If you asked me that question when I was a young lad, like many young people, the answer would be a very certain YES. Even nowadays in my 50's, I think that if Elon Musk or some other friendly billionaire asked me if I wanted to go on a space flight, that the answer would be the same. I can't imagine that happening though, so I guess that I will just have to stay terrestrial!

Did you know though that many astronauts suffered with their mental health after they came back with things such as depression and "mental fog"?

NASA did a lot of research, and came to the conclusion that a variety of factors were in play. One of the major factors was the effect of zero gravity on our proprioception. Proprioception is just a fancy word that refers to the body's ability to perceive its own position in space. For example, proprioception enables a person to close their eyes and touch their nose with their index finger.

When we are in space, our nervous systems are stimulated in different ways to when we are on the ground and this is one of the weakened proprioception is one of the results. The good news is that through special exercises and training that the astronauts were able to strengthen these parts of the nervous system and recover their mental health.

This information stimulated much research within medical and holistic professionals. These days, many people spend a lot of time with their consciousness directed towards a TV or computer screen and don't get enough exercise. This along with natural ageing will weaken our sense of proprioception.

We don't get as bad as the astronauts but our sense of where we are in the world reduces along with balance and the possibility of mental health issues increases.

It's not all bad news though. Losing our sense of proprioception can be seen as a natural effect of ageing but unlike so many things that come with ageing, it's one that we can do something about.

When we exercise our bodies to improve our balance and coordination, then we are strengthening our nervous systems in a way that can help. Simply standing on one leg for a few minutes a couple of times a day will help.

If you wanted to really help your body to stay younger or even recover some of that posture and vitality that you had when you were younger, then you would be well advised to take up a suitable exercise program.

There are many such exercise programs about but one of the most effective is Tai Chi. When we practice Tai Chi, we strengthen our bodies and nervous systems in many ways. If we get "the bug" for it, then practicing most days for a while is not difficult. We integrate it into our lives.

Before you ask, yes, a lot of retired astronauts are very keen on Tai Chi!