ARTICLES · M2 PRODESIGN · LONG BEACH, CA

Moving Well Through Every Season of Life

By Emile A. Jarreau, “Mr. Fat Loss” · November 7, 2026 · Originally published on LinkedIn

Some of my clients have been with me for ten, fifteen, twenty years. They come in phases. Life gets busy, a job changes, a parent gets sick, and they step away. Then they come back. My job is keeping the door open and the lights on.

What they need from me at 42 isn't what they need at 55, or at 68. The goal changes from season to season. Underneath all of it is one thing that matters more every year: being able to move well.

I've been coaching for nearly 40 years, since 1988. Here's what I'd want you to know about mobility after 40.

What mobility really means

When most people hear "mobility," they picture stretching on a mat. That's part of it, but only a small part.

Mobility is getting up off the floor without grabbing the couch. It's carrying the groceries in one trip, getting a suitcase into the overhead bin, catching yourself when you trip on a curb, and getting down on the floor to play with your grandkids and back up again.

All of that takes strength, balance and control through a full range of motion. Flexibility helps. But flexibility without strength won't get you up off the floor.

What we're building toward

You'll see a lot of scary math online about how much you lose "per decade after 40." I haven't seen solid research behind those numbers, so I won't give you one.

Most of the good data is from people in their 60s, 70s and older. If you're in your 40s or 50s, read this as what we're building toward, not what's happening to you now.

Strength fades faster than muscle size. In studies that measured both, strength dropped about 2 to 5 times faster than muscle mass. Those figures come mostly from people around age 75.

Power goes first. Power is strength with speed: how fast you can push out of a chair or take a quick step to catch your balance. In older adults, it drops earlier and faster than strength.

Falls are common later in life. According to the CDC, about 1 in 4 adults aged 65 and older report falling every year, more than 14 million people. Falls are the leading cause of injury for adults 65 and older.

The good news is that this isn't a one-way street. An international expert consensus on exercise in older adults says that with enough exercise and physical activity, age-related declines in muscle and aerobic capacity "are substantially attenuated." In plain English, training can slow a lot of it down.

Strength and balance lead the way

If you want to keep moving well, these two carry the strongest evidence.

Strength training. U.S. guidelines call for muscle-strengthening work at least 2 days a week for adults. In studies of healthy adults 65 and older, resistance training produced large strength gains. Strength training after 40 is how you build the reserve you'll want at 70.

Balance training. U.S. guidelines say older adults should add balance training on top of strength and aerobic activity. The World Health Organization recommends that adults 65 and older do balance and strength-focused activity 3 or more days a week.

Here's why balance matters so much. A large Cochrane review of 108 trials in adults 60 and older living at home found exercise cut the rate of falls by 23%. Balance and functional exercises, like sit-to-stand and stepping drills, cut it by 24%. Programs that combined different types of exercise did even better in that review, about 34%. Those are relative reductions in people 60 and up, but they show what consistent work can do. The World Falls Guidelines say falls-prevention exercise works best done 3 times a week for at least 12 weeks, then kept up.

Where stretching fits

So can you regain flexibility after 40? Yes, stretching does improve range of motion. But it's an add-on, not the main event.

A review of 11 trials found strength training through a full range of motion improved range of motion about as well as stretching did. And in that Cochrane review on falls, there were no trials of flexibility-only exercise to compare.

So stretch if it feels good. Just don't let it replace the strength and balance work.

What I'd do in your 40s and 50s

Here's how I'd set up the week.

• Lift 2 to 3 days a week, through a full range of motion. Squats, hinges, pushes, pulls and carries.
• Train your balance most days. Single-leg stands, step-ups, sit-to-stands and controlled stepping drills.
• Move with a little speed once the basics are solid. Standing up quickly from a chair, under control, trains power.
• Keep walking. Aerobic work is part of every guideline for a reason.
• Stretch as a complement, not a replacement.

At M2, this is built into how we train. You're with me three times a week, and the plan changes as you do.

Here's how one longtime client describes it in her public Google review:

"I've had the privilege of training with Emile on and off for over a decade, and every time I need to get back on track, he's the one I trust." (Leslie C., Google review, December 2025)

Individual results vary. In M2's public reviews that list a number, the typical loss is about 13 lb.

When to talk to your doctor or a physical therapist first

Training can help, but some things need a professional look before or alongside it. Talk to your doctor or a physical therapist if:

• You've had a fall with an injury, 2 or more falls in the past 12 months, or a fall where you couldn't get up for an hour or more, or may have lost consciousness. The same goes if you've been told you're frail.
• You'd answer yes to any of these: Have you fallen in the past year? Do you feel unsteady when standing or walking? Do you worry about falling?
• You get dizzy or lightheaded when you stand up, or you've started a new medication.
• You've had unexplained loss of strength or weight.
• You have new or worsening joint pain, swelling or numbness.
• You've recently had surgery or a fracture.
• You get chest pain or shortness of breath with exertion.

I'm a coach, not a medical provider. I don't diagnose or treat. When something needs a doctor, I'll tell you.

Keep your foot on the gas

Every season of life asks something different of your body. The people who move well at 70 aren't lucky. They kept training through their 40s, 50s and 60s, even when life got busy.

There's no free lunch. But you don't have to figure it out alone.

Apply first

If you're ready to build strength and balance for the long haul, apply first. I read every application myself. If it looks like a fit, I'll reach out to you personally.

Apply for the M2 90-Day Transformation: Apply here

Emile Jarreau, "Mr. Fat Loss." Expert, not influencer. M2 ProDesign, Long Beach, CA. Creator of NESTA's Physique and Figure Training Specialist course.