Besides eating and sleeping, what do astronauts spend more time doing in space than anything else? It’s exercise.
Exercise is the number one health priority in space, said Don Hagan, director of exercise physiology at Johnson Space Center. “No other activity except eating and sleeping is given that much priority. Two and a half hours each day are devoted to fitness.”
Why is it so important for astronauts to exercise while they’re in space? If astronauts don’t exercise, their bodies start losing bone and muscle. Bone and muscle loss mean decreased size and strength, and can reduce an astronaut’s ability to do work because it makes them weak. The same thing happens here on earth, just slower.
Spin class: push for speed!
- Level 3, 60 rpm, 1 minute warm up
- Level 4, 110 rpm, 5 minutes
- Level 5, 110 rpm, 5 minutes
- Level 6, 100 rpm, standing, 3 minutes
- Level 2, 60 rpm, rest and drink water
- Level 6, 90 rpm, 5 minutes
- Level 5, 80 rpm, 3 minutes
All Abs: 3 rounds of the following 50/10’s
- Brazilian runner crunches
- Reverse crunches
- Left leg swing crunches
- Right leg swing crunches
- Wide scissors
- Up and down scissors
- Left obliques
- Right obliques
