Method and system for feedback on running style

摘要

The invention relates to a system and method for providing feedback to a user on his or her running style or running technique. The system employs a pressure sensitive surface to record a gait line of the center of pressure exerted by the user's foot on an underlying surface during a footstep period. In case of a fore or mid-foot landing the gait line may be observed to move backwards with respect to the sagittal plane. From a backwards-going gait line two time stamps are determined. The first timestamp T1 is the time that the foot strikes the ground. The second timestamp T2 is the time that the gait line reaches the most backward position. From the time difference between these two timestamps a loading time dT is determined. The reactivity of the running style describes the viscoelastic behavior of the muscle-tendon unit and may be calculated as a function of this loading time and/or the distance moved by the centre of pressure backwards towards the heel. Correspondingly, a feedback signal may be provided to the user about his running reactivity.