MUSCLE ACTIVITY OUTPUT SYSTEM, MUSCLE ACTIVITY OUTPUT METHOD, AND PROGRAM

Abstract

To provide a technique to grasp present muscle activity for each muscle part including a deep muscle.SOLUTION: A muscle activity output system 1 includes: a muscle activity DB 201 for holding crank angle information indicating a crank angle of a crank 40 of an exercise apparatus 100 when an exerciser U moves his or her body along a track stipulated by the exercise apparatus 100 that applies a load to muscles of the exerciser U, and muscle activity information indicating muscle activity of each muscle part of the exerciser U, which are associated with each other. The muscle activity output system 1 includes a crank angle information acquisition unit 205 for acquiring the crank angle information in real time while the exerciser U is moving his or her body along the track. The muscle activity output system 1 includes a muscle activity information acquisition unit 206 for acquiring present muscle activity information for each muscle part on the basis of the present crank angle information of the exercise apparatus 100 and the muscle activity DB 201. The muscle activity output system 1 includes an output unit 207 for outputting the present muscle activity information for each muscle part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a muscle activity output system, a muscle activity output method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an exercise machine in which the user pedals while in a seated position. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-94577 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] By the way, there is a known surface electromyography sensor that measures myoelectric potential as an action potential generated when muscle fibers contract. By attaching this surface electromyography sensor to the skin closest to the muscle site to be monitored, it is possible to monitor the muscle activity of the muscle site.

[0005] However, monitoring muscle activity using a surface EMG sensor has the following problem: Since it is only possible to monitor the muscle site where the surface EMG sensor is attached, if one wishes to simultaneously monitor the muscle activity of multiple muscle sites, it is necessary to attach multiple surface EMG sensors in the appropriate locations each time, which is extremely cumbersome.

[0006] In addition, surface EMG sensors can only monitor the activity of superficial muscles. Monitoring the activity of deep muscles requires needle electrodes, but needle electrodes cannot be used during exercise.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a technique for grasping the current muscle activity level for each muscle site, including deep muscles. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a muscle activity output system including: a muscle activity database that holds, in association with each other, information on the posture of a moving part of a training device when an athlete moves his / her body along a trajectory defined by the training device that applies a load to the muscles of the athlete; and information on muscle activity of each muscle part of the athlete; a moving part posture information acquisition unit that acquires the moving part posture information in real time while the athlete moves his / her body along the trajectory; a muscle activity information acquisition unit that acquires current muscle activity information for each muscle part based on the current moving part posture information of the training device and the muscle activity database; and an output unit that outputs current muscle activity information for each muscle part. According to the above configuration, the current muscle activity of each muscle part including deep muscles can be grasped, so that it is possible to check whether the muscle part to be activated is activated or not. Therefore, it is possible to check whether the exercise being performed is in line with the purpose, so that an effective exercise can be realized. In addition, by presenting the exerciser with the muscles that are activated on a human body model exercising, the exerciser can focus his or her attention on those muscles while exercising, which is expected to improve the effectiveness of the exercise. Preferably, the training machine is a pedaling exercise machine on which the exerciser performs pedaling exercise in a seated position. The movable part posture information of the training machine is crank angle information indicating a crank angle of the pedaling exercise machine. Preferably, the muscle activity database holds the moving part posture information and the muscle activity information in association with exercise condition information indicating the exercise conditions of the exerciser. The muscle activity output system further includes an exercise condition information acquisition unit that acquires the exercise condition information. The muscle activity information acquisition unit acquires current muscle activity information for each muscle site based on the current moving part posture information and exercise condition information of the training equipment, and the muscle activity database. With the above configuration, it is possible to grasp the current muscle activity for each muscle site, including deep muscles, with high accuracy. Preferably, the muscle activity database holds the moving part posture information and the muscle activity information in association with the body specific information of the exerciser. The muscle activity output system further includes a body specific information acquisition unit that acquires the body specific information. The muscle activity information acquisition unit acquires current muscle activity information for each muscle site based on the moving part posture information and body specific information of the training equipment, and the muscle activity database. With the above configuration, it is possible to grasp the current muscle activity for each muscle site, including deep muscles, with high accuracy. Preferably, the muscle activity database holds at least the movable part posture information and muscle activity information indicating muscle activity of deep muscles of the exerciser in association with each other. According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a muscle activity output method including: a step of acquiring moving part posture information in real time while the athlete is moving his / her body along a trajectory defined by a training machine that applies a load to the athlete's muscles, using a muscle activity database that stores moving part posture information indicating the posture of the moving part of the training machine when the athlete moves his / her body along the trajectory; a step of acquiring current muscle activity information for each muscle part based on the current moving part posture information of the training machine and the muscle activity database; and a step of outputting the current muscle activity information for each muscle part. According to the above method, the current muscle activity can be grasped for each muscle part including deep muscles, so that it is possible to check whether the muscle part to be activated is activated or not. Therefore, it is possible to check whether the exercise being performed is in line with the purpose, so that an effective exercise can be realized. According to a third aspect of the present invention, a program is provided for making a computer execute the following steps: a moving part posture information acquisition step of acquiring moving part posture information in real time while the athlete is moving his / her body along a trajectory defined by a training machine that applies a load to the athlete's muscles, using a muscle activity database that stores moving part posture information indicating the posture of the moving part of the training machine when the athlete moves his / her body along the trajectory; a muscle activity information acquisition step of acquiring current muscle activity information for each muscle part based on the current moving part posture information of the training machine and the muscle activity database; and an output step of outputting current muscle activity information for each muscle part. According to the above program, the current muscle activity can be grasped for each muscle part including deep muscles, so that it is possible to check whether the muscle part to be activated is activated or not. Therefore, it is possible to check whether the exercise being performed is in line with the purpose, so that an effective exercise can be realized. According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a muscle activity output system including: a muscle activity database that holds, in association with each other, moving part posture information indicating the posture of a moving part of a training device when an athlete moves his / her body along a trajectory defined by the training device that applies a load to the muscles of the athlete, and muscle activity information indicating the muscle activity of each muscle part of the athlete; a body posture information acquisition unit that acquires the body posture information of the athlete in real time while the athlete is moving his / her body along the trajectory; a conversion unit that converts the body posture information into the moving part posture information; a muscle activity information acquisition unit that acquires current muscle activity information for each muscle part based on the current moving part posture information of the training device and the muscle activity database; and an output unit that outputs current muscle activity information for each muscle part. According to the above configuration, the current muscle activity can be grasped for each muscle part including deep muscles, so that it is possible to check whether the muscle part to be activated is activated or not. Therefore, it is possible to check whether the exercise being performed is in line with the purpose, so that an effective exercise is realized. According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a muscle activity output method including: a body posture information acquisition step of acquiring the body posture information of the exerciser in real time while the exerciser is moving his / her body along a trajectory defined by a training machine that applies a load to the exerciser's muscles, using a muscle activity database that stores information on the posture of the moving part of the training machine and information on the muscle activity of each muscle part of the exerciser in association with each other, a conversion step of converting the body posture information into the moving part posture information, a muscle activity information acquisition step of acquiring current muscle activity information for each muscle part based on the current moving part posture information of the training machine and the muscle activity database, and an output step of outputting the current muscle activity information for each muscle part. According to the above method, the current muscle activity of each muscle part including deep muscles can be grasped, so that it is possible to check whether the muscle part to be activated is activated or not. Therefore, it is possible to check whether the exercise being performed is in line with the purpose, so that an effective exercise can be realized. According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, a program is provided for making a computer execute the following steps: a body posture information acquisition step of acquiring the body posture information of the exerciser in real time while the exerciser is moving his / her body along a trajectory defined by a training machine that applies a load to the exerciser's muscles, using a muscle activity database that stores information on the posture of the moving part of the training machine and information on muscle activity of each muscle part of the exerciser in association with each other, a conversion step of converting the body posture information into the moving part posture information, a muscle activity information acquisition step of acquiring current muscle activity information for each muscle part based on the current moving part posture information of the training machine and the muscle activity database, and an output step of outputting the current muscle activity information for each muscle part. According to the program, the current muscle activity of each muscle part including deep muscles can be grasped, so that it is possible to check whether the muscle part to be activated is activated or not. Therefore, it is possible to check whether the exercise being performed is in line with the purpose, so that an effective exercise can be realized. According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a muscle activity output system including: a muscle activity database that holds body posture information indicating the body posture of an exerciser when the exerciser moves his / her body along a predetermined trajectory and muscle activity information indicating the muscle activity of each muscle part of the exerciser in association with each other; a body posture information acquisition unit that acquires the body posture information in real time while the exerciser moves his / her body along the trajectory; a muscle activity information acquisition unit that acquires current muscle activity information for each muscle part based on the current body posture information of the exerciser and the muscle activity database; and an output unit that outputs current muscle activity information for each muscle part. According to the above configuration, the current muscle activity can be grasped for each muscle part including deep muscles, so that it is possible to check whether the muscle part to be activated is activated or not. Therefore, it is possible to check whether the current exercise is in line with the purpose, so that an effective exercise can be realized. Preferably, the body posture of the exerciser includes joint angles of joints of the exerciser's body. Preferably, the muscle activity database holds at least the body posture information and muscle activity information indicating muscle activity of deep muscles of the exerciser in association with each other. According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a muscle activity output method including: a body posture information acquisition step of acquiring the body posture information in real time while the exerciser is moving the body along a predetermined trajectory using a muscle activity database that stores body posture information indicating the body posture of the exerciser when the exerciser moves the body along the trajectory and muscle activity information indicating the muscle activity of each muscle part of the exerciser in association with each other; a muscle activity information acquisition step of acquiring current muscle activity information for each muscle part based on the current body posture information of the exerciser and the muscle activity database; and an output step of outputting the current muscle activity information for each muscle part. According to the above method, the current muscle activity of each muscle part including deep muscles can be grasped, so that it is possible to check whether the muscle part to be activated is activated or not. Therefore, it is possible to check whether the exercise being performed is in line with the purpose, so that an effective exercise can be realized. According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, a program is provided for making a computer execute the following steps: a body posture information acquisition step of acquiring the body posture information in real time while the exerciser is moving his / her body along a predetermined trajectory using a muscle activity database that stores body posture information indicating the body posture of the exerciser when the exerciser moves his / her body along the trajectory in association with muscle activity information indicating the muscle activity of each muscle part of the exerciser; a muscle activity information acquisition step of acquiring current muscle activity information for each muscle part based on the current body posture information of the exerciser and the muscle activity database; and an output step of outputting the current muscle activity information for each muscle part. According to the above program, the current muscle activity of each muscle part including deep muscles can be grasped, so that it is possible to check whether the muscle part to be activated is activated or not. Therefore, it is possible to check whether the exercise being performed is in line with the purpose, so that an effective exercise can be realized. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, since the current muscle activation level can be grasped for each muscle part including deep muscles, it is possible to confirm whether the muscle part to be activated is activated or not. Therefore, it is possible to confirm whether the exercise being performed is in line with the purpose, and therefore effective exercise can be realized. In addition, by presenting the active muscles on the exercising human body model to the exerciser, the exerciser can focus on the active muscles and exercise, which is expected to improve the exercise effect. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view of a pedaling exercise device (first embodiment). [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a side view of a pedaling exercise device (first embodiment). [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a muscle activity output system (first embodiment). [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a relationship between a crank angle and muscle activity (first embodiment). [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a relationship between a crank angle and muscle activity (first embodiment). [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a structure of a muscle activity database (first embodiment). [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a display example of a touch panel display (first embodiment). [Figure 8] 1 is a flowchart of the operation of the muscle activity output system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a functional block diagram of a muscle activity output system (second embodiment). [Figure 10] 13 is a flowchart of the operation of the muscle activity output system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a functional block diagram of a muscle activity output system (third embodiment). [Figure 12]13 is a flowchart of the operation of the muscle activity output system according to the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] The present invention will be described below through the first to third embodiments, but the invention according to the claims is not limited to the following embodiments. In addition, all of the configurations described in the embodiments are not necessarily essential as means for solving the problems. For clarity of explanation, the following description and drawings are omitted and simplified as appropriate. In each drawing, the same elements are given the same symbols, and repeated explanations are omitted as necessary.

