It's a common frustration that many older people face: I'm not as strong as I used to be. What gives?

Staying active is one of the best things you can do to prevent sarcopenia.

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Well, it turns out there's a name for it. This age-related loss of muscle mass and strength is called sarcopenia, according to a November 2018 article published in Best Practice & Research: Clinical Rheumatology.

And, unfortunately, it happens to just about everyone. Generally, muscle loss begins around age 50, per the Cleveland Clinic, and about 50 percent of adults will experience it by their 80th birthday, according to an April 2012 article published in Family Practice.

First, some grim news: People lose as much as 5 percent of their muscle mass per decade after they hit age 30, according to Harvard Health Publishing.

Here are five reasons why:

Yes, the old "if you don't use it, you'll lose it" expression rings true.

Normally, exercise releases muscle growth factors, which stimulate muscle regeneration. But that process declines with age, according to the Family Practice article.

Plus, older people are less active in general, sometimes as a result of having a disease that makes them tired and in pain, according to a November 2012 article published in Current Opinion in Rheumatology.

People tend to consume fewer calories as they get older, Brooke O'Connell, RDN, LDN, registered dietitian with Glanbia Performance Nutrition, tells LIVESTRONG.com.

Between the ages of 40 and 70, calories are reduced by about 25 percent and that means nutrient intake is on a downward slope as well, according to a February 2019 review published in Clinical Nutrition. That can lead to weight loss and muscle loss over time, O'Connell says.

3. Decrease in Muscle Fibers

The Current Opinion in Rheumatology article notes that fast-twitch muscle fibers (which aid the body in power-based moves, according to the American Council on Exercise) decline with age, which contributes to muscle decline overall.

Testosterone, which plays an important role in determining the body's muscle mass, also declines with age. This process starts around age 40 and decreases at a rate of about 1 percent per year, according to Harvard Health Publishing.

5. Increased Inflammation

Inflammation comes with certain diseases and aging in general and makes it harder to remain active and increases the likelihood of disability. All of that gets in the way of muscle growth, according to the Current Opinion in Rheumatology article.

Working to prevent sarcopenia can help you stay active and independent.

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Sarcopenia can be dangerous. According to the Cleveland Clinic, it can make you more frail and put you at increased risk of falling or other injuries.

An October 2012 study published in Clinical Nutrition found 27.3 percent of people over age 80 with sarcopenia reported falling during the study's two-year follow up, compared with 9.8 percent of 80-plus-year-olds without sarcopenia, making those with sarcopenia three times more likely to fall compared to their peers without it.

More falls and injuries increase your risk of disability, which can lead to a loss of independence if it becomes dangerous to live on your own, according to the Family Practice article.

"Vitamin D is the most prominent nutrient deficiency for older adults, and depleted vitamin D levels are associated with decreased muscle strength."

In short, you want to preserve and build muscle as you age in order to live a longer and healthier life.

According to a June 2015 study published in The American Journal of Medicine, the amount of muscle an older person has can predict his or her risk of dying, with more muscle mass index being linked to lower mortality risk.

Even if you're well into your golden years, it's not too late to build back some of that lost muscle. Here are four things you can do to thwart sarcopenia.

An inactive lifestyle speeds up the muscle-loss process, according to the Cleveland Clinic. One of your best defenses, then, is staying active.

Prioritize activities that increase blood flow and oxygen to your muscles, strengthen the brain-to-muscle connection and help you maintain range of motion in your hips and shoulders, suggests Michael Moody, a Chicago-based personal trainer, certified senior fitness specialist and creator of the podcast The Elements of Being.

Some good options include:

Protein is the macronutrient that promotes growth and development, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. And older people usually don't get enough of it.

Indeed, a March 2020 study published in Frontiers in Nutrition found older people consume about 83 grams of protein each day, which is significantly lower than younger people.

Even though the Recommended Daily Allowance is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of weight, the researchers suggest older people need more somewhere between 1 and 1.5 grams per kilogram to stay healthy.

They suggest spreading your protein intake across meals and increasing protein intake at breakfast and lunch as one way to mitigate muscle loss.

O'Connell says not to overlook non-meat sources of protein for these daytime meals, such as a Greek yogurt parfait for breakfast or adding eggs, cheese, nuts or beans to a salad for lunch.

3. Pay Attention to Vitamin D

"Vitamin D is the most prominent nutrient deficiency for older adults, and depleted vitamin D levels are associated with decreased muscle strength," O'Connell says.

If you're deficient, your doctor may recommend a vitamin D supplement, but you can also meet your needs by thoughtfully including vitamin D in your diet. O'Connell suggests choosing products like milk and cereal that are fortified with the vitamin in addition to increasing your intake of natural sources such as salmon, sardines, canned tuna and egg yolks.

4. Embrace Progressive Resistance Training

As in, don't be afraid to make your workouts more difficult as you get stronger with more weight, more reps or more sets.

"Your body is a complex system that requires training and movement in different planes," Moody says. Once your body is no longer being challenged, "that's a perfect time to pivot and begin injecting a focus on another weakness."

Any type of resistance training should help. A meta-analysis published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise reviewed 49 studies involving men ages 50 or older and found resistance training led to a 2.4-pound gain in lean body mass.

Be patient, however. It could take six to eight weeks to see results, per the Cleveland Clinic. Moody says it rests on your diligence, effort, focus and, most importantly, routine.

"Your success will depend on your consistency, appropriate challenge and frequency," he says.

If you're new to exercise, it's a good idea to assess your strengths, limitations and range of motion before getting started, Moody says. "Find a second set of eyes, like a doctor, physical therapist or personal trainer for a thorough examination," he suggests. He or she can help point out your blind spots and advise you on how to approach exercise safely.

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Sarcopenia: Causes, Prevention and Treatment for Muscle Loss With Age - LIVESTRONG.COM

These patients are the store clerks, cab drivers, security guards and janitorial personnel who have to go to work to earn money. They are the patients who cannot easily tune into cable news or search the web to stay informed about the latest information about the Covid-19 crisis. Their very way of life puts them at risk.

As we take extraordinary measures to flatten the Covid curve, these vulnerable, high-risk patients in the black community need to be part of our coordinated national response. We need to ask important questions: How are these patients receiving information and making decisions about their health when there is a lack of trust in the health care system and those that provide it? Do these patients