An Artificial Intelligence Exercise Coaching Mobile App: Development and Randomized Controlled Trial to Verify Its Effectiveness in Posture Correction
BackgroundInsufficient physical activity due to social distancing and suppressed outdoor activities increases vulnerability to diseases like cardiovascular diseases, sarcopenia, and severe COVID-19. While bodyweight exercises, such as squats, effectively boost physical activi...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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JMIR Publications
2023-09-01
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| Series: | Interactive Journal of Medical Research |
| Online Access: | https://www.i-jmr.org/2023/1/e37604 |
| _version_ | 1797688139210293248 |
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| author | Han Joo Chae Ji-Been Kim Gwanmo Park David Michael O'Sullivan Jinwook Seo Jung-Jun Park |
| author_facet | Han Joo Chae Ji-Been Kim Gwanmo Park David Michael O'Sullivan Jinwook Seo Jung-Jun Park |
| author_sort | Han Joo Chae |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
BackgroundInsufficient physical activity due to social distancing and suppressed outdoor activities increases vulnerability to diseases like cardiovascular diseases, sarcopenia, and severe COVID-19. While bodyweight exercises, such as squats, effectively boost physical activity, incorrect postures risk abnormal muscle activation joint strain, leading to ineffective sessions or even injuries. Avoiding incorrect postures is challenging for novices without expert guidance. Existing solutions for remote coaching and computer-assisted posture correction often prove costly or inefficient.
ObjectiveThis study aimed to use deep neural networks to develop a personal workout assistant that offers feedback on squat postures using only mobile devices—smartphones and tablets. Deep learning mimicked experts’ visual assessments of proper exercise postures. The effectiveness of the mobile app was evaluated by comparing it with exercise videos, a popular at-home workout choice.
MethodsTwenty participants were recruited without squat exercise experience and divided into an experimental group (EXP) with 10 individuals aged 21.90 (SD 2.18) years and a mean BMI of 20.75 (SD 2.11) and a control group (CTL) with 10 individuals aged 22.60 (SD 1.95) years and a mean BMI of 18.72 (SD 1.23) using randomized controlled trials. A data set with over 20,000 squat videos annotated by experts was created and a deep learning model was trained using pose estimation and video classification to analyze the workout postures. Subsequently, a mobile workout assistant app, Home Alone Exercise, was developed, and a 2-week interventional study, in which the EXP used the app while the CTL only followed workout videos, showed how the app helps people improve squat exercise.
ResultsThe EXP significantly improved their squat postures evaluated by the app after 2 weeks (Pre: 0.20 vs Mid: 4.20 vs Post: 8.00, P=.001), whereas the CTL (without the app) showed no significant change in squat posture (Pre: 0.70 vs Mid: 1.30 vs Post: 3.80, P=.13). Significant differences were observed in the left (Pre: 75.06 vs Mid: 76.24 vs Post: 63.13, P=.02) and right (Pre: 71.99 vs Mid: 76.68 vs Post: 62.82, P=.03) knee joint angles in the EXP before and after exercise, with no significant effect found for the CTL in the left (Pre: 73.27 vs Mid: 74.05 vs Post: 70.70, P=.68) and right (Pre: 70.82 vs Mid: 74.02 vs Post: 70.23, P=.61) knee joint angles.
ConclusionsEXP participants trained with the app experienced faster improvement and learned more nuanced details of the squat exercise. The proposed mobile app, offering cost-effective self-discovery feedback, effectively taught users about squat exercises without expensive in-person trainer sessions.