[0012] (First embodiment) First, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 8. In the first embodiment, a foot-rowing exercise machine will be described as an example of a training machine. The training machine is a foot-rowing exercise machine (hereinafter, simply referred to as an exercise machine) for an exerciser to perform foot-rowing exercise. The muscle activity output system and the muscle activity output method according to the present embodiment perform processing for outputting current muscle activity information for each muscle part including deep muscles during training with the foot-rowing exercise machine. The muscle activity output system and the muscle activity output method output current muscle activity information for each muscle part via a display to, for example, an exerciser performing foot-rowing exercise and an assistant assisting the exercise. In this way, the current muscle activity can be grasped for each muscle part including deep muscles, so that it is possible to confirm whether the muscle part to be activated is activated and whether the muscle part not to be activated is activated. Therefore, it is possible to confirm whether the exercise being performed is in line with the purpose, and therefore effective exercise is realized. In addition, by presenting the exerciser with the muscles that are activated on the human body model that is exercising, it is possible to focus the exerciser's attention on the muscles, and therefore it is expected that the exercise effect can be improved.

[0013] The exercise device 100 will be described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2. Figs. 1 and 2 are views of the exercise device 100 as viewed from the side. In the following description, for clarity, an XYZ three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system will be used. Specifically, the +X direction is the forward direction, the -X direction is the backward direction, the +Y direction is the upward direction, the -Y direction is the downward direction, the +Z direction is the leftward direction, and the -Z direction is the rightward direction. The forward / backward, leftward, rightward, and upward directions are based on the standard line of sight of an exerciser U when exercising.

[0014] The exercise machine 100 is capable of adjusting the range of motion of the ankle joint. In the following description, the rotation direction of the ankle joint around the Z axis is referred to as the plantar flexion direction, and the angle is referred to as the plantar flexion angle. More specifically, the direction in which the toes of the foot FT point downward is referred to as the plantar flexion direction, and the direction in which the toes point upward is referred to as the dorsiflexion direction.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, the exercise equipment 100 has a main body 20, a link 30, a crank 40 (movable part), and an inclined platform 50. A chair 10 is provided behind the exercise equipment 100. An exerciser U performs a pedaling exercise while seated on the chair 10. The exerciser U performs a pedaling exercise in a seated position. Therefore, the chair 10 serves as a seating section on which the exerciser U sits. The chair 10 may be provided integrally with the exercise equipment 100 or may be provided separately. For example, the chair 10 may be a chair in a facility where the exerciser U is located, at home, or the like. That is, the exerciser U or an assistant may set up the chair 10 behind the exercise equipment 100.

[0016] The chair 10 includes a seat portion 11 serving as a seating portion, and a backrest portion 12. When the exerciser U sits on the seat portion 11, the backrest portion 12 supports the back of the exerciser U. In other words, the exerciser U can perform leg-pedaling exercise while leaning against the backrest portion 12. The chair 10 is replaceable or adjustable to suit the exerciser U. For example, for an exerciser U performing a higher-intensity training, a chair 10 without the backrest portion 12 can be used. Alternatively, the backrest portion 12 may have a reclining mechanism. The angle of the backrest portion 12 may be adjusted by the reclining mechanism.

[0017] In the exercise device 100, the components attached to the main body 20 are symmetrical. In FIG. 2, in order to distinguish between the left and right components, the components on the left side of the main body 20 are marked with L, and the components on the right side are marked with R. For example, in FIG. 2, the left inclined platform 50 is shown as inclined platform 50L, and the right inclined platform 50 is shown as inclined platform 50R. Similarly, the left link 30 and pedal 31 are the link 30L and pedal 31L, and the right link 30 and pedal 31 are the link 30R and pedal 31R. Similarly, the left foot FT is the left foot FTL, and the right foot FT is the right foot FTR. In the following description, when the left and right components are not distinguished, L and R are omitted.

