A Day in the Life Aboard the International Space Station
Crew members must exercise every day to prevent bone and muscle loss. Image Credit: Fred Sayers
Exercising in Space
Exercise is an important part of the daily routine for astronauts aboard the station to prevent bone and muscle loss. On average, astronauts exercise two hours per day. The equipment they use is different than what we use on Earth. Lifting 200 pounds on Earth may be a lot of work, but in space it is easy. The 200 pounds appear to weigh nothing. Therefore, exercise equipment needs to be specially designed for use in space so astronauts will receive the workout needed.
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A Day in the Life
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Additional Resources
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Fit Explorer Challenge
Students train like an astronaut during this challenge.
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STS-119: Exercising in Space
Watch space shuttle astronauts work out.
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Exercise in Space
"Each Station crew member is scheduled for an hour of cardio (either treadmill or cycle ergometer) and an hour of resistive exercise (the equivalent of weightlifting) each day while we are on orbit."
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Fit for Space
Get the skinny on how astronauts build a better body for space and what it means to you.
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NASA eClips™: Exercise in Space
Find out why exercise is so important to the astronauts who travel into space.
 "STS-119 Mission Specialist Joe Acaba")