Astronaut training centre
Squash, hoops, and dumbbells
The astronaut training centre has all the workout equipment you'd expect from a gym, plus a squash court and a basketball half-court.
Click on the tags in this room to learn just how differently the astronauts train on Earth and in space.
Training on Earth
Because of the physically demanding nature of the job, astronauts are required to be in excellent health, so it is important that they regularly work on their physical fitness.
Watch this video taken during the astronaut recruitment campaign to see some of the physical tests the candidates had to complete during the selection process.
Watch the top 72 candidates go through the first series of aptitude tests during the recruitment campaign. (Credits: Canadian Space Agency (CSA), NASA, Department of National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces)
Training in space
To stay in shape during a space mission and mitigate the health risks of spending time in microgravity, astronauts need close to two hours of physical activity every day.
In this video, CSA astronaut David Saint-Jacques talks about working out on the International Space Station (ISS) and explains the unique exercise equipment he used in space: the stationary bicycle, the treadmill, and the Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED).
David Saint-Jacques talks about the unique exercise equipment he used in space. (Credits: CSA, NASA)
One smart shirt!
See how the Bio-Monitor, a one-of-a-kind Canadian-designed smart shirt system, helps monitor astronauts' health.
David Saint-Jacques explains how the Bio-Monitor, a Canadian smart shirt system, measures and records astronauts' vital signs on the ISS. (Credits: CSA, NASA)