One major obstacle to extended spaceflight is the effect microgravity has on human muscles. There's no point in sending a crew to Mars if the people will be too weak to function on the planet once they arrive. For decades, studies have been done on space stations in attempts to determine what is necessary to maintain fitness in weightlessness.
The latest study, done on ISS astronauts and supplemented by Earthbound bed rest studies, suggest maintaining muscle mass requires intense exercise periods concentrated on pushing muscles in resistance regimes. Aerobic exercises, which ISS astronauts now do for roughly two hours a day, seem to be less effective.
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