What makes the doctors who greet the crew especially happy is the fact the astronauts are in a noticeably better physical condition than the crews of previous Skylab missions. How is that possible? Well, it turns out that what works on Earth, works in space. A regular exercise and, to our great excitement, cycling, played a major role in the good health of our dear astronauts.
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Explore space, do some science, and don’t forget your daily cycling!
The Skylab 3 crew lead by commander Alan Bean, the fourth person to walk on the Moon, was assigned to carry out medical experiments helping the scientists understand the adaption and re-adaptation of the human body exposed to the out-of-the-ordinary conditions as a space flight can represent. An important feature of the tests turned out to be exercise. And here comes the bike part.
For about an hour a day, the members pedalled towards a greater understanding of human physiology, space, and universe. Not outside Skylab, to our disappointment, as we would love to see pictures of an astronaut merrily cycling in the orbit. The crews’ routine, however, turned out to be more static and in fact involved a lot of tubes and devices hooked to the body and the stationary bicycle.
If you stick to your routine, you will beat the other astronauts!
Aside from scientific purposes, all of the exercise plans were created in an effort to prevent the astronauts’ bodies from becoming too lazy in the weightless environment. And as a series of medical examinations showed upon the arrival of the crew, the effort paid off.
Our takeaway from the story is pretty straightforward: exercise and cycling are really good for you. Even in the strangest and most unusual moments of your life. Approved and verified by the members of NASA. Don’t believe us? Check out this documentary:
