Preventing Muscle Imbalance: A Cost-Effective Solution for Home Exercise

This paper proposes a low-cost system to help users perform exercises at home, monitoring muscle imbalances. Muscle imbalance occurs when there is a strength disparity between muscles on one side of the body or one side of a joint. The proposed device detects asymmetries in exercises involving the lower limbs, employing two slim insoles equipped with only three pressure sensors positioned along the foot, one on the heel and two in the front. The data collected by these sensors are wirelessly transmitted to a user-friendly interface, which serves as a guide, assisting users in achieving more balanced and symmetrical training, important for maintaining musculoskeletal health and enhancing overall physical well-being. The paper presents an analysis of relevant literature, introduces the device and its characteristics, and presents the physical prototype and its experimental results.