Squats in Space

Meanwhile in space …

If you didn’t know, yes, even the ISS has a squat rack.

To minimize muscle loss and decrease in bone density due to micro gravity the astronauts on board of the International Space Station have to do various exercises.

In the video below you see Astronaut Sunita Williams touring the space station (watch the whole 25min video if you have never seen a tour of it).

She shows Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED). It allows them to perform 29 different exercises including deadlifts, squats, calf raises, hip abduction and adduction, bench press, overhead pres, bicep curls, tricep extension, and upright rows.

I wonder who the ISS PL Raw record holders are …

Scott Kelly does some half squats, calf raises, deadlifts, overhead pres, rows and curls.

Now some of you might say “Booo, that thing looks way too complicated! NASA should’ve consulted me before they put it into space”. You have to understand that they are doing some very delicate experiments in there. Every little bit of unnecessary vibration has to be avoided. That is why the ARED looks like it is almost free flying.

NASA build it as simple as possible, but not simpler.

Also on board are:

• cycle ergometer (similar to a stationary bicycle)
• treadmill (can be loaded with 66 per cent to 100 per cent of the subject’s body weight to determine the strength of the workout)
• Resistance Exercise Device (RED) consists of a pair of canisters attached to a pulley system and harness to mimic weightlifting on Earth

I was wondering how often they have to exercise and found this:

Astronauts participating in space shuttle missions, which are usually two weeks long, exercise for approximately 30 minutes per day. Astronauts who live on the International Space Station (ISS) for much longer periods of time are required to exercise for approximately two hours per day.

Update: Here Astronaut Mike Hopkins talks about their exercise bike.