Evaluation of Pole Walking using 3D Motion Analysis Equipment

In recent years, pole walking has increasingly attracted attention not only for health support of elderly citizens but also to maintain good health practically and personally. This study used 3D motion analysis equipment and floor reaction force meters to investigate characteristics of normal walking, wide walking, and pole walking. Data of joint moments, coordinate values, and floor reaction forces related to normal walking, wide walking, and pole walking were compared. Through several experiments, we confirmed features of pole walking characteristics compared to those of normal walking and wide walking. This study investigated characteristics of normal walking, wide walking, and pole walking using 3D motion analysis equipment and floor reaction force meters, comparing data of joint moments, coordinate values, and floor reaction forces for normal walking, wide walking, and pole walking. Recently in Japan, a complete medical system and implementation of municipal governments' insurance based on the law for the welfare of elderly people have contributed to reduction of mortality, but those measures have not contributed to improvement of health. Therefore, pole walking increasingly attracts attention not only to support elderly people but also to maintain good health practically and personally. For the walking style defined for this study, two poles are held in the hands when stepping with the right leg. The walker then pokes the ground on the left side of the right foot with the pole held in the left hand. When stepping with the left leg, one pokes the ground with a pole held in the right hand as during climbing or skiing, doing pole walking. For this study, we conducted some experiments to compare the characteristics of normal walking, wide walking, and pole walking. For the experiments, we measured the ankle joint moments, hip joint moments, and knee joint moments. We confirmed through experimentation that the maxima of the joint moments during pole walking are smaller than those during either normal walking or wide walking.