'Astronaut Workouts' Can Reduce Back Pain And May Even Slow Signs Of Ageing

Exercising regularly is linked to a longer life – even a little extra time moving could extend your longevity. 

But writing for the New Scientist, co-founder and director of Space at NauteXe Global, Simon Evetts, said: “What an astronaut’s body goes through in orbit is, in some ways, like an accelerated preview of human ageing”.

Spending time in space “affects the spine, weakens muscles and detunes the balance system,” which mimics the body’s response to e.g. illness or bed rest,” he added. 

So, if we want to support our spines and slow signs of ageing, it might be time to consider working out like an astronaut.

 Why might that help?

We’ve written before at HuffPost UK about the lesser-appreciated, but crucial, muscles in your core. These can help to stabilise your back and hips.

The area includes the transverse abdominis and rectus abdominis, oblique, erector spinae, multifidus, diaphragm, quadratus lumborum, hip flexors and pelvic floor muscles. Often, we only pay attention to the rectus abdominis muscle group in the gym (“abs”).

But when you’re in space, parts of the core that help to support your spine, including the multifidus muscles, tend to shrink, leading to back pain.

This muscle also weakens with age and with inactivity. And in one paper, multifidus muscles began to atrophy after just four days of bed rest, “highlighting its rapid response to disuse”. 

Among older participants, another study found that the weakness of the multifidus muscle was linked to increased “functional disability measures”.

So, both astronauts and older people may benefit from strengthening this “forgotten” muscle. 

So... how can I work out these muscles? 

If you’re an astronaut, Evetts said, there are things like the Alter-G treadmill which allow you to train in low gravity. I don’t know about you, though, but my gym doesn’t have one of those. 

But there are plenty of more accessible ways to strengthen your deep core, including the multifidus muscle.

In one paper, the “Superman” position ― which involves lying on the floor and lifting your arms and legs off the ground, almost like Superman flying ― was found to work the muscle the hardest, potentially strengthening it most.

And according to another study, a “three-point quadripod exercise”, which involves a “tabletop” position where one limb is lifted, leaving three points of contact on the ground, seemed to work the best, though this “warrants further research to prove its effectiveness”. 

NHS Fife recommends moves like cat-cow yoga patterns and kneeling planks to keep your trunk steady, and other moves that strengthen your deep core include hollow holds, planks, L-sits, pull- and push-ups, and bird dog exercises.

But Evetts said it doesn’t need to be all that difficult. He explained that “sitting for 10 minutes without a backrest; standing instead of sitting when taking a phone call; choosing the stairs instead of the lift; and, one of my favourites, standing on a train while loosely holding a rail or strap” can all help.