Astronauts visiting the International Space Station (ISS) typically spend around six months in orbit. Due to the microgravity environment, their muscles would rapidly deteriorate without a strict exercise regime. NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara recently shared a video showcasing her use of the station’s various exercise machines during her time aboard the orbiting outpost before returning to Earth in April. O’Hara playfully dubbed the video “a little glimpse into our space gym.”
The lack of gravity on the ISS necessitates the use of harnesses to keep astronauts securely in place during exercise. These harnesses also provide resistance, ensuring a full workout and maintaining or enhancing muscle strength. O’Hara highlighted in her post that each astronaut dedicates 2.5 hours every day to exercise. This includes approximately 60 minutes of weightlifting and 30-50 minutes of cardio, such as 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 in the history of human space exploration, scientists recognized the crucial role of exercise in maintaining healthy bones and muscles in orbit, mirroring its importance on Earth. Simple elastic bands were initially used for exercise on early missions, but the gym equipment has progressively become more sophisticated. Current exercise machines aboard the space station include ARED (Advanced Resistive Exercise Device), a machine utilizing pneumatic cylinders to generate the necessary force for a challenging workout. Another machine is CEVIS (Cycle Ergometer with Vibration Isolation and Stabilization System), a specially designed “bicycle” used for aerobic exercise.
Scientists continue to research the effects of exercise in space, along with other factors like diet, to enable NASA to better prepare for upcoming lunar missions that might involve astronauts spending extended periods in a moonbase. Even greater challenges are presented with long-duration crewed missions to distant planets like Mars, the first of which could occur in the 2030s.