[0018] The main body 20 holds the crank 40 rotatably. For example, the main body 20 is provided with a rotating shaft 21. The crank 40 is connected to the rotating shaft 21. The crank 40 extends in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the rotating shaft 21. The crank 40 rotates around the rotating shaft 21. The main body 20 may have a load resistor that applies a load to the rotational motion of the crank 40. Note that the main body 20 may have a gear or the like for making the load variable.

[0019] The main body 20 is placed on the installation stand 15. The installation stand 15 is placed on the floor surface. For example, the front part of the main body 20 is placed on the installation stand 15, and the rear part is placed on the floor surface. The installation angle of the main body 20 can be changed by changing the height, position, etc. of the installation stand 15. For example, by removing the installation stand 15, the main body 20 is placed horizontally. Also, by raising the installation stand 15, the installation angle of the main body 20 becomes steeper. In this way, by changing the height of the installation stand 15 or removing the installation stand 15, the posture of the exerciser U during training changes. Therefore, the range of motion of the joints due to the training of the exerciser U can be adjusted. The presence or absence of the installation stand 15 is an example of an exercise condition of the exerciser U using the exercise equipment 100.

[0020] In addition, the distance in the front-rear direction between the main body 20 and the chair 10 may be changed depending on the exerciser U. For example, the exerciser U can place the chair 10 close to the main body 20. This allows the exerciser U to perform pedaling exercise with the knee joints and the like relatively bent. Alternatively, the exerciser U can place the chair 10 away from the main body 20. This allows the exerciser U to train with the knee joints and the like relatively extended. By changing the distance between the main body 20 and the chair 10 in the X direction in this way, the posture of the exerciser U during training changes. Therefore, the range of motion of the joints during training by the exerciser U can be adjusted. The distance in the front-rear direction between the main body 20 and the exercise device 100 is an example of an exercise condition for the exerciser U using the exercise device 100.

[0021] The link 30 has a pedal 31 and a sliding wheel 35. A crank 40 is connected to the front end of the link 30, and the sliding wheel 35 is connected to the rear end. The crank 40 and the link 30 are rotatably connected. For example, the link 30 is attached to the crank 40 via a bearing or the like. The pedal 31 is attached midway along the link 30. The pedal 31 serves as a step (footrest) on which the exerciser U places his / her foot FT. The exerciser U places his / her foot FT on the pedal 31 while seated.

[0022] The sliding wheel 35 is attached to the link 30 via a rotating shaft (axle). In other words, the link 30 rotatably holds the sliding wheel 35. The sliding wheel 35 serves as a sliding member that slides on the inclined surface of the inclined platform 50.

[0023] The exerciser U places his / her foot FT on the pedal 31 and performs a pedaling motion. That is, the exerciser U moves his / her knee joint and hip joint so as to push down on the foot FT. This causes the crank 40 to rotate around the rotation axis 21. Furthermore, the angle between the link 30 and the crank 40 changes according to the rotation of the crank 40. That is, the relative angle of the link 30 with respect to the crank 40 changes according to the rotation angle (also called the crank angle) of the crank 40. The crank angle typically means the angle between the crank 40 and a reference line extending forward from the rotation axis 21. Furthermore, the sliding wheel 35 moves in the forward and backward directions while in contact with the inclined surface. As a result, the crank 40 and the link 30 rotate according to the pedaling motion so that the pedal 31 describes an elliptical orbit. That is, the exerciser U moves the foot FT placed on the pedal 31 along an elliptical orbit defined by the exercise device 100, thereby mainly applying a load to a plurality of muscles constituting the lower leg of the exerciser U.

[0024] The pedals 31, the sliding wheels 35, the links 30, the cranks 40, and the inclined platform 50 are provided for the left and right feet FT of the athlete U, respectively. That is, the pedals 31, the sliding wheels 35, the links 30, the cranks 40, and the inclined platform 50 are provided on the left and right sides of the main body 20, respectively. The pedal 31R, the sliding wheels 35R, the links 30R, the inclined platform 50R, etc. provided on the right side of the main body 20 correspond to the right foot FTR of the athlete U. The pedal 31L, the links 30L, and the inclined platform 50L provided on the left side of the main body 20 correspond to the left foot FTL of the athlete U.

[0025] The crank 40 is attached to the rotating shaft 21 of the main body 20 so as to be in opposite phase to the left and right feet FT. In other words, the crank 40 for the left foot and the crank 40 for the right foot are out of rotation by 180°. The exerciser U performs a pedaling exercise by alternately extending and shortening the left and right legs.

[0026] A sliding wheel 35 is attached to the lower end of the link 30. The sliding wheel 35 has a wheel that slides on the inclined surface of the inclined platform 50. The inclined platform 50 has an inclined surface that becomes higher toward the rear. The sliding wheel 35 moves back and forth in the X direction (front-rear direction) according to the rotational motion of the link 30. As shown in FIG. 1, while the exerciser U stretches his right leg and pedals in a direction bending his left leg, the sliding wheel 35 on the right side moves forward and the sliding wheel 35 on the left side moves backward. As shown in FIG. 2, while the exerciser U stretches his left leg and pedals in a direction bending his right leg, the sliding wheel 35 on the left side moves forward and the sliding wheel 35 on the right side moves backward.

[0027] The height of the sliding wheel 35 changes along the inclined surface of the ramp 50. The further rearward the ramp 50 is, the higher the inclined surface becomes. In other words, the ramp 50 is an uphill slope relative to the sliding wheel 35 moving backward. Therefore, while the sliding wheel 35 is moving backward, the sliding wheel 35 gradually becomes higher. Conversely, while the sliding wheel 35 is moving forward, the sliding wheel 35 gradually becomes lower. The angle of the link 30 is determined according to the height of the sliding wheel 35.

[0028] Here, the angle of the pedal 31 provided on the link 30 is limited according to the height of the sliding wheel 35. That is, when the sliding wheel 35 is higher, the pedal 31 rotates in the plantar flexion direction. When the sliding wheel 35 is lowered, the pedal 31 rotates in the dorsiflexion direction. Therefore, the movable range of the plantar and dorsiflexion angle of the ankle joint can be adjusted according to the inclination angle of the tilt table 50. The movable range of the plantar and dorsiflexion angle of the ankle joint can be adjusted according to the rotation angle of the crank 40. The presence or absence of the tilt table 50 and the inclination angle of the tilt table 50 are examples of exercise conditions for the exerciser U using the exercise device 100.

[0029] The exerciser U performs a leg-pedaling exercise using the exercise machine 100 for training. In other words, by performing the leg-pedaling exercise, the exerciser U can apply a load to the muscles of the lower limbs and the trunk. The muscles that can be trained using the exercise machine 100 include the rectus abdominis, gluteus maximus, obturator externus, erector spinae, vastus medialis, vastus intermedius, rectus femoris, gastrocnemius, adductor brevis, biceps femoris, gluteus medius, plantaris, soleus, gluteus minimus, popliteus, tibialis anterior, iliacus, psoas major, and quadratus femoris. Among these muscle sites, the gluteus medius, plantaris, soleus, gluteus minimus, popliteus, iliacus, psoas major, and quadratus femoris are deep muscles whose muscle activity cannot be measured by an electromyographic sensor.

[0030] (exercise conditions) Here, the exercise conditions of the exerciser U using the exercise device 100 are adjustable. That is, by appropriately adjusting various exercise conditions, training can be performed effectively. By appropriately adjusting various exercise conditions, it is possible to adjust the muscle parts that can be trained by pedaling exercise and the load thereon. This allows for effective training. Note that the exercise conditions of the exerciser U using the exercise device 100 may be set and changed not only by the exerciser U himself who performs the training, but also by an assistant who assists the training. The assistant may be a physical therapist or an occupational therapist, for example.

