Astronauts visiting the International Space Station (ISS) usually stay for about six months. The microgravity conditions aboard the ISS mean that muscle will quickly waste away if a strict exercise regime isn’t followed during that time.
NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara has just shared a video (below) showing her using many of the station’s exercise machines during her stay aboard the orbital outpost before returning to Earth in April. O’Hara calls the video “a little glimpse into our space gym.”
.@LunarLoral spent 203 days in space before returning to Earth on April 5, 2024. She exercised over two hours everyday on the space station to maintain her bone and muscle health in weightlessness. https://t.co/Mi57mFQYJY
— International Space Station (@Space_Station) July 22, 2024
The lack of gravity aboard the ISS means that a lot of harnesses are required to keep you in place. They also add resistance so that you get the full benefits of a workout and maintain and enhance your muscle strength.
O’Hara pointed out in her post that each astronaut exercises for 2.5 hours every day. This comprises around 60 minutes of weightlifting and 30-50 minutes of cardio involving running or cycling.
“While any exercise program has its challenges, I found it really enjoyable to have the opportunity to load my body up every day and zone out a bit listening to music or podcasts, reading, studying for upcoming events, and hanging out in Cupola looking at station and the planet in between sets,” O’Hara said.
Early on in human space exploration, scientists understood that exercise is a vital part of maintaining healthy bones and muscles in orbit, just as it is on Earth. Simple elastic bands were used for exercise on the early missions, but since then the gym hardware has become increasingly sophisticated.
Current exercise machines aboard the space station include ARED (Advanced Resistive Exercise Device), a machine built with pneumatic cylinders that create the necessary force to give the astronaut a decent workout. Another machine is CEVIS (Cycle Ergometer with Vibration Isolation and Stabilization System), a specially designed “bicycle” used for aerobic exercise.
Scientists are continuing to research the effects of exercise in space, as well as other things like diet, to help NASA better prepare for upcoming lunar missions that could see astronauts stay for prolonged periods inside a moonbase. Even greater challenges are presented with long-duration crewed missions to distant planets like Mars, the first of which could take place in the 2030s.