Trial RegistrationClinical Research Information Service KCT0008178 (retrospectively registered); https://cris.nih.go.kr/cris/search/detailSearch.do/24006 |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T01:26:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1cf156ac55cf49b9b3109fc37448cb39 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1929-073X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T01:26:59Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | JMIR Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Interactive Journal of Medical Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-1cf156ac55cf49b9b3109fc37448cb392023-09-12T13:16:13ZengJMIR PublicationsInteractive Journal of Medical Research1929-073X2023-09-0112e3760410.2196/37604An Artificial Intelligence Exercise Coaching Mobile App: Development and Randomized Controlled Trial to Verify Its Effectiveness in Posture CorrectionHan Joo Chaehttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-9760-8749Ji-Been Kimhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-1059-731XGwanmo Parkhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-2320-2070David Michael O'Sullivanhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-8265-9260Jinwook Seohttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-7734-822XJung-Jun Parkhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-2518-7225 BackgroundInsufficient physical activity due to social distancing and suppressed outdoor activities increases vulnerability to diseases like cardiovascular diseases, sarcopenia, and severe COVID-19. While bodyweight exercises, such as squats, effectively boost physical activity, incorrect postures risk abnormal muscle activation joint strain, leading to ineffective sessions or even injuries. Avoiding incorrect postures is challenging for novices without expert guidance. Existing solutions for remote coaching and computer-assisted posture correction often prove costly or inefficient. ObjectiveThis study aimed to use deep neural networks to develop a personal workout assistant that offers feedback on squat postures using only mobile devices—smartphones and tablets. Deep learning mimicked experts’ visual assessments of proper exercise postures. The effectiveness of the mobile app was evaluated by comparing it with exercise videos, a popular at-home workout choice. MethodsTwenty participants were recruited without squat exercise experience and divided into an experimental group (EXP) with 10 individuals aged 21.90 (SD 2.18) years and a mean BMI of 20.75 (SD 2.11) and a control group (CTL) with 10 individuals aged 22.60 (SD 1.95) years and a mean BMI of 18.72 (SD 1.23) using randomized controlled trials. A data set with over 20,000 squat videos annotated by experts was created and a deep learning model was trained using pose estimation and video classification to analyze the workout postures. Subsequently, a mobile workout assistant app, Home Alone Exercise, was developed, and a 2-week interventional study, in which the EXP used the app while the CTL only followed workout videos, showed how the app helps people improve squat exercise. ResultsThe EXP significantly improved their squat postures evaluated by the app after 2 weeks (Pre: 0.20 vs Mid: 4.20 vs Post: 8.00, P=.001), whereas the CTL (without the app) showed no significant change in squat posture (Pre: 0.70 vs Mid: 1.30 vs Post: 3.80, P=.13). Significant differences were observed in the left (Pre: 75.06 vs Mid: 76.24 vs Post: 63.13, P=.02) and right (Pre: 71.99 vs Mid: 76.68 vs Post: 62.82, P=.03) knee joint angles in the EXP before and after exercise, with no significant effect found for the CTL in the left (Pre: 73.27 vs Mid: 74.05 vs Post: 70.70, P=.68) and right (Pre: 70.82 vs Mid: 74.02 vs Post: 70.23, P=.61) knee joint angles. ConclusionsEXP participants trained with the app experienced faster improvement and learned more nuanced details of the squat exercise. The proposed mobile app, offering cost-effective self-discovery feedback, effectively taught users about squat exercises without expensive in-person trainer sessions. Trial RegistrationClinical Research Information Service KCT0008178 (retrospectively registered); https://cris.nih.go.kr/cris/search/detailSearch.do/24006https://www.i-jmr.org/2023/1/e37604 |
| spellingShingle | Han Joo Chae Ji-Been Kim Gwanmo Park David Michael O'Sullivan Jinwook Seo Jung-Jun Park An Artificial Intelligence Exercise Coaching Mobile App: Development and Randomized Controlled Trial to Verify Its Effectiveness in Posture Correction Interactive Journal of Medical Research |
| title | An Artificial Intelligence Exercise Coaching Mobile App: Development and Randomized Controlled Trial to Verify Its Effectiveness in Posture Correction |
| title_full | An Artificial Intelligence Exercise Coaching Mobile App: Development and Randomized Controlled Trial to Verify Its Effectiveness in Posture Correction |
| title_fullStr | An Artificial Intelligence Exercise Coaching Mobile App: Development and Randomized Controlled Trial to Verify Its Effectiveness in Posture Correction |
| title_full_unstemmed | An Artificial Intelligence Exercise Coaching Mobile App: Development and Randomized Controlled Trial to Verify Its Effectiveness in Posture Correction |
| title_short | An Artificial Intelligence Exercise Coaching Mobile App: Development and Randomized Controlled Trial to Verify Its Effectiveness in Posture Correction |
| title_sort | artificial intelligence exercise coaching mobile app development and randomized controlled trial to verify its effectiveness in posture correction |
| url | https://www.i-jmr.org/2023/1/e37604 |
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