While you and I live in cyber space

"I need that for my back. What a great invention" -William Shatner

some people are preparing for life in outer space– target Mars. In Russia six recently emerged men lived in cramped, windowless compartments for more than 17 months to simulate a mission to Mars. On the American front, the Mars Institute has created two drive-able Mars Rovers, with mechanical arms for the human exploration of Mars. These rovers explore a Mars-like 18-mile-wide asteroid crater. It’s on Canada’s Devon Island, in the high arctic. This, the largest uninhabited island in the world sports a bizarre “arctic desert” that looks like, and is about as inviting as, Mars itself.

These researchers live the life of real-life astronauts by simulating what it would be like to explore Mars. This means being confined for days and sometimes weeks in the cramped pressurized cabin of their Mars rovers.

But how to keep fit when there is little or no gravity? Muscles quickly wither and atrophy with no use. Some astronauts have experienced severe re-entry problems, collapsing upon encountering earth’s gravity.

Pascal Lee, chief researcher for the Mars Institute and crew are aware and working on that problem. Light weight and portability are a must because very ounce of cargo launched into outer space costs a fortune. Exercise devices must also work in zero gravity since the gravitational pull is much less on Mars. No free weights allowed in space. The entire body must also be exercised even in cramped quarters. Some astronauts do isometric exercises, but Mr. Lee is trying something new, an isometric and resistance based mechanical exerciser called the kinesthetic exerciser for transforming yourself – or  simply: kefty.

Mr Lee isn’t the only space explorer to recognize device’s utility. Captain Kirk himself, William Shatner, obtained the research exerciser at this year’s GBK Oscars gifting suite. His comment,” This is great. I can use it for my back”.

Just back from the arctic, the Mars Institute crew successfully used the kefty to keep in shape while in the confines of their Mars Rover on Devon Island. Being just a stones throw from the North Pole. perhaps Old Saint Nick himself may be using the kefty to trim that famous holiday paunch he’s been sporting. Just kidding- maybe.

The Kefty is new and patented. It was invented by Nick Musachio of St. Paul , Minnesota. The Kefty is made and manufactured in America. It is hypo-allergenic, and has been designed using human factors and ergonomics to be used by wheelchair users. It is made of high impact polymers and has variable resistance from 0-60 lbs.  More at http://kefty.com/

Using the Kefty in the belly of the Mars Rover 1

Dr Lee and his test outer space exercise device, the kefty.

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Relaxnews

The US makers of a new lightweight portable gym dubbed the Kefty are making the rounds at A-list events and putting the wacky device into the hands of celebrities such as Snoop Dogg and William Shatner.

Shatner recently sampled the Kefty and, according to the company, stated, “I need that for my back. What a great invention!” Rapper Snoop Dogg also gave the Kefty a thumbs up when trying it at this year’s NBA Allstar Party (a rough video is available on YouTube), and the company has uploaded photos and videos of celebrities trying the Kefty.

Deemed an “energizer” rather than a machine, Kefty is a lightweight fitness device that employs two-way rubber cords to create more than a 1,000 exercises, according to the company. “It is also perfect for travelers who do not like to use exercise facilities in hotels,” states a release. Users can disassemble the device quickly and easily store it under the bed or in a closet.

Announced earlier this month, the device earned a nod from the International Design Awards in Los Angeles, and on May 12, the company posted a “light-hearted” video promo featuring overweight people poking fun at themselves and using the Kefty. “The industry seems to dictate the use of hard and oily spokesmodels accompanied by fake testimonials,” a company release stated. “We rebelled. We use normal people, who look like America.”

The Kefty is available online for $99 (€70), and includes an exercise chart and training DVD.

Another novel new at-home workout aiming to gain momentum is Germany’s TwistFit. Dubbed a “pocket-size fitness studio,” the device features two straps, a rope, a rotating disc, and a prescribed set of exercises designed for all levels of fitness. TwistFit was also among 11 hot new products nominated for the FIBO Innovation Award this year.

