EXERCISE MONITORING SYSTEM AND METHOD

DESCRIPTION

FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an exercise monitoring system and method.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A common form of physical exercise undertaken by both men and women is the use of fitness equipment in a gymnasium. Such equipment can take the form of a series of weight training stations. Each station is designed to be used by an athlete to exercise a particular muscle or group of muscles on the body of the user. Typically the user will sit or stand at the station and move a bar or handle that is connected to weights that oppose the motion of the bar or handle, thereby exercising the user's muscles. The amount of weight used can be set by the athlete and the number of repetitions executed by a user at the station is a determining factor in the performance of the exercise. Since the success of the user's overall workout is dependent upon the optimum use of the weight training stations, a number of developments in this technical area have been made. United States patent application publication US 2005/0010426 A1 describes a physical fitness workout processing methodology and system for enabling remote scheduling and set-up of workout sessions for individual gym members or groups. In a preferred embodiment, an individual or member is enabled to schedule a workout session in advance by using a wireless device or a personal computer from a location remote from the gymnasium where the workout session is to occur. The individual or user is enabled to schedule the use of various kinds of workout stations and equipment to ensure that the proper equipment is available for use by the individual at the time during a workout session when it is needed. When the member enters the gym, his or her presence is detected and the member is tracked throughout the workout session. Messages are displayed on display devices by workout stations to

announce that the equipment has been reserved for the member at the appropriate time. In one implementation, the member carries a membership card which transmits signals used to determine the member identification and location within the gym. When the member enters a workout station area, the member's individual settings for the exercise equipment at the workout station are automatically set and the workout data are automatically measured and entered into the member's physical fitness database which is maintained in storage at the gym server.

The system described in this patent application measures workout data such as the equipment used, time taken and number of repetitions of any particular exercise station, which is transferred to a central server, and made available for download to users. However, the system does not measure the effectiveness of the exercise undertaken, nor whether the exercise is being executed in a correct manner. No feedback to the user while they are exercising is provided.

United States patent application publication US 2003/0211916 A1 discloses an exercise parameters monitoring, recording and reporting system for free weight, weight stack, and sport-simulation exercise machines. The apparatus enables users of exercise equipment including free weight, weight stack, and or sport simulation devices to monitor, record, and report personal, group and sub-group exercise results. Bar-coded markings are affixed to free- weights or weight-stacks indicating different weight levels. A bar-code reader is operatively coupled to the equipment to read the bar-code markings and track the weight lifted, frequency of lift and other parameters. Sport-simulation exercise machines record data by internal software. The apparatus provides electronic and/or paper exercise receipt reports of exercise routine, progress and fitness achieved and includes a wireless interface for transmitting the data to a user-controlled personal data storage device, or a central storage device. A display is provided. Once again, the system of this patent application has a number of disadvantages. The system, as in the one detailed above, does not measure the effectiveness of the exercise undertaken, nor whether the exercise is being

executed in a correct manner. No feedback to the user while they are exercising is provided.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the invention to improve upon the known art.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an exercise monitoring system comprising a user interface device for storing exercise programme information, sensing means for measuring displacement of a weight on an exercise device, and a communication network connecting the user interface device to the sensing means, the sensing means arranged to transmit readings to the user interface device.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an exercise monitoring method comprising storing exercise programme information at a user interface device, measuring displacement of a weight on an exercise device by sensing means, and transmitting readings from the sensing means to the user interface device.

Owing to the invention, it is possible to provide an exercise monitoring system that, by measuring the displacement of the weight of an exercise device, can calibrate the effectiveness of the exercise undertaken, and establish whether the exercise is being executed in a correct manner.

The primary objective of the system is to monitor the quality of action with which the exerciser conducts each exercise. This goes further than simply recording the weight used and number of repetitions, as in the prior art. In particular, it is important for the user to maintain good "form" throughout the exercise. This includes maintaining a good posture throughout the whole exercise and keeping other parts of the body still that are not involved in the particular exercise.

It is in general not possible for a duty gym instructor to assess all the exercisers simultaneously to this level of detail. The invention will record the kind of measurements that will genuinely be of interest to the gym instructor or personal trainer during a periodic one-to-one review of the exercise programme. This goes beyond a record of the weight settings used, which is

information that would normally already be available on the user's written programme.

The emphasis of the invention is to assess the safety and effectiveness of the programme of exercise. These are the chief concerns of most gym customers, as well as fitness industry professionals.

