Exercise in Space!

The space shuttle Discovery is off on another mission but the exercise bike is broken! I would go crazy if I could not ride my bike everyday! I love cycling and think it is great they have this piece of equipment on the shuttle.

"The annoying glitch has stymied repair efforts by the seven astronauts aboard Discovery, especially since the stationary bicycle can be a challenge to set up in the shuttle's cramped quarters. The shuttle is due to dock at the International Space Station later today at 5:13 p.m. EDT (2113 GMT).

"It's a kind of cycle in the middeck that we all use to keep in shape," shuttle astronaut John Phillips said late Monday after trying to get the space bike up and running. "It's quite a piece of work to get it put together."

But after assembling the exercise bike, known in NASA parlance the "cycle ergometer," Phillips and his crewmates found its pedals stuck fast."

It is interesting to see how difficult it can be to problem solve in zero gravity. Quite a difference from solving a problem on the starship Enterprise! In artificial gravity and with the help of trusty replicators, a problem can be fixed in no time at all! Just ask the computer for a tool or part to fix a machine and you are all set. If that doesn't work, then just replicate a new bicycle.

"NASA has long known that the muscles and bones of astronauts in space weaken over time since they don't have to work against the pull of Earth's gravity when floating in weightlessness. Aboard the space station, astronauts have to work out about two hours every day to maintain their muscle strength during six-month spaceflights."

Again, the problems of zero gravity! These astronauts actually need to workout to keep their muscles and bones healthy. There is no artificial gravity to keep your bone density in normal levels.

Seriously, I do love the scenes in Star Trek: TNG in which they are practicing Klingon martial arts or horse back riding in the holodeck. On Star Trek: Enterprise, they included an exercise room with treadmills and weights and even a basketball court.
I like to see my action heroes running and defending themselves which implies they need to have a certain level of physical ability. It is part of the overall perceived physical and mental discipline required for space travel. In most of my favorite shows, there is a preferred sport such as baseball, golf, basketball, or some variation of martial arts, that is regularly practiced. The inclusion of sports is another of the many reasons I love to watch science fiction!
I have included a link to a video on exercise in NASA's space shuttle HERE. The video is seven minutes long and very interesting about how the crew exercises.
Space Exercise Bike Article HERE