What does an Astronaut, an Old Man and an Inactive Couch Potato all have in common?

 

 

Astronauts, old men and inactive couch potatoes all suffer from Gravity Deprivation Syndrome”. The common thread that binds them together is the absence of gravity in their lives.

The Astronaut survives in a gravity deprived environment in space, the old man uses gravity less and less as he ages, while the inactive couch potato chooses to not use gravity even though it surrounds them.

The absence of gravity in all their lives creates a cascade of complications that mimics aging and physical deterioration. Ironically the naturally slow decline in health and fitness that occurs with aging can be accelerated by inactivity.

This presentation examines the physical effects of aging and compares them to prolonged space flight and an inactive sedentary lifestyle, which all can be controlled and in some cases offset with physical activity that encourages the astronaut, old man and inactive couch potato to be active throughout the day for as many hours as possible outside of the current fitness recommendations.