There are a number of different approaches to weight training, but they all depend on careful selection of the weight setting for each type of exercise machine. The key to enhancing the effectiveness of an exercise is to identify when the exerciser should "progress" onto a different setting. Nothing in the prior art provides support for making such as decision.

The prior art systems do not have adequate resolution to distinguish the fatigue point from "lack of effort" or bad form. An ability to conduct additional repetitions with bad technique is not an indicator of "progress". Bad technique may include poor posture, or excessive back movement, etc, which brings extraneous muscles into play, when the objective is to exercise a specific muscle group in isolation.

Along with the need to encourage good form for the purposes of making the exercise effective, it is important to ensure that users are using the equipment in a safe manner. The exercise monitoring system is able to detect excessive speed or jerkiness of action that might indicate a risk of injury. The resolution of the sensing means would also be able to detect restricted or excessive range of motion, which might lead to either muscle imbalance or overuse injuries. The range of motion can be measured accurately, which is also crucial to the task of detecting when the exerciser has genuinely reached the point of fatigue.

The exercise monitoring system monitors the performance of the exercise, rather than just the settings of the machine, which results in readings that are much more valuable to the instructor when reviewing the exerciser's programme. The focus is more on safety and effectiveness, with the objective of improving the health and fitness of the exerciser, than on competitive-style achievement.

The danger with the prior art is that quantities like weight and number of repetitions are given primacy, but it is not generally true that maximising these quantities is the best way to improve fitness. Indeed the competitive approach alluded to may actually be counterproductive, as it tends in practice to encourage poor "form" and lead to injury.

In any case, aspects such as weights and repetitions can easily be found on the exerciser's written programme. It serves little purpose to monitor them as if to reprimand the exerciser if they decline to lift their usual weight. On the contrary, there are often good reasons for taking the weight down, depending on injury status, general health and the intensity of recent training sessions. As the system is able to monitor "form", good advice can be given about raising or lowering the weight, or number or repetitions, on each visit to the gym.

Advantageously, the system further comprises a display device connected to the communication network, the display device for displaying information received from the user interface device. The user interface device can carry information, for example, concerning the correct setup and number of repetitions for any particular exercise device. The provision of a display device, conveniently on the exercise machine, allows the setup and repetition information to be displayed to a user.

Preferably, the user interface device comprises a portable handheld device, and the communication network comprises a wireless link. A simple handheld device will make it easy for a user to access the exercise monitoring system, and will be easy and lightweight for the user to carry with them when they are undertaking an exercise programme.

Ideally, the sensing means is for measuring the speed of the displacement of the weight on the exercise device. The sensing means may comprise a single sensor, or may be made up of a group of sensors that are measuring different components of the exercise performance of the weights on the exercise device. The speed of displacement, coupled with the measurement of the distance of displacement can be used to very accurately determine whether the user is using the exercise machine correctly and safely.

By considering a displacement measurement taken over time (giving a speed measurement), it also possible to measure other quantities such as acceleration and therefore smoothness/jerkiness of the user's motion. These can be used to evaluate the user's performance. This will enable the user to obtain the maximum benefit from the exercise undertaken, while ensuring that the possibility of sustaining any injury is minimised.

Advantageously, the user interface device includes audio output means, and the user interface device is arranged to output an audio message from the audio output means in dependence upon the readings received from the sensing means. The provision of feedback to the user has a number of advantages. For example, the user can be informed immediately if they are undertaking the exercise in a manner that is likely to result in injury. The sensing means may detect that the weight on the exercise device is moving over a distance that is indicative that the user is straining. Likewise, if the system is measuring the speed of the weight displacement, then the detection by the sensing means of unsafe speed, either too slow or too fast, can result in an audible warning being passed to the user. The warning may be a simple bell or beep, or could comprise the recall and output of a saved spoken message. The feedback provided by the audio output means can also relate to the exercise programme that the user is undertaking, such as counting out the repetitions and telling the user when to stop.

The user interface device can also include storage means for storing the readings from the sensing means. By being able to store the readings of the sensing means, the data can be analysed remotely and at a later date. This can be done either by software or directly by a user to make performance decisions concerning the exercise programme of the user. For example, the stored data could be used to determine when a user is ready to increase the weight or number of repetitions of a particular exercise station.