[0031] The exercise conditions of the exerciser U using exercise equipment 100 are divided into those related to exercise equipment 100 itself and those related to the exerciser U himself.

[0032] Exercise conditions related to the exercise device 100 itself include, for example, the rotation speed of the crank 40, the load of the crank 40, and the rotation direction of the crank 40. For example, a high load can be applied to the muscles by increasing the rotation speed or the load of the crank 40. Furthermore, the muscle part to which the load is applied can be changed by changing the rotation direction of the crank 40.

[0033] The exercise conditions related to the exercise machine 100 itself include physical quantities that define the geometric arrangement of the exercise machine 100. Such exercise conditions include the distance between the chair 10 and the main body 20 in the front-rear direction, the installation angle (tilt angle) of the main body 20, the tilt angle of the pedal 31, the tilt angle of the tilt table 50, and the front-rear position of the tilt table 50. The range of motion angles of the ankle joint can be changed according to the front-rear position of the tilt table 50 and the tilt angle of the tilt table 50. In addition, the range of motion angles of the knee joint and hip joint can be changed by changing the distance between the main body 20 and the chair 10 in the front-rear direction and the tilt angle of the main body 20. In other words, by changing these exercise conditions, the posture during training can be changed. By changing such exercise conditions, the muscle parts to be trained and the load amount thereof can be adjusted.

[0034] An exercise condition for the exercise machine 100 itself is whether or not it has a backrest 12. For example, if a chair 10 with a detachable backrest 12 is prepared, and training is performed at a high load, the backrest 12 can be removed. Alternatively, a chair 10 with a backrest 12 and a chair without a backrest 12 may be prepared, and the chair 10 may be changed depending on the training.

[0035] The exercise conditions related to the exerciser U himself are typically conditions related to the posture and movements of the exerciser U. Specific exercise conditions include whether or not the exerciser U crosses his / her arms and whether or not he / she swings his / her arms. For example, the exercise conditions can be changed by the exerciser U selecting whether or not to swing his / her arms during leg-pedaling exercise. Alternatively, the exercise conditions can be changed by the exerciser U selecting whether or not to cross his / her arms. In this way, the muscle parts to be trained can be changed according to the exerciser U's posture and movements.

[0036] Next, the muscle activity output system 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a functional block diagram of the muscle activity output system 1. As shown in Fig. 3, the muscle activity output system 1 includes a muscle activity output device 2 and an exercise machine 100. The muscle activity output device 2 may be realized by a single device, or may be realized by distributed processing using a plurality of devices.

[0037] The muscle activity output device 2 includes a CPU 2a (Central Processing Unit) as a central processing unit, a read / write RAM 2b (Random Access Memory), a read-only ROM 2c (Read Only Memory), a muscle activity DB 201, and a touch panel display 202. The CPU 2a reads and executes a control program stored in the ROM 2c, so that the control program causes hardware such as the CPU to function as multiple functional units.

[0038] The multiple functional units include a body specific information acquisition unit 203 , an exercise condition information acquisition unit 204 , a crank angle information acquisition unit 205 , a muscle activity information acquisition unit 206 , and an output unit 207 .

[0039] The muscle activity DB 201 is a database that holds crank angle information (movable part posture information) and muscle activity information indicating muscle activity for each muscle part of the exerciser U in association with each other. Please refer to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 shows in a graph form the correspondence between the crank angle information and muscle activity information indicating muscle activity for each muscle part of the exerciser U when the height of the exerciser U is 175 cm, the crank rotation speed is 70 rpm, the crank load is 7 Nm, and the installation stand 15 is not installed. The horizontal axis is the crank angle, and the vertical axis is the muscle activity. As an example, data related to the soleus muscle is shown with a marker. As shown in FIG. 4, when the crank angle changes, the muscle activity for each muscle part of the exerciser U also changes. Therefore, muscle activity DB201 specifically holds the muscle activity for each muscle part when the crank angle is 120 degrees, the muscle activity for each muscle part when the crank angle is 118 degrees, the muscle activity for each muscle part when the crank angle is 116 degrees, ..., the muscle activity for each muscle part when the crank angle is 30 degrees, and the muscle activity for each muscle part when the crank angle is 10 degrees.

[0040] Please refer to FIG. 5. FIG. 5 shows in a graph form the correspondence between the crank angle information and the muscle activity information showing the muscle activity of each muscle part of the exerciser U when the height of the exerciser U is 175 cm, the crank rotation speed is 90 rpm, the crank load is 3 Nm, and the installation table 15 is installed. The horizontal axis is the crank angle, and the vertical axis is the muscle activity of each muscle part of the exerciser U. As an example, data related to the soleus muscle is shown with a marker. As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, when the exercise conditions of the exerciser U using the exercise device 100 change, the correspondence between the crank angle information and the muscle activity information showing the muscle activity of each muscle part of the exerciser U also changes significantly. Similarly, when the height of the exerciser U changes, the correspondence between the crank angle information and the muscle activity information showing the muscle activity of each muscle part of the exerciser U also changes significantly.

[0041] Therefore, the muscle activity DB 201 stores the correspondence between the crank angle information and the muscle activity information indicating the muscle activity of each muscle part of the athlete U, and further subdivides the correspondence according to the height of the athlete U and the exercise conditions of the athlete U using the exercise equipment 100.

[0042] FIG. 6 illustrates the structure of the muscle activity DB 201. In FIG. 6, height means the height of the exerciser U. Crank rotation speed, crank load, crank rotation direction, exercise condition 4, exercise condition 16 all mean the exercise conditions of the exerciser U using the exercise machine 100 described above. The correspondence information is information showing the correspondence between crank angle information and muscle activity information showing muscle activity of each muscle part of the exerciser U, which can be expressed in a graph format in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5. In the example of FIG. 6, 145, 150, 155, 160, and 165 are taken as heights [cm]. In reality, 170, 175, 180, and 185 can also be taken as heights [cm]. 30, 40, 50, and 60 are taken as crank rotation speeds [rpm]. In reality, 70, 80, 90, and 100 can be taken as crank rotation speeds [rpm]. The crank loads [Nm] are 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 0.8, 1.0, 1.3, and 1.5. In reality, the crank loads [Nm] can be 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, and 13. The crank rotation directions are forward and reverse. The muscle activity DB 201 holds a huge amount of correspondence information corresponding to all combinations of height, crank rotation speed, crank load, crank rotation direction, and other exercise conditions. In the example of FIG. 6, the muscle activity DB 201 holds 2 million correspondence information.

[0043] The 2 million correspondence information held by the muscle activity DB 201 can be generated, for example, by a simulator using a human body computer model (for example, a human body model such as a human body finite element model). That is, the simulator generates a human body model and an exercise machine model based on body specific information and exercise condition information, and calculates the change in muscle activity for each muscle site associated with the change in crank angle.

[0044] The touch panel display 202 is an integrated combination of a touch panel and a display. Using the touch panel display 202, the exerciser U or his / her assistant can input the height of the exerciser U and the exercise conditions of the exerciser U using the exercise machine 100 to the muscle activity output device 2. An example of the display of the touch panel display 202 is shown in FIG.

[0045] The body specific information acquisition unit 203 acquires body specific information of the exerciser U. In this embodiment, the body specific information acquisition unit 203 outputs a message 202a to the touch panel display 202 to prompt the exerciser U to input the height of the exerciser U. The body specific information acquisition unit 203 acquires body specific information indicating the height of the exerciser U when the exerciser U or his / her assistant inputs the height of the exerciser U to the muscle activity output device 2 via the touch panel display 202. The height of the exerciser U is one specific example of the body specific information of the exerciser U. The body specific information of the exerciser U may be the inseam measurement of the exerciser U instead of the height of the exerciser U.

