Astronauts use specialized exercise equipment in space to maintain their fitness and counteract muscle and bone loss caused by microgravity. The main types of exercise equipment aboard the International Space Station (ISS) include:
- Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED): This device simulates free-weight exercises such as squats, deadlifts, and calf raises using vacuum cylinders and flywheel cables to provide resistance without gravity. It can deliver up to 600 pounds of force and targets all major muscle groups to maintain muscle strength and bone density
- Treadmill (T2): Astronauts run on a treadmill equipped with a harness system that applies a load simulating body weight (starting at 60% and increasing to 85% of body weight). This provides cardiovascular, muscular, and skeletal exercise by mimicking the effects of gravity on Earth
- Cycle Ergometer with Vibration Isolation and Stabilization System (CEVIS): A stationary bike that provides cardiovascular exercise. Astronauts pedal while secured to the device, which uses friction and resistance to maintain workload and measure exercise parameters such as heart rate and speed
For missions beyond the ISS, such as Artemis lunar missions, astronauts will use more compact equipment like the Resistive Overload Combined with Kinetic Yo-Yo (ROCKY) device. ROCKY is a lightweight, portable device that provides resistance training and aerobic exercise through a flywheel mechanism, allowing exercises like rowing, squats, deadlifts, and upper body workouts in a small form factor suitable for spacecraft
. Astronauts typically exercise about two hours daily using these devices to maintain their physical health during extended space missions