Preferably, the user interface device includes display means, and the user interface device is arranged to identify the exercise device and display accordingly information relevant to the identified exercise device. Each exercise device will store details of its own identity, and this can be

communicated to the user interface device, preferably when the user interface device comes into proximity with the specific exercise device. Once the user interface device becomes aware of the exercise device, it can display information relevant to the exercise device, such as the setup the specific user should use and the amount weight and number of repetitions. This greatly facilitates the easy of use of the individual exercises devices for the end user of the system.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an exercise monitoring system, Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a portion of the exercise monitoring system of Figure 1 , and Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a second embodiment of the exercise monitoring system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In Figure 1 an exercise monitoring system 10 is shown, which includes a user interface device 12 (in the form of a handheld device 12) for storing exercise programme information 14, and sensing means 16 for measuring the displacement 18 of a weight 20 on an exercise device 22. The system also includes a wireless communication network connecting the user interface device 12 to the sensing means 16. The sensing means 16 is arranged to transmit readings to the user interface device 12, based upon the measurements taken by the sensing means 16. The sensing means 16 may comprise a single sensor or a group of interlinked sensors, each measuring different parameters.

The exercise device 22 will form part of a series of exercise devices that a user will operate in turn, as they perform an exercise programme. The user will carry with them the portable handheld user interface device 12, which stores the exercise programme information 14. The exercise programme

information 14 will contain details of the correct settings for the exercise device 22.

The handheld device 12 provides a training aid to be used by an exerciser in the gym. The device 12 contains details of their intended programme of exercise and also records their performance on each occasion that they are in the gym. The handheld device is shown, in Figure 1 , in the form of a PDA, but a device such as mobile phone or any other mobile device with a wireless interface, which is able to link with sensors in the machine that is being used, will be suitable. The handheld device 12 can be linked to a display on the wrist, be worn on a belt, or integrated in some fashion with their sports clothing.

The user interface device 12 includes display means 36, audio output means 38, and storage means 40 for storing the readings from the sensing means. The device 12 assists the user with getting the settings right for each exercise machine and records the performance of the user's exercise on the machine 22 to provide feedback to be used for possible changes to the programme at subsequent visits.

Each machine 22 is tagged with a numeric identifier or other ID that can be read by the handheld device 12. The appropriate settings for this machine can then be displayed, either on the display 36 of the handheld device 12 or on a display associated with the machine 22. In a preferred embodiment, the device 12 would be able to read the ID wirelessly, using NFC (near field communication) for example. It would also be possible for the user to do this manually by choosing from a menu or typing in an ID number displayed on the machine.

The exercise machine 22 is fitted with the sensing means 16 to sense the moving parts of the machine. This will measure the movement of the apparatus to provide feedback on the performance of the exercise, such as the number of repetitions successfully completed, the extent of the movement and to distinguish "good form" from incorrect technique. For the user to benefit from the exercise that they are undertaking and to avoid injury, then they must accomplish the exercise on each machine correctly. The sensing means 16

measures the displacement of the weights 20 on the machine 22, and this allows the calculation of the overall performance of the exercise by the user.

Several aspects of a user's performance can be measured. The period of each repetition can be measured and compared with the programme to see whether it is faster or slower than intended. In general, slower movements mean greater intensity (more difficulty) than fast movements, a fact that many new users of gym equipment find counter intuitive. However, the user's exercise programme may deliberately specify faster movements for an advanced exerciser aiming to develop greater 'power" in their actions, provided that good technique is not compromised.

Good technique is generally characterised by smooth movements. Any jerkiness in the movement can be assessed with the aid of the sensing means 16. Resistance machines are designed to target the action on particular muscles in order to train those muscles in the most effective manner. This depends on isolating the movement from other muscles that are not meant to be employed during that exercise. If jerkiness is detected, it may indicate that an incorrect technique is being employed by the user, such as throwing back the shoulders to assist a bicep curl. This kind of uncontrolled motion is a potential injury risk as well as reducing the effectiveness of the exercise. The range of movement of the action that the user is making in the performance of the exercise can be measured and assessed. In general, it is necessary for the user to cover the full range of motion over the moving joint in order to get the full benefits from the exercise on the device. Training over a reduced range of motion tends to strengthen only over that range, leaving areas of weakness or increasing the risk of injury that may become apparent in everyday activities or sports. Conversely, a range of motion that is too great implies that additional muscles are being applied (other than those intended to be isolated) and also may imply a risk of an overuse injury in that joint. Once a user's own optimum range of movement has been determined for a particular exercise, the handheld device 12 can monitor each repetition to detect whether the range of movement is too small or too great.

