Method for measuring exercise

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for measuring an exercise, in which method the electrical signals caused by active muscles are measured with a measuring device and response is given from the physical performance with a perceivable signal. In the method in accordance with the invention by measuring and analyzing EMG activities of muscles or EMG activities of muscles and movements of the body quantities describing the physical performance and/or the result of the physical performance are calculated or evaluated.

1 . A method for measuring an exercise, in which method electrical signal caused by active muscles are measured with a measuring device and response is given from the physical performance with a perceivable signal, characterized in that quantities describing an exercise and/or the result of an exercise are calculated or evaluated by measuring and analyzing EMG activities of muscles or EMG activities of muscles and movements of the body.  
     
     
         2 . A method in accordance with  claim 1  for measuring the rhythm and/or the total number of movements of an exercise, characterized in that from one or several EMG signals measured from one or several muscles during an exercise the number of activating times in it during a desired period of time is identified and by means of those the number of physical performances carried out in a time unit and/or the total number of physical performances are calculated.  
     
     
         3 . A method in accordance with  claim 2 , characterized in that the calculation accuracy is improved by measuring simultaneously muscles of symmetrical limbs and by comparing the results among themselves.  
     
     
         4 . A method in accordance with  claim 1 , characterized in that the calculation accuracy is improved by utilizing the information gathered from signals of two or more inertial sensors placed on the body and measured simultaneously as a reference information.  
     
     
         5 . A method in accordance with  claim 2  for measuring the pace rhythm of running and/or the total number of steps, characterized in that the pace rhythm and the total number of steps are calculated from the EMG signals from muscles on the front part of the thigh and/or back part of the thigh and/or below the knee measured during running.  
     
     
         6 . A method in accordance with claims  2  for measuring the number of revolutions of cranks in time unit and/or the total number of crank revolutions in cycling, characterized in that the number of revolutions in time unit and/or the total number of crank revolutions are calculated from EMG signals from muscles on the front part of the thigh and/or on the back part of the thigh and/or below the knee during cycling.  
     
     
         7 . A method in accordance with  claim 1 , characterized in that the momentary proceeding speed of walking or running is calculated by measuring the length of pace by means of the time of the foot being on the ground and by multiplying the pace length by the pace rhythm.  
     
     
         8 . A method in accordance with  claim 7 , characterized in that the time of a foot being on the ground during a pace is identified and measured during a performance from activating phases of one or more EMG signals measured from one or more muscles.  
     
     
         9 . A method in accordance with  claim 7 , characterized in that simultaneously with measuring the EMG signal one or more inertia signals are measured and from those the time of a foot being on the ground during a pace is being identified and measured.  
     
     
         10 . A method in accordance with  claim 7 , characterized in that the moment of a foot striking the ground is identified from the activating moment of the front thigh and the moment of a foot coming off the ground from the minimum moment of the vertical acceleration signal.  
     
     
         11 . A method in accordance with  claim 7 , characterized in that the calculation accuracy is improved by using proportional to proceeding speed quantities from one or more EMG signals measured simultaneously as reference data.  
     
     
         12 . A method in accordance with claims  1 , characterized in that the momentary proceeding speed of walking or running is assessed by calculating the ratio of one or several loading levels during a pace calculated from EMG signal to the total loading of the whole time of a pace and/or the time of the foot being on the ground nadir the time spent to a pace.  
     
     
         13 . A method in accordance with  claim 12 , characterized in that the time of a foot being on the ground during a pace is identified and measured during a performance from activating phases of one or more EMG signals measured from one or more muscles.  
     
     
         14 . A method in accordance with  claim 12 , characterized in that simultaneously with measuring the EMG signal one or more inertia signals are measured and from those the time of a foot being on the ground during a pace is being identified and measured.  
     
     
         15 . A method in accordance with  claim 12 , characterized in that the moment of a foot striking the ground is identified from the activating moment of the front thigh and the moment of a foot coming off the ground from the minimum moment of the vertical acceleration signal.  
     
     
         16 . A method in accordance with  claim 12 , characterized in that the calculation accuracy is improved by using proportional to proceeding speed quantities from one or more EMG signals measured simultaneously as reference data.  
     
     
         17 . A method in accordance with  claim 1 , characterized in that the calculation accuracy is improved by using the information from signals measured simultaneously from one or more sensors placed on the body and following the shape and changes of the terrain as reference data.  
     
     
         18 . A method in accordance with  claim 1 , characterized in that the pace length is measured by means of the time of a foot being on the ground and the distance covered during walking or running is measured by summarizing the lengths of separate measured paces.  
     
     
         19 . A method in accordance with  claim 1  for measuring a loading level during an exercise, characterized in that the momentary total loading of the performance is measured by summarizing all momentary AEMG values measured from muscles and comparing the result with the reference value.  
     
     
         20 . A method in accordance with  claim 1  for measuring a loading during an exercise, characterized in that the cumulative total loading of a performance is measured by summarizing the cumulative AEMG values measured from all measured muscles and comparing the result with the reference value.  
     
     
         21 . A method in accordance with  claim 1  for measuring a loading during an exercise, characterized in that the momentary loading of the left and/or right side of the body is measured by summarizing the momentary AEMG values measured from all left side muscles and/or right side muscles and by calculating the ratio of momentary loadings of the left and/or the right side to the simultaneous momentary total loading.  
     
     
         22 . A method in accordance with  claim 1  for measuring a loading during an exercise, characterized in that the cumulative loading of the left and/or the right side of the body is measured by summarizing the cumulative AEMG values measured from all left side muscles and/or the right side muscles and calculating the ratio of the left side and/or the right loadings to the simultaneous cumulative total loading.  
     
     
         23 . A method in accordance with  claim 1  for measuring a loading during an exercise, characterized in that the momentary loading of the upper part of the body and/or the lower part is measured by summarizing the momentary AEMG values measured from all upper part muscles and/or lower part muscles and calculating the ratio of the momentary loadings of the upper part and/or the lower part to the simultaneous momentary total loading.  
     
     
         24 . A method in accordance with  claim 1  for measuring a loading during an exercise, characterized in that the cumulative loading of the upper part of the body and/or the lower part is measured by summarizing the cumulative AEMG values measured from all upper part muscles of the body and/or lower part of the body and calculating the ratio of the cumulative loadings of the upper part and/or the lower part to the simultaneous cumulative total loading.  
     
     
         25 . A method in accordance with  claim 1  for measuring a loading level during an exercise, characterized in that the momentary optimal loading is measured by calculating the ratio of momentary AEMG values from chosen agonist/antagonist muscles and by comparing the result with the reference value.  
     
     
         26 . A method in accordance with  claim 1  for measuring a loading level during an exercise, characterized in that the cumulative optimal loading is measured by calculating the ratio of the cumulative AEMG values from chosen agonist/antagonist muscles and by comparing the result with the reference value.  
     
     
         27 . A method in accordance with  claim 1 , characterized in that the measuring accuracy is improved by filtering from the EMG signals such frequency bands, where EMG signals contain distortion caused by motion disturbances or by other disturbance sources that are typically related to the physical performance and/or the measuring method.