Life in the Universe

Living in Space

How did the astronauts exercise while aboard Skylab?

To keep the astronauts healthy and combat the atrophy of their physiological systems, Skylab had exercise equipment aboard, including a stationary bicycle and a treadmill. An odd consequence of exercising, however, was that sweat floated off the astronauts’ bodies in slimy puddles. The person working out had to catch these puddles with a towel so that the moisture would not land on anything that might be damaged by excessive moisture!

Aboard the Mir space station, American astronaut Shannon Lucid (top) exercises in order to prevent her bones and muscles from weakening. (NASA). (Bottom) a model of the Mir space station

