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History

The Surge of Chi® Exerciser is designed to provide a special type of exercise that we call ‘passive exercise’ – it’s called ‘passive’ because the exercise is happening while you are lying down doing nothing! Its origins lie in Japan, where many years ago there was a recognition amongst healthcare professionals of the value of creating a sideways motion starting at the feet. Originally the movement was achieved either by a therapist swinging the feet of the patient manually, or by teaching people to simulate the movement themselves, using various self-applied techniques such as the Nishi-shiki method.

The original Japanese version of the exerciser - called a ‘feet-swinging device’ - was invented in 1988. The invention was apparently inspired by a Japanese medical doctor, who had specialised in studying the action of oxygen within the body at all levels. The story goes that the doctor’s inspiration for this concept was the elegant swimming motion of the goldfish. He observed that fish and almost all animal life enjoy a natural exercise of the spinal column that humans lack - due to our erect posture. This inspired him to design a machine that could generate movement in humans effortlessly while lying in a horizontal position. This way of exercising was already known in Japan as kingyo undo - or 'goldfish exercise' - first introduced as part of Nishi-shiki in 1927.

When the motor-assisted version of this simple concept was put into practice, the Japanese realised that benefits occurred at many levels. The finished product was recognised as a remedial medical device by the Ministry of Health & Welfare in 1990, and with their health-conscious and busy lifestyles, huge numbers of Japanese quickly became enthusiasts.

The boom in popularity of these exercisers then spread to the Chinese, who have a long tradition of taking personal responsibility for their own healthcare too - as exemplified by the well-known sight of Tai Chi and Chi Gung enthusiasts of all ages exercising daily in public open spaces, and in group sessions at their places of work.

Chinese researchers realised that the flow of ‘chi’ energy throughout the body was significantly raised by their use. Traditional Chinese medicine is based on stimulating chi energy to keep the body’s systems in balance, so the Chinese understood how valuable this revolutionary exerciser was on many levels.

Later the concept was introduced to America, where it was first patented in 1992 as “kinesitherapic equipment”, designed to provide “stress-free aerobic exercise”. The Taiwanese company who introduced it to the West did so under the trade-marked product name “Chi Machine” and its popularity led to this term becoming widely used, even though we are legally prevented form using this name for Chi Exercisers that were developed later.

The Second Generation of Chi Exercisers

The Surge of Chi Exerciser was developed for Western physiques, adopting a more robust engineering model than the early products - which were generally designed for the Asian market. The big step forward was to adopt a heavy-duty DC motor. This has given a more robust performance with a smoother ride, and enabled utilisation of more refined technology - including electronic programming. This means the user can adjust the speed during use, and enjoy other advanced controls and improvements over the original model and its imitators - which generally have AC motors and fixed speeds.

Please see our Technical Details page for more information on the
advanced specification of the Surge of Chi Exerciser.