[0046] The muscle activity output device 2 may include a database that stores the correspondence between the identification ID and the body specific information of the exerciser U. In this case, the body specific information acquisition unit 203 may output a message to prompt the exerciser U to input the identification ID of the exerciser U to the touch panel display 202, acquire the identification ID of the exerciser U input by the exerciser U or his / her assistant via the touch panel display 202, and acquire the body specific information of the exerciser U by searching the database with the acquired identification ID.

[0047] The exercise condition information acquiring unit 204 acquires exercise condition information indicating the exercise conditions of the exerciser U using the exercise equipment 100. In this embodiment, the exercise condition information acquiring unit 204 outputs a message 202b to the touch panel display 202 to prompt the exerciser U to input the exercise conditions of the exercise equipment 100. The exercise condition information acquiring unit 204 acquires the exercise condition information by having the exerciser U or his / her assistant input the exercise conditions of the exerciser U using the exercise equipment 100 to the muscle activity output device 2 via the touch panel display 202.

[0048] Returning to FIG. 3, the crank angle information acquisition unit 205 receives the crank angle information from the exercise machine 100 connected to the muscle activity output device 2, thereby acquiring the crank angle information in real time.

[0049] The muscle activity information acquisition unit 206 acquires current muscle activity information for each muscle site based on the current crank angle information of the exercise equipment 100 and the muscle activity DB 201. Specifically, the muscle activity information acquisition unit 206 identifies correspondence information to be referenced in the muscle activity DB 201 based on the body specific information and the exercise condition information, and acquires current muscle activity information for each muscle site that corresponds to the current crank angle of the exercise equipment 100 by referring to the identified correspondence information. Note that some of the body specific information and the exercise condition information are discrete. Therefore, when identifying the correspondence information to be referenced in the muscle activity DB 201 based on the body specific information acquired by the body specific information acquisition unit 203 and the exercise condition information acquired by the exercise condition information acquisition unit 204, the muscle activity information acquisition unit 206 may search the muscle activity DB 201 for body specific information that is closest to the body specific information acquired by the body specific information acquisition unit 203, and search the muscle activity DB 201 for exercise condition information that is closest to the exercise condition information acquired by the exercise condition information acquisition unit 204.

[0050] The output unit 207 outputs the current muscle activity information for each muscle site to the touch panel display 202. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the output unit 207 displays the human muscle anatomical model 202c on the touch panel display 202 and colors each muscle site differently according to the muscle activity of each muscle site. For example, a muscle site with a muscle activity of 100% is colored red, a muscle site with a muscle activity of 50% is colored green, and a muscle site with a muscle activity of 0% is colored blue. The exerciser U can grasp the current muscle activity of each muscle site by checking the color of each muscle site on the human muscle anatomical model 202c. That is, it is possible to check whether the muscle site that is desired to be activated has been activated or whether the muscle site that is not desired to be activated has not been activated. Therefore, it is possible to check whether the exercise being performed is in line with the purpose, thereby realizing an effective exercise.

[0051] Next, the operation of the muscle activity output system 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 shows a flowchart of the operation of the muscle activity output system 1.

[0052] S100: First, the body specific information acquiring unit 203 acquires body specific information indicating the height of the exerciser U.

[0053] S110: Next, the exercise condition information acquiring unit 204 acquires exercise condition information indicating the exercise conditions of the exerciser U using the exercise machine 100.

[0054] S120: Next, crank angle information acquisition unit 205 acquires crank angle information indicating the crank angle of crank 40 of exercise machine 100 .

[0055] S130: Next, the muscle activity information acquisition unit 206 refers to the muscle activity DB 201 and acquires current muscle activity information for each muscle part based on the body specific information, the exercise condition information, and the crank angle information.

[0056] S140: Next, the output unit 207 outputs the current muscle activity information for each muscle part to the touch panel display 202.

[0057] S150: Then, the muscle activity output device 2 determines whether there is a change in the crank angle. If there is no change in the crank angle (S150: YES), the muscle activity output device 2 ends the process. On the other hand, if there is a change in the crank angle (S150: NO), the muscle activity output device 2 returns the process to S120. The muscle activity output device 2 executes the series of processes from S120 to S150, for example, once per second.

[0058] The first embodiment has been described above, and the above embodiment has the following features.

[0059] The muscle activity output system 1 includes a muscle activity DB 201 (muscle activity database) that stores, in association with each other, crank angle information (moving part posture information) indicating the crank angle (posture) of a crank 40 (moving part) of the exercise equipment 100 (training equipment) when the exerciser U moves his / her body along a trajectory defined by the exercise equipment 100 that applies a load to the muscles of the exerciser U, and muscle activity information indicating the muscle activity of each muscle part of the exerciser U. The muscle activity output system 1 includes a crank angle information acquisition unit 205 (moving part posture information acquisition unit) that acquires the crank angle information in real time while the exerciser U moves his / her body along the trajectory. The muscle activity output system 1 includes a muscle activity information acquisition unit 206 that acquires current muscle activity information for each muscle part based on the current crank angle information of the exercise equipment 100 and the muscle activity DB 201. The muscle activity output system 1 includes an output unit 207 that outputs the current muscle activity information for each muscle part. According to the above configuration, the current muscle activation level can be grasped for each muscle part including deep muscles, so that it is possible to check whether the muscle part to be activated is activated or not. Therefore, it is possible to check whether the exercise being performed is in line with the purpose, so that effective exercise is realized. In addition, by presenting the muscles that are activated on the human body model that is exercising to the exerciser U, it is possible to focus the attention on the muscles and exercise, so that it is expected to improve the exercise effect.

[0060] In other words, by exercising while being conscious of the muscles being moved, the muscle contraction time becomes longer. This is known to increase the effectiveness of muscle training. By presenting the muscles to be moved to the exerciser U, the exerciser can focus on those muscles while exercising, which is expected to increase the effectiveness of the exercise. Furthermore, the stress generated between the joints and the stress applied to the bones when exercising can also be presented. Since the database holds information on the load on the joints and bones during exercise, by presenting the degree of stress generated on the bones and joints in addition to the muscle activity level, when used by people who are at high risk of injury due to the load on the bones and joints during exercise, it is possible to draw attention to refrain from exercising at an excessive intensity.

[0061] As an example, the training machine is a leg-rowing exercise machine 100 on which an exerciser U performs leg-rowing exercise in a seated position. The movable part posture information of the training machine is crank angle information indicating the crank angle of the leg-rowing exercise machine 100.

[0062] The muscle activity DB 201 holds crank angle information and muscle activity information in association with exercise condition information that indicates the exercise conditions of the exerciser U. The muscle activity output system 1 further includes an exercise condition information acquisition unit 204 that acquires exercise condition information. The muscle activity information acquisition unit 206 acquires current muscle activity information for each muscle site based on the current crank angle information and exercise condition information of the exercise equipment 100, and the muscle activity DB 201. With the above configuration, it is possible to grasp the current muscle activity for each muscle site, including deep muscles, with high accuracy.

[0063] The muscle activity DB 201 holds crank angle information and muscle activity information in association with the body specific information of the exerciser U. The muscle activity output system 1 further includes a body specific information acquisition unit 203 that acquires the body specific information. The muscle activity information acquisition unit 206 acquires current muscle activity information for each muscle site based on the current crank angle information and body specific information of the exercise equipment 100, and the muscle activity DB 201. With the above configuration, it is possible to grasp the current muscle activity for each muscle site, including deep muscles, with high accuracy.

[0064] The muscle activity DB 201 holds at least crank angle information and muscle activity information indicating the muscle activity of the deep muscles of the exerciser U in association with each other. With the above configuration, the current muscle activity of the deep muscles can be grasped, so that it is possible to check whether the deep muscles that are desired to be activated have been activated or whether the deep muscles that are not desired to be activated have not been activated. Therefore, it is possible to check whether the exercise being performed is in line with the purpose, so that an effective exercise can be achieved.