The above measurements may be used to assist in setting/finding the ten repetition point (10RM), for example, and to update it as the user's capabilities expand over time. The ten repetition point for any particular exercise device is the amount of weight that a user can move for ten repetitions and no more, while being under sufficient exertion. On the last couple of repetitions of a set of repetitions, it is to be expected that the speed of the user's action will be lower and possibly the range of motion will be rather less than normal. These are signs that the point of fatigue has been reached and when occurring on the tenth repetition, this would indicate that the ten repetition weight is about right. However, if these signs are not detected, or are detected earlier than expected, then it suggests that the ten repetition weight point should he adjusted for the next visit.

Figure 2 shows more detail of the sensing arrangement 16 of the exercise monitoring system 10 of Figure 1. The exercise device 22 has a cable with the portion 28 being connected to the weight stack 20 and the cable portion 30 being connected to the drawbar that the user will pull on to lift the weights. The cable runs over a pulley 32, which turns in proportion to the movement of the cable. The pulley 32 is provided with a series of evenly spaced reflective elements 34. The sensing means 16 is an optical sensor 16, which detects the passing of the reflective elements 34 as the pulley 32 turns.

The optical sensor 16 is connected to a display device 26 which also includes a wireless interface. The display device 26 may be a fixed display, or may be an electronic display that can show a variety of different information. The display device 26 is connected to the communication network, and can be used for displaying information received from the user interface device. The user interface device 12 has a small text screen 36 and an NFC (near field communication) wireless interface, as shown in Figure 1.

Each of the fixed resistance machines 22 in the gym is fitted with appropriate instrumentation and an NFC panel 26. In many gyms each type of machine is stickered with a prominent number used for organising a group of exercisers to rotate amongst the machines during circuit training classes. The

NFC panel 26 can be associated with this sticker so the exerciser touches their device to the sticker in order to transfer data.

Before using a machine, the user brings their handheld user interface device 12 into proximity with the NFC panel 26 and the machine number is read into the user interface device 12. The device 12 then looks up the exercise device 22 in the user's programme for the training session and displays the settings that should be adopted on the display 36. For example, "Machine 11 - Rear DeIt: seat at setting 7, chest pad at setting 1 , weight 73Ib" (abbreviated or paged as necessary to fit on the display 36). Alternatively, there could be an LCD readout attached to the exercise device 22 to display this information.

Optionally, the machine could have detectors to determine the setting of the seat and chest pad and would advise changes only if they were not already correct. The handheld user interface device 12 would then display the details of the planned sets and repetitions. For example, "2 sets of 10 repetitions, 45 seconds rest between the sets." If desired, the handheld device 12 could beep to mark the start and end of the rest period. Should a heart rate monitor be integrated with the device 12, the end of the rest period could be triggered by returning to a defined resting heart rate. This would be of particular value for the machines aimed at the larger muscle groups, such as a leg press machine.

A summary of the correct technique could be displayed by either the handheld device 12 or the display associated with the exercise device 22, before the exercise commences. For example, "Balls of feet against the foot rest, back straight, chest remains in contact with the pad, wrists fixed, use horizontal handles keeping elbows high." If the device 12 is integrated with a media player and headphones, audio reminders on the correct technique could be given during the exercise, and this could be customised according to the actual performance currently being measured. For example, "smooth action, lower under control" or "two seconds up, two seconds down".

During the exercise, the instrumentation on the device 22 would assess the performance of the exerciser. Suitable sensors include a strain gauge,

pulley angle/rotation or possibly both. A sensor to measure pulley rotation would be an inexpensive option that would measure the speed of the displacement of the weight on the exercise device, and the range of movement and smoothness of operation. The strain gauge option would require more advanced processing, but would provide a check on the weight setting and better jerkiness detection in addition to the above measurements.

The user interface device 12 can include audio output means 38. The user interface device 12 can be arranged to output an audio message from the audio output means 38 in dependence upon the readings received from the sensing means. Motivating music could be played at an appropriate speed to synchronise with the movement of the weights, encouraging smooth movements. A variety of speed counts could be incorporated into the exercise, such as a set to be performed at half speed or "three up, one down" movements. At the end of the exercise the exerciser brings their device 12 up to the

NFC panel 26 again and receives a summary of their performance. This may include updated recommendations for the next visit. Encouragement based on aspects that went well is as important as a critique of aspects that can be improved upon. The performance data may subsequently be discussed with the gym instructor, who will assess the effectiveness of the user's programme and suggest modifications, alternatives or progressions according to the progress the exerciser is making. This can also be accomplished offline by a software package that can analyse the data from the performance of the exercise and make suggestions for increased weight etc. Figure 3 shows an alternative embodiment of the exercise monitoring system 10, in which the user interface device 12 is a wristwatch 12, which stores the exercise programme information 14. When the wristwatch 12 is brought into proximity with the near field communication pad/display 26, then the communication network 24 transfers the exercise programme information 14 to the associated exercise device 22. Depending upon the functionality of the wristwatch 12, information can be displayed on the display of the watch 12, or the display 26 can be used.

