination of chair and exerciser. Its USP is its low price, which people across all sections of the society can afford at almost zero maintenance cost. Conventional rocking chair available in the market in different designs cost around Rs 2000 to Rs 3000. Different chairs for exercising are also available in the market with more advanced features but are highly expensive. Further, swings available in the market are rigid, i.e. they cannot be tilted as per one's requirements and cost around Rs 3500.
This all new innovative health care chair, serves the purpose of seating as well as exercising with a capacity to accommodate a person weighing up to 120 kg. This product is ideally situated for Indian urban middle class adult who seldom goes to a health club or outdoors for exercise and would prefer an easy chair, which he can use both for relaxation and exercise. Some important features of the health care chair are - (a) Easy to tilt – according to the comfort of the person; (b) Helps in reducing the knee pain; (c) Gives the effect of acupuncture in lower part of the legs; (d) Helps in curing / avoiding piles; (e) Treats Constipation; (f) Increases Blood circulation – helpful to remove blood clods; (g) Gives rhythmic effect to body; (h) Gives a relief to the knee and other aches in the lower part of the body; (i) Helpful to paralytic patients (j) Reduces obesity; (k) An effective exercise kit for pregnant ladies.
The structure of the equipment is like a swing, where the modifications have been made on the sitting platform in the form of a chair. The platform is a parallelogram structured as side view, with the vertical arms extended in opposite direction. The link, which extends away from the ground, is the backrest for the chair and the link extending towards ground is the leg support for the person sitting on the chair. The vertices of the parallelogram are hinged, so as the entire setup can follow a specified path and the chair may be used as an easy chair or as a bed. The innovator calls the swing as a “Jhula – cum-chair” also he has provided some additional links so that, one can even exercise his limbs while lying back or sitting. The structure is balanced in such a manner that if one transfers his\her entire weight on one side of the swing, he will not topple. Also the entire unit is collapsible and portable.
GIAN, Bungalow No. 1, Satellite Complex Jodhpur Tekra, Satellite Ahmedabad- 380015 Tel: 079-26769686 Fax: 079-26760398
Email: gian@gian.org
Website-www.gian.org
Sakrabhai Prajapati Village: Dingucha Taluka: Kalol , District: Mehsana Gujarat Tel: 9879519331 H |
|
|
| Volume No. |
Honey Bee, 17(1) & (2): 20 & 36, 2006 |
