ME™ uses the outdoors to enhance and bolster the effects of its workouts.  Of course any exercise is better than no exercise, but holistic exercise, like ME, ensures external and internal health benefits.  ME is a unique exercise program that takes into account the research of when, where, and how to exercise in order to shape a thinner and healthier you. 

The health benefits of the outdoors are being utilized less and less with each generation.  Currently, the average person spends greater than 90% of their time indoors.  Think about it, most of us wake up, drive to work, work all day, and drive home to finish out our day relaxing around the house.  The average person is lucky to be outdoors walking to and from their car.  It is not uncommon for a whole week to come and go without ever being in the fresh air.  Intuitively, people know there are benefits to being in the fresh outdoor air. ME exercise utilizes the outdoors for many reasons, the most important being the enhanced sense of well-being fresh air can impart. ME uses nature’s gifts to further enhance health, fitness, and weight loss.  Other benefits of exercising outdoors as opposed to indoor exercise include the following:

• Beneficial effects of negative ions
• Beneficial effects of natural sunlight
• Beneficial effects of natural terrain
• Beneficial effects of reconnecting to the outdoors

Beneficial Effects of Negative Ions

More and more interesting research about the beneficial effects of negative ions is becoming known.  Negative ions tend to have a very high concentration in outdoor fresh air when compared to indoor air, which tends to have higher concentrations of positive ions.  Negative ions are colorless, odorless, and invisible but have many health-promoting qualities. High concentrations of positive ions are thought to be related to environmental allergies, asthma, and low energy.   Negative ions are believed to boost energy, enhance mood, and promote quality sleep. In addition, negative ions may decrease stress, help alleviate allergies, positively impact depression and may even promote weight loss through their ability to increase performance.

Beneficial Effects of Sunlight

By spending most of our lives indoors and using sunscreen, we are missing the beneficial effects of natural sunlight.  Humans are designed to use the sun and it is vital to their health..  Unfortunately, sunlight has and continues to this day to get a bad rap. Once again the conventional medical community and the media have misled us about the harmful effects of the sun.   It is true that too much sunlight to the point of getting burned is not a healthy, but avoiding sunlight can be worse for your health.  Recent research on vitamin D shows many Americans are deficient despite fortified foods and supplementation.  Sunlight greatly increases the abundance of this vitamin which more accurately acts like a hormone. Through its effects on Vitamin D, sunlight helps prevent cancer, bone disease, depression, and many other illnesses that are only now beginning to be understood.  Also, because Vitamin D can help lower and control insulin, sunlight may also play a role in helping people reach their weight loss goals.  

Beneficial Effects of Exercising on a Natural Surface

Exercising on a natural surface imparts tremendous benefit to your musculoskeletal system. Working out on a surface that is perfectly flat like pavement can in the long run cause a relative weakening of joints, tendon, ligaments and small muscle groups.  The human body will eventually adapt to any environment or situation if not challenged. This is especially true when it comes to the musculoskeletal system.  In order to continue to improve musculoskeletal health uneven or natural terrain like grass fields, trails, hills, and other obstacles should be utilized.  ME  uses all types of surfaces in order to challenge and improve overall health in their clients.    Ligaments, tendons, and stabilizer muscles that may not be used on flat or man-made surfaces get strengthened quickly on uneven surfaces when exercise is done appropriately.  This can significantly decrease the risk of foot, ankle, and knee injuries.

Connection to the Environment and the Seasons

Exercising outdoors gives people a wonderful sense of connection to the outdoor environment.  The benefits of natural light and fresh air serve to not only improve physical health, but also spiritual/emotional health.  There is an innate connection to the environment that begins to occur when the body is exposed to the elements. Think about how you feel watching a sunset, walking along a beach, looking at a mountain view, or simply feeling cool fresh air on your face.  One begins to see and feel a oneness between themselves and the earth.  It is invigorating and revitalizing.

These days, we spend most of our lives indoors in a temperature range that tells your body it is summertime. The problem with this is that your body is busy preparing for a winter that will never come. This misinformation is further reinforced by the standard high sugar diet and the prolonged exposure to unnatural light that in the natural world only occurs in the late summer months. Being outdoors lets your body know what time of day it is and what time of year so that it can appropriately tell you when to sleep and how to eat.  Cold air on your body during the winter or warm sunlight on your face in the spring communicates valuable and appropriate information to your genes so that your body can serve you better. Being outdoors for part of the day helps reset circadian rhythms and balances hormones and promotes weight loss.