Learn more:
Kefty: http://kefty.com

TwistFit (German only): http://www.twistfit.de

Watch a promotional video for the Kefty:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hX_rD7s_SSo

Watch Snoop Dogg trying the Kefty:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Tn6HV42_Uo

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The KEFTY Company announces today that its revolutionary home exerciser system has been selected by the Mars Institute for use in Summer 2011 onboard concept rovers for future human Moon and Mars exploration operated by the Haughton-Mars Project on Devon Island, High Arctic.

Kefty is a Made-in-USA handheld exerciser with a rubber-tensioned tubing frame made of high impact polymers. It was developed by Minnesota inventor and KEFTY CEO, Nick Musachio. “The unique patented device has resistance in two directions and does not need any external attachment points or gravity to work. At only 4 lbs, KEFTY is lightweight, compact, adjustable, silent, smooth, exercises the entire body, and is easily taken apart for travel, including travel to Mars,” says Musachio.

The Haughton-Mars Project (HMP) is a pioneering field research project in the extreme, Moon and Mars-like environment of Devon Island in the High Arctic. There, new concepts are being developed and tested by NASA and other space agencies for future space exploration. In particular, the HMP’s Moon-1 and Mars-1 Humvee Rovers support studies at NASA on the design and use of future pressurized vehicles for astronauts on the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Pressurized rovers, like sealed motor-homes, are vehicles in which astronauts would drive, live, work and sleep in “shirtsleeves”, and go outside in spacesuits as needed.

“Astronauts on long-duration drives on the Moon and Mars will be cooped up for days to weeks on end within the tight confines of their pressurized rovers. They will need an effective way to exercise and stay in shape. We think KEFTY could be the answer,” says planetary scientist Pascal Lee, Director of the Haughton-Mars Project. “KEFTY combines key attributes that NASA would look for in an exerciser for spaceflight: it is effective, safe, lightweight, compact, easy to use, versatile, and affordable.”

“KEFTY will keep our astronauts in their ‘skinny jeans,’ even on Mars,” says Musachio. “But, seriously, it is easy to see that KEFTY would be ideal for space exploration, submarines, and small apartments, and we are delighted that the Haughton-Mars Project will be deploying our units”. In the summer of 2011, Musachio will assist the HMP by providing KEFTY exerciser equipment for testing, as well as advise the HMP’s Moon-1 and Mars-1 crewmembers on optimal use of the KEFTY portable gym system.

More information about the KEFTY, visit the company’s web site: http://www.kefty.com.

About KEFTY
KEFTY is a revolutionary home gym system developed by Minnesota inventor Nick Musachio. All components of the KEFTY and its final assembly are made in the USA. The KEFTY Company is based in St Paul, MN. KEFTY CEO Musachio, is originally from Foley, Minnesota, graduated from Cretin High School in St. Paul, and St John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota. He previously pioneered in the field of electrified roadway systems. An Etran proof of concept test track powered a tethered, road-powered, hybrid Isuzu Trooper for over 700 miles without stopping. For more information, please visit: http://www.kefty.com.

About the Mars Institute
The Mars Institute is an international, non-governmental, non-profit research organization dedicated to advancing the scientific study, exploration, and public understanding of Mars. The Mars Institute conducts leading research in Mars Science and Exploration. The Institute also investigates the exploration of the Moon, Deep Space, Near-Earth Objects, and Mars’s moons Phobos and Deimos, viewed as stepping-stones in the exploration of Mars. The Mars Institute is committed to conducting high quality peer-reviewed research and sharing the knowledge and benefits of space exploration with students and the general public worldwide. The Mars Institute is headquartered at the NASA Ames Research Park, Moffett Field, CA. For more information, please visit: http://www.marsinstitute.net.

About the Haughton-Mars Project
The Haughton-Mars Project (HMP) is an international multidisciplinary field research project centered on the scientific study of the Haughton meteorite impact crater and surrounding terrain on Devon Island, High Arctic, viewed as an “analog” for Mars and other planetary bodies. The HMP supports a Science program focused on comparative studies between the Earth, Mars and the Moon, and an Exploration program focused on developing and testing new technologies and strategies for the human and robotic exploration of space. Research at HMP is supported by NASA and by the Canadian Space Agency, other government agencies in the US and Canada, and private partners. For more information, please visit: http://www.marsonearth.org.

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