Introduction
Astronauts are some of the most interesting, knowledgeable individuals alive. Their work is truly amazing, but they also have real-world experience when it comes to health & wellness and how it’s related to space travel. In this article, you’ll learn about two astronauts who were able to share their experiences with me in person: Dr. Steve Swanson and Dr. Reilly Crawford. Both were trained doctors before becoming astronauts (Dr. Swanson was a physician assistant and Dr. Crawford was a physician).
Section: 1) What did you learn about health & wellness on your missions?
Section: 2) How has your knowledge of health & wellness helped in your daily life?
Section: 3) What do you think would be helpful for someone who wants to prepare for space travel or work in the medical field?
Astronauts exercise for 3 hours a day.
Aerobic exercise is essential for astronauts to maintain their muscle mass and prevent muscle atrophy. They do this by exercising in a weightless environment, which means they use resistance bands and weights to simulate gravity. However, astronauts also have to be careful not to overwork their muscles since this can lead to injury or even worse: space sickness!
They have to position themselves correctly when using the bathroom.
Your body is a machine. The more you use it, the more efficient and healthy it becomes. This is why astronauts spend so much time in space: they need to use their bodies all day long to survive!
So what does this mean for us? Well, if you want to be able to move around without pain or discomfort after spending hours on end in a pressurized environment, then learning how to properly position yourself when using the bathroom is essential. When working out at home or in your gym, being conscious of posture will help keep injuries at bay while also improving circulation throughout your muscles and joints during workouts (and even afterward).
If you take care with how you sit while going number two—and no matter what position makes sense for YOU—your chances of having better health and longevity are greatly increased!
There are a lot of push-ups, but also a lot of yoga.
While astronauts are known for their athletic prowess and physical strength, they’re also known for their mental health and well-being—and that’s not just because they spend so much time in space without gravity to help them keep their bones strong. Astronauts have been shown to have higher levels of mindfulness when compared with non-astronauts (1). Mindfulness is defined as being aware at every moment; it helps us focus on what’s happening right now while also being able to observe our thoughts objectively rather than letting them run away with us. This can be helpful for people who deal with chronic pain or stress as well as those who want more restful nights’ sleep (2).
Yoga has many benefits beyond helping you feel relaxed before bedtime: It helps improve balance by strengthening core muscles; improves flexibility through various poses like splits; increases concentration through breath work; increases circulation by stretching out tight muscles throughout your body—and those are just some examples!
They also meditate to manage stress.
Astronauts are required to be mentally and physically fit. To succeed in space, they need to have a strong sense of self-discipline, focus, and clarity of thought so that they can think clearly under extreme conditions.
Suffering from chronic anxiety or depression? You may find it helpful to try some meditative techniques like mindfulness meditation (which has been shown to lower stress hormones).
But they don’t cut out all of the good stuff, like chocolate and coffee.
One thing you’ll notice about astronauts is that they don’t exactly cut out all of the good stuff. They have to keep their bodies as healthy as possible for a long mission, so they can go through intense training and still make it back safely. That means eating well but also taking care of themselves in other ways—like getting enough sleep or even drinking coffee sometimes! Astronauts drink coffee because it helps them stay awake during long shifts on Earth, but this isn’t something you should do yourself if you’re trying to lose weight: caffeine puts extra stress on your adrenal glands and can cause insomnia (not ideal when trying to get restful sleep).
And they share whatever it is that works for them with the rest of us earthlings.
Astronauts are like us. They have to take care of themselves, and they share whatever it is that works for them with the rest of us earthlings.
The astronauts’ health tips, which can be applied to your own life:
Eat a balanced diet. A balanced diet includes plenty of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables; lean meats; low-fat dairy products; fish; nuts and seeds (they’re high in fiber); healthy fats such as olive oil or avocados instead of margarine (which contains trans fats). Avoid refined sugar—it’s not good for you!
If astronauts take care of their health, so can you!
The first thing to understand is that astronauts are not superhuman. They are just like you and me, with the same struggles and problems as most people in our society. Astronauts have been trained in how to live a healthy lifestyle, but they still have their own set of issues that can affect their health if they’re not taken care of properly.
Astronaut training requires an incredible amount of dedication from both the astronauts themselves and their families—but it’s worth it! When you’re able to look at someone else who has overcome so much adversity just through hard work alone (and without any special powers), then maybe there will be hope for those times when your own body seems impossible to move forward with whatever goal or dream may be floating around in your head right now…
Conclusion
Students at the University of Toronto, who are already exposed to neuroplasticity and neurodiversity education, have been taught a lot about neurodiversity. I’ve also seen this topic covered in courses for people with developmental disabilities and people with learning disabilities in Ontario, Canada as well.
I have also seen children being taught about neurodiversity in my classroom. Through the use of puppets and various activities from play-based inquiry to storytelling and activity-based learning, I’m able to bring these concepts alive without having to present each concept on its own. Thus, when students see a puppet that is learning or understands something they might not be familiar with (like how one can feel their right hemisphere “telling” them that they need some new clothes or shoes), there’s a sense of wonder rather than confusion. The students can spend more time the learning because they’re rarely getting lost and moving around too much (which is what happens when you explain something too explicitly). However, if I’m presenting information in a very dry discussion style-oriented format where students are expected to understand an abstract concept on their own-I might end up with confused faces instead of engaged ones.
