Let’s get physical! Being 260 miles above Earth doesn’t mean you can miss the gym.
Quirky images show International Space Station crew dressed in exercise gear and ready for action.
The Expedition 74 crew have been conducting space‑exercise research to keep them healthy off planet.
ESA (European Space Agency) Flight Engineer Sophie Adenot worked out on the advanced resistive exercise device, which mimics free weights on Earth, while four specialised cameras installed in the Tranquility module observed her musculoskeletal system in motion.
NASA said: “Doctors are exploring the forces an astronaut’s muscles and bones experience when exercising in weightlessness to maintain fitness and health during a long-term spaceflight.”
Astronauts (from left) Sophie Adenot and Jessica Meir take a portrait together before beginning their exercise sessions on the Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED), which mimics free weights on Earth, and the COLBERT treadmill. (Pix via ESA/NASA/SWNS)
ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot, currently on the International Space Station for the εpsilon mission, exercises on the CEVIS bike just a few days after her launch on 13 February 2026. (Pix via ESA/NASA/SWNS)
Keeping fit is essential in space because microgravity rapidly weakens muscles and bones, making daily exercise vital for astronauts’ long‑term health.
Crew currently use a cycling-based exercise machine which has been in use on the Space Station since 2009. A new exercise device is set to arrive at the orbital platform in April 2026: the European Enhanced Exploration Exercise Device or E4D, a compact and versatile next-generation in-flight exercise system.