Planet You Go, Gravity You Find

Your Mission: Perform an exercise with balls of different weights, as if you were in different gravitational conditions, to strengthen arm and torso muscles, and improve coordination.

Astronauts’ training takes into account the influence of gravity because during their mission they will be in a free-fall microgravity environment. When astronauts are back on Earth after a six-month stay on the International Space Station, they feel tired, as if everything is extremely heavy. Astronauts need to train to get acquainted again with Earth’s gravity and do that using medicine balls to strengthen their muscles.

Skills

Strength, Coordination, Stabilisation, Teamwork

Learning Objectives

Perform a physical activity that will improve coordination, core and arm muscles
Record observations about improvements in coordination and core and arm muscle strength during this experience in the Mission Journal

Equipment

3 balls with different weights, e.g:
- 1 kg (2 lbs)
- 1.5 kg (3 lbs)
- 2.5 kg (6 lbs)
For students: Mission Journal and pencil

Time

10-15 minutes per class

Resource available in:

English, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish

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