Many characteristics of the invention are also applicable to cardiovascular machines. There are many disabled users of gym equipment and frequently there are additional settings pertinent to wheel chair users, etc.

Elements of the user interface device 12 may be distributed amongst different devices. For example, it may be integrated with other devices on a persons body centric network. Existing sports related sensors such as heart rate monitors and respiration monitors may be integrated into a body worn device 12 to provide more thorough performance monitoring. Media players and headphones may also be used to enhance the user's experience, such as playing music to coordinate with the exercise being performed. Integration with flexible wearable displays attached to fabric clothing would permit the use of large display areas without making the equipment bulky.

The purpose of the exercise monitoring system 10 is primarily aimed at monitoring the safety and effectiveness of the way the exerciser is performing their programme. It would not be possible to properly monitor these aspects using the equipment described in the prior art.

At the same time, the sensing means 16 is simpler, cheaper and more reliable than those proposed in the prior art. The sensor 16 monitors the displacement and (optionally) the speed of the draw cable as a continuous quantity, enabling much better analysis of the exerciser's technique. To record this analysis requires a certain level of sophistication, which is achieved using a wireless interface to the device 12 (such as a PDA) which is carried by the exerciser.

The sensing arrangement described with reference to Figures 1 to 3 uses an optical sensor 16 to monitor the displacement D of the weight 20. An alternative embodiment is a strain gauge on the pulley mounting point. This would be able to measure the same quantities as the main embodiment, subject to greater processing, but would be also capable of measuring the actual weight being lifted, should that be thought desirable. To optimise their performance, the exerciser should be working with weights that are chosen according to a particular "repetition maximum" (RM) target, according to the users own training objectives. For example, the typical

recommendation to optimise both strength and endurance is to choose a weight that can be lifted between 8 and 12 times, only. Thus a weight may be set such that the user can perform the exercise exactly 10 times before being too fatigued to do any more. This set point, known as the 10RM weight, must normally be found experimentally. Other training objectives require different set points to be discovered, such as 6RM and 25RM weights.

Achieving the desired number of repetitions with good "form" is much more important than whatever the weight value itself might be. If, after a course of training, the exerciser becomes capable of performing more repetitions with the same weight, the 1ORM set point needs to be adjusted. Being able to tell whether the weight is too heavy or too light is more important than the task finding out what the current weight actually is.

To see whether the current 1ORM point remains correct requires detection of the fatigue point, where the exerciser is unable to lift the weight any more times. This can be assessed by monitoring the performance of the exercise through the displacement of the weights and the velocity of action and detecting any changes in range of motion from repetition to repetition. The handheld device 12 can make calculations based upon the information received from the sensing means 16, and can present the user via the display 36 with information about changes that they should make to their exercise routine to improve their overall performance.

The ability of the sensor 16 accurately to detect speed and smoothness facilitates a great variety of training programmes. There are a wide variety of approaches to weight training, including supersets, pyramid schemes, various rhythm patterns and the like. The system 10 is capable of monitoring the performance of all of these various approaches, and can recommend optimum settings according to the exerciser's own performance of each approach.

The handheld device 12 can also assist with the setting up of the equipment, in respect of features such as seat height, limits of travel, etc. It is very important to get these settings right in order to achieve "good form" while exercising. Unfortunately, these are just the sort of settings that the novice user finds difficult to remember. To write these down on a paper programme

would make it very cluttered and difficult to follow. Even experienced users also sometimes find it tricky to identify the right settings, without the aid of a qualified individual to visually check their form from various angles while exercising, so help with recording and recalling these settings is of value to everyone. The user interface device 12 can store this level of detail and provide it on demand when a user has selected a particular exercise machine to operate. The user interface device 12 is arranged to identify the exercise device 22 and display accordingly information relevant to the identified exercise device 22. The user interface device 12 can be connected to headphones as part of a personal network or entertainment system, and this can be used to play audio snippets to give relevant training advice to the user. This advice could be based on the actual real-time performance monitoring, giving hints on safety issues or effectiveness aspects. At its simplest, the device 12 could use a loud speaker to emit beeps to indicate the desired lifting speed and rhythm, to mark the beginning and end of sets, and perhaps warning alarms upon detection of potentially dangerous use.