[0065] The muscle activity output method uses a muscle activity DB201 (muscle activity database) that stores, in association with each other, crank angle information (moving part posture information) indicating the crank angle (posture) of the crank 40 (moving part) of the exercise equipment 100 (training equipment) when the exerciser U moves his / her body along a trajectory defined by the exercise equipment 100 that applies a load to the muscles of the exerciser U, and muscle activity information indicating the muscle activity of each muscle part of the exerciser U. The muscle activity output method includes a moving part posture information acquisition step (S120) of acquiring the crank angle information in real time while the exerciser U is moving his / her body. The muscle activity output method includes a muscle activity information acquisition step (S130) of acquiring current muscle activity information for each muscle part based on the current crank angle information of the exercise equipment 100 and the muscle activity DB201. The muscle activity output method includes an output step (S140) of outputting the current muscle activity information for each muscle part. According to the above method, the current muscle activity level of each muscle part including deep muscles can be grasped, so that it is possible to check whether the muscle parts to be activated are activated or not, and whether the muscle parts not to be activated are not activated. Therefore, it is possible to check whether the exercise being performed is in line with the purpose, and therefore an effective exercise can be realized.

[0066] In this embodiment, the output unit 207 outputs the current muscle activity information for each muscle site to the touch panel display 202. However, instead of this, the output unit 207 may output the current muscle activity information for each muscle site as audio via a speaker (not shown). The output unit 207 may also output the current muscle activity information for each muscle site via a vibration motor (not shown) attached to the body of the exerciser U. In this case, by changing the frequency, amplitude, and duty ratio of the vibration motor, it is possible to express whether a muscle site is a superficial muscle or a deep muscle, and the muscle activity of the corresponding muscle site.

[0067] Second embodiment Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 9 and 10. Below, the differences between this embodiment and the first embodiment will be mainly described, and overlapping descriptions will be omitted.

[0068] In the first embodiment, the muscle activity output device 2 receives crank angle information from the exercise machine 100, and refers to the muscle activity DB 201 to obtain muscle activity information corresponding to the received crank angle information.

[0069] In contrast, the muscle activity output device 2 of this embodiment receives body posture information from a sensor attached to the exerciser U, converts the received body posture information into crank angle information, and refers to the muscle activity DB 201 to obtain muscle activity information corresponding to the converted crank angle information.

[0070] 9 shows a muscle activity output system 1 of the present embodiment. The muscle activity output device 2 includes a body posture information acquisition section 208 and a conversion section 209 instead of the crank angle information acquisition section 205.

[0071] An exerciser U is fitted with a trunk posture angle sensor 300, a thigh posture angle sensor 301, a lower leg posture angle sensor 302, and a foot posture angle sensor 303.

[0072] Specifically, the trunk posture angle sensor 300 is attached to the trunk of the exerciser U. The trunk posture angle sensor 300 outputs trunk posture information indicating the posture of the exerciser U's trunk to the muscle activity output device 2.

[0073] The thigh posture angle sensor 301 is attached to the thigh of the exerciser U. The thigh posture angle sensor 301 outputs thigh posture information indicating the posture of the exerciser U's thigh to the muscle activity output device 2.

[0074] The lower leg posture angle sensor 302 is attached to the lower leg of the exerciser U. The lower leg posture angle sensor 302 outputs lower leg posture information indicating the posture of the lower leg of the exerciser U to the muscle activity output device 2.

[0075] The foot posture angle sensor 303 is attached to the foot of the exerciser U. The foot posture angle sensor 303 outputs foot posture information indicating the posture of the exerciser U's foot to the muscle activity output device 2.

[0076] The trunk posture angle sensor 300, the thigh posture angle sensor 301, the lower leg posture angle sensor 302, and the foot posture angle sensor 303 are all typically posture sensors made up of a gyroscope and a three-axis acceleration sensor.

[0077] The body posture information acquisition unit 208 receives and acquires trunk posture information, thigh posture information, lower leg posture information, and foot posture information from the trunk posture angle sensor 300, thigh posture angle sensor 301, lower leg posture angle sensor 302, and foot posture angle sensor 303, respectively. The body posture information acquisition unit 208 calculates hip joint angle information indicating the pitch angle of the hip joint from the trunk posture information and thigh posture information. The body posture information acquisition unit 208 calculates knee joint angle information indicating the pitch angle of the knee joint from the thigh posture information and lower leg posture information. The body posture information acquisition unit 208 calculates ankle joint angle information indicating the pitch angle of the ankle joint from the lower leg posture information and foot posture information.

[0078] The trunk posture information, hip joint angle information, knee joint angle information, and ankle joint angle information constitute the body posture information. The body posture information includes at least one of the trunk posture information, hip joint angle information, knee joint angle information, and ankle joint angle information. The body posture information preferably includes at least the hip joint angle information and the knee joint angle information. This is because the crank angle can be roughly calculated from the hip joint angle information and the knee joint angle information.

[0079] The method for acquiring the body posture information by the body posture information acquiring unit 208 is not limited to the above. For example, markers for motion capture are provided on the trunk, thighs, lower legs, and feet of the exerciser U, and the positions of the markers are recognized by a three-dimensional measuring camera, thereby acquiring the trunk posture information, thigh posture information, lower leg posture information, and foot posture information.

[0080] The conversion unit 209 converts the body posture information into crank angle information. Specifically, the conversion unit 209 geometrically calculates the current crank angle based on the current trunk posture information, hip joint angle information, knee joint angle information, and ankle joint angle information. The conversion unit 209 may calculate the current crank angle based on the current trunk posture information, hip joint angle information, knee joint angle information, and ankle joint angle information, taking into account body specific information indicating the height of the exerciser U and the exercise conditions of the exerciser U using the exercise machine 100.

[0081] Next, the operation of the muscle activity output system 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10 shows a flowchart of the operation of the muscle activity output system 1.

[0082] In the control flow of the muscle activity output device 2 of this embodiment shown in FIG. 10, step S120 of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 8 is replaced by steps S120_1 and S120_2.

[0083] S120_1: After the process S110 is completed, the body posture information acquisition section 208 acquires the body posture information.

[0084] S120_2: Next, conversion unit 209 converts the body posture information into crank angle information.

[0085] The second embodiment has been described above, and has the following features.

[0086] The muscle activity output system 1 includes a muscle activity DB 201 (muscle activity database) that stores, in association with each other, crank angle information (moving part posture information) indicating the crank angle (posture) of a crank 40 (moving part) of the exercise equipment 100 (training equipment) when the exerciser U moves his / her body along a trajectory defined by the exercise equipment 100 that applies a load to the muscles of the exerciser U, and muscle activity information indicating the muscle activity of each muscle part of the exerciser U. The muscle activity output system 1 includes a body posture information acquisition unit 208 that acquires the body posture information of the exerciser U in real time while the exerciser U moves his / her body along the trajectory. The muscle activity output system 1 includes a conversion unit 209 that converts the body posture information into crank angle information. The muscle activity output system 1 includes a muscle activity information acquisition unit 206 that acquires the current muscle activity information for each muscle part based on the current crank angle information of the exercise equipment 100 and the muscle activity DB 201. The muscle activity output system 1 includes an output unit 207 that outputs current muscle activity information for each muscle site. With the above configuration, the current muscle activity can be grasped for each muscle site including deep muscles, so it is possible to check whether the muscle site desired to be activated has been activated or not, and whether the muscle site not desired to be activated has not been activated. Therefore, it is possible to check whether the exercise being performed is in line with the purpose, thereby achieving effective exercise.

[0087] The muscle activity output method uses a muscle activity DB201 (muscle activity database) that stores, in association with each other, crank angle information (moving part posture information) indicating the crank angle (posture) of the crank 40 (moving part) of the exercise equipment 100 (training equipment) when the exerciser U moves his / her body along a trajectory defined by the exercise equipment 100 that applies a load to the muscles of the exerciser U, and muscle activity information indicating the muscle activity of each muscle part of the exerciser U. The muscle activity output method includes a body posture information acquisition step (S120_1) of acquiring body posture information of the exerciser U in real time while the exerciser U is moving his / her body. The muscle activity output method includes a conversion step (S120_2) of converting the body posture information into crank angle information. The muscle activity output method includes a muscle activity information acquisition step (S130) of acquiring current muscle activity information for each muscle part based on the current crank angle information of the exercise equipment 100 and the muscle activity DB201. The muscle activity output method includes an output step (S140) of outputting current muscle activity information for each muscle site. According to the above method, the current muscle activity can be grasped for each muscle site including deep muscles, so that it is possible to check whether the muscle site to be activated is activated or not, and whether the muscle site not to be activated is not activated. Therefore, it is possible to check whether the exercise being performed is in line with the purpose, and therefore an effective exercise can be achieved.

[0088] Third embodiment Next, a third embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 11 and 12. Below, the differences between this embodiment and the first embodiment will be mainly described, and overlapping descriptions will be omitted.

[0089] In the first embodiment, it is assumed that the exerciser U exercises using the exercise machine 100 as a training machine. In contrast, in the present embodiment, the exerciser U exercises by moving his / her body along a predetermined trajectory without using a training machine.

[0090] The predetermined trajectory is typically a trajectory determined for each bodyweight training. Examples of bodyweight training include front bridges, plank leg raises, normal push-ups, crunches, bicycle crunches, narrow push-ups, reverse push-ups, squats, pull-ups, back extensions, high reverse planks, and standing calf raises. Each bodyweight training defines which part of the body is to be moved back and forth along what trajectory. In addition to the above, the predetermined trajectory may be a trajectory designated by an instructor in real time using gestures.

[0091] 11 shows a functional block diagram of the muscle activity output system 1 of this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 11, the muscle activity output device 2 of this embodiment includes a muscle activity DB 201, a touch panel display 202, a body posture information acquisition unit 208, a muscle activity information acquisition unit 206, and an output unit 207.

[0092] In the first embodiment, the muscle activity DB201 is a database that stores crank angle information and muscle activity information indicating muscle activity for each muscle part of the exerciser U in association with each other. In contrast, the muscle activity DB201 of this embodiment is a database that stores body posture information and muscle activity information indicating muscle activity for each muscle part of the exerciser U in association with each other. Here, the body posture is, for example, the joint angle of the body joint of the exerciser U. In this embodiment, the body posture is, for example, the neck joint angle, shoulder joint angle, elbow joint angle, trunk posture information, hip joint angle, knee joint angle, ankle joint angle, etc. As an example, the muscle activity DB201 stores body posture information indicating elbow joint angle and muscle activity information indicating muscle activity for each muscle part of the exerciser U in association with each other. As in the above-mentioned embodiment, the muscle activity DB201 can be generated by a simulator using a human body computer model.

[0093] The body posture information acquisition unit 208 receives and acquires body posture information from the body posture sensor 304. The body posture sensor 304 may be a sensor that measures the positions of markers attached to each part of the athlete U in a non-contact manner, or may be a sensor that provides posture sensors at various parts of the athlete U and receives and acquires body posture information from a plurality of posture sensors.

[0094] The muscle activity information acquisition unit 206 refers to the muscle activity DB 201 and acquires current muscle activity information for each muscle part based on the body posture information.

[0095] The output unit 207 outputs the current muscle activity information for each muscle part to the touch panel display 202.

[0096] Next, the operation of the muscle activity output system 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 12. Fig. 12 shows a flowchart of the operation of the muscle activity output system 1.

[0097] S200: First, the body posture information acquisition section 208 acquires body posture information.

[0098] S210: Next, the muscle activity information acquisition unit 206 refers to the muscle activity DB 201 and acquires current muscle activity information for each muscle part based on the body posture information.

[0099] S220: Next, the output unit 207 outputs the current muscle activity information for each muscle site to the touch panel display 202.

[0100] S230: Next, the muscle activity output device 2 determines whether a predetermined time has elapsed. If the predetermined time has elapsed (S230: YES), the muscle activity output device 2 ends the process. On the other hand, if the predetermined time has not elapsed (S230: NO), the muscle activity output device 2 returns the process to S200.

[0101] The third embodiment has been described above, and the third embodiment has the following features.

[0102] The muscle activity output system 1 includes a muscle activity DB 201 (muscle activity database) that holds body posture information indicating the body posture of the exerciser U when the exerciser U moves his / her body along a predetermined trajectory and muscle activity information indicating the muscle activity of each muscle part of the exerciser U in association with each other. The muscle activity output system 1 includes a body posture information acquisition unit 208 that acquires the body posture information in real time while the exerciser U moves his / her body along the above-mentioned trajectory. The muscle activity output system 1 includes a muscle activity information acquisition unit 206 that acquires the current muscle activity information for each muscle part based on the current body posture information of the exerciser U and the muscle activity DB 201. The muscle activity output system 1 includes an output unit 207 that outputs the current muscle activity information for each muscle part. According to the above configuration, it is possible to grasp the current muscle activity for each muscle part including deep muscles, so that it is possible to check whether the muscle part to be activated is activated or not. Therefore, it is possible to check whether the current exercise is in line with the purpose, so that an effective exercise is realized.

[0103] The body posture of the athlete U includes the joint angles of the joints of the athlete U's body.

[0104] The muscle activity DB 201 holds at least body posture information and muscle activity information indicating the muscle activity of the deep muscles of the exerciser U in association with each other. With the above configuration, the current muscle activity of the deep muscles can be grasped, so that it is possible to check whether the deep muscles that are desired to be activated are activated or whether the deep muscles that are not desired to be activated are not activated. Therefore, it is possible to check whether the exercise being performed is in line with the purpose, so that an effective exercise can be achieved.

[0105] The muscle activity output method uses a muscle activity DB201 (muscle activity database) that holds body posture information indicating the body posture of the exerciser U when the exerciser U moves his / her body along a predetermined trajectory and muscle activity information indicating the muscle activity of each muscle part of the exerciser U in association with each other. The muscle activity output method includes a body posture information acquisition step (S200) of acquiring body posture information in real time while the exerciser U is moving his / her body along the trajectory. The muscle activity output method includes a muscle activity information acquisition step (S210) of acquiring current muscle activity information for each muscle part based on the current body posture information of the exerciser U and the muscle activity DB201. The muscle activity output method includes an output step (S220) of outputting current muscle activity information for each muscle part. According to the above method, since the current muscle activity can be grasped for each muscle part including deep muscles, it can be confirmed whether the muscle part to be activated is activated or not. Therefore, it can be confirmed whether the current exercise is in line with the purpose, and effective exercise can be realized.

[0106] In the above example, the program can be stored and provided to the computer using various types of non-transitory computer readable media. The non-transitory computer readable media includes various types of tangible storage media. Examples of the non-transitory computer readable media include magnetic recording media (e.g., flexible disks, magnetic tapes, hard disk drives) and magneto-optical recording media (e.g., magneto-optical disks). Examples of the non-transitory computer readable media further include CD-ROM (Read Only Memory), CD-R, CD-R / W, and semiconductor memory (e.g., mask ROM. Examples of the non-transitory computer readable media further include PROM (Programmable ROM), EPROM (Erasable PROM), flash ROM, and RAM (random access memory). The program may also be provided to the computer by various types of transitory computer readable media. Examples of the transitory computer readable media include electrical signals, optical signals, and electromagnetic waves. The temporary computer-readable medium can supply the program to the computer via a wired communication path such as an electric wire or an optical fiber, or via a wireless communication path.

[0107] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0108] (Appendix 1) Using a muscle activity database that stores information on the posture of a moving part of a training device when an athlete moves his / her body along a trajectory defined by the training device that applies a load to the muscles of the athlete, and information on muscle activity of the athlete for each muscle part, the information being associated with each other, a moving part posture information acquiring step of acquiring the moving part posture information in real time while the exerciser is moving his / her body along the trajectory; a muscle activity information acquisition step of acquiring current muscle activity information for each muscle site based on the current movable part posture information of the training device and the muscle activity database; an output step of outputting current muscle activity information for each muscle site; Including, Muscle activity output method.

[0109] (Appendix 2) The training machine is a pedaling exercise machine on which the exerciser performs pedaling exercise in a seated position, and the movable part posture information of the training machine is crank angle information indicating a crank angle of the pedaling exercise machine.

[0110] (Appendix 3) The muscle activity database holds the moving part posture information and the muscle activity information in association with exercise condition information indicating the exercise conditions of the exerciser. The muscle activity output method further includes an exercise condition information acquisition step of acquiring the exercise condition information. In the muscle activity information acquisition step, current muscle activity information is acquired for each muscle site based on the moving part posture information and exercise condition information of the training equipment, and the muscle activity database.

[0111] (Appendix 4) The muscle activity database holds the moving part posture information and the muscle activity information in association with the body specific information of the exerciser. The muscle activity output method further includes a body specific information acquisition step of acquiring the body specific information. In the muscle activity information acquisition step, current muscle activity information is acquired for each muscle site based on the moving part posture information and the body specific information of the training equipment, and the muscle activity database.

[0112] (Appendix 5) The muscle activity database holds at least the movable part posture information and muscle activity information indicating muscle activity of deep muscles of the exerciser in association with each other.

[0113] (Appendix 6) Using a muscle activity database that stores information on the posture of a moving part of a training device when an athlete moves his / her body along a trajectory defined by the training device that applies a load to the muscles of the athlete, and information on muscle activity of the athlete for each muscle part, the information being associated with each other, a body posture information acquiring step of acquiring body posture information of the exerciser in real time while the exerciser is moving his / her body along the trajectory; a conversion step of converting the body posture information into the movable part posture information; a muscle activity information acquisition step of acquiring current muscle activity information for each muscle site based on the current movable part posture information of the training device and the muscle activity database; an output step of outputting current muscle activity information for each muscle site; Including, Muscle activity output method.

[0114] (Appendix 7) The body posture of the exerciser includes joint angles of the joints of the exerciser's body.

[0115] (Appendix 8) The muscle activity database holds at least the body posture information and muscle activity information indicating muscle activity of deep muscles of the exerciser in association with each other.

[0116] (Appendix 9) A muscle activity database stores body posture information indicating the body posture of an exerciser when the exerciser moves the body along a predetermined trajectory and muscle activity information indicating muscle activity for each muscle part of the exerciser, in association with each other. a body posture information acquiring step of acquiring the body posture information in real time while the exerciser is moving his / her body along the trajectory; a muscle activity information acquisition step of acquiring current muscle activity information for each muscle site based on the current body posture information of the exerciser and the muscle activity database; an output step of outputting current muscle activity information for each muscle site; Including, Muscle activity output method. [Explanation of symbols]

[0117] 1. Muscle activity output system 2. Muscle activity output device 100 exercise equipment 201 Muscle activity DB 202 Touch panel display 202a Message 202b Message 202c Human Muscle Anatomy Model 203 Body-specific information acquisition unit 204 Exercise condition information acquisition unit 205 Crank angle information acquisition unit 206 Muscle activation information acquisition unit 207 Output section 208 Body posture information acquisition unit 209 Conversion Department 300 Trunk posture angle sensor 301 Thigh Posture Angle Sensor 302 Lower Leg Posture Angle Sensor 303 Foot Posture Angle Sensor U exerciser

Claims

1. a muscle activity database that holds, in association with each other, movable part posture information indicating the posture of a movable part of a training device when an athlete moves his / her body along a trajectory defined by the training device that applies a load to the muscles of the athlete, muscle activity information indicating muscle activity for each muscle part of the athlete, and exercise condition information indicating the exercise conditions of the athlete; an exercise condition information acquisition unit that acquires the exercise condition information; a moving part posture information acquisition unit that acquires the moving part posture information in real time while the exerciser is moving his / her body along the trajectory; a muscle activity information acquiring unit that acquires current muscle activity information for each muscle site based on the current movable part posture information of the training device, the exercise condition information, and the muscle activity database; an output unit that outputs current muscle activity information for each muscle site; Including, Muscle activity output system.

2. a muscle activity database that holds, in association with each other, movable part posture information indicating the posture of a movable part of a training device when an athlete moves his / her body along a trajectory defined by the training device that applies a load to the muscles of the athlete, muscle activity information indicating muscle activity for each muscle part of the athlete, and body specific information of the athlete; A body specific information acquisition unit that acquires the body specific information; a moving part posture information acquisition unit that acquires the moving part posture information in real time while the exerciser is moving his / her body along the trajectory; a muscle activity information acquiring unit that acquires current muscle activity information for each muscle site based on the current movable part posture information of the training machine, the body specific information, and the muscle activity database; an output unit that outputs current muscle activity information for each muscle site; Including, Muscle activity output system.

3. the training machine is a foot-rowing exercise machine on which the exerciser performs foot-rowing exercise in a seated position, the movable part posture information of the training machine is crank angle information indicating a crank angle of the foot-pedaling exercise machine; The muscle activity output system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The muscle activity database stores at least the movable part posture information and muscle activity information indicating muscle activity of the deep muscles of the exerciser in association with each other. The muscle activity output system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. Using a muscle activity database that holds, in association with each other, movable part posture information indicating the posture of a movable part of a training device when an athlete moves his / her body along a trajectory defined by the training device that applies a load to the muscles of the athlete, muscle activity information indicating muscle activity for each muscle part of the athlete, and exercise condition information indicating the exercise conditions of the athlete, an exercise condition information acquisition step of acquiring the exercise condition information; a moving part posture information acquiring step of acquiring the moving part posture information in real time while the exerciser is moving his / her body along the trajectory; a muscle activity information acquisition step of acquiring current muscle activity information for each muscle site based on the current movable part posture information of the training machine, the exercise condition information, and the muscle activity database; an output step of outputting current muscle activity information for each muscle site; Including, Muscle activity output method.

6. Using a muscle activity database that holds moving part posture information indicating the posture of a moving part of a training device when an athlete moves his / her body along a trajectory defined by the training device that applies a load to the muscles of the athlete, muscle activity information indicating muscle activity for each muscle part of the athlete, and body specific information of the athlete, in association with each other, a body specific information acquiring step of acquiring the body specific information; a moving part posture information acquiring step of acquiring the moving part posture information in real time while the exerciser is moving his / her body along the trajectory; a muscle activity information acquisition step of acquiring current muscle activity information for each muscle site based on the current movable part posture information of the training machine, the body specific information, and the muscle activity database; an output step of outputting current muscle activity information for each muscle site; Including, Muscle activity output method.

7. Using a muscle activity database that holds, in association with each other, movable part posture information indicating the posture of a movable part of a training device when an athlete moves his / her body along a trajectory defined by the training device that applies a load to the muscles of the athlete, muscle activity information indicating muscle activity for each muscle part of the athlete, and exercise condition information indicating the exercise conditions of the athlete, an exercise condition information acquisition step of acquiring the exercise condition information; a moving part posture information acquiring step of acquiring the moving part posture information in real time while the exerciser is moving his / her body along the trajectory; a muscle activity information acquisition step of acquiring current muscle activity information for each muscle site based on the current movable part posture information of the training machine, the exercise condition information, and the muscle activity database; an output step of outputting current muscle activity information for each muscle site; A program that causes a computer to execute the following.

8. Using a muscle activity database that holds moving part posture information indicating the posture of a moving part of a training device when an athlete moves his / her body along a trajectory defined by the training device that applies a load to the muscles of the athlete, muscle activity information indicating muscle activity for each muscle part of the athlete, and body specific information of the athlete, in association with each other, a body specific information acquiring step of acquiring the body specific information; a moving part posture information acquiring step of acquiring the moving part posture information in real time while the exerciser is moving his / her body along the trajectory; a muscle activity information acquisition step of acquiring current muscle activity information for each muscle site based on the current movable part posture information of the training machine, the body specific information, and the muscle activity database; an output step of outputting current muscle activity information for each muscle site; A program that causes a computer to execute the following.

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