Medical staff at MEDES in Toulouse, France, prepare a resistive vibration exercise machine. The bedrest volunteer places his feet on the vertical plates and performs upside-down squats while the plates vibrate. To make the routine more intensive, the volunteer’s shoulders are pushed onto the plates with a force of up to 200 kg.

Bedrest studies can answer questions on how our bodies adapt to living in space and on how our bodies adapt to growing old. Many of the findings from bedrest studies apply directly to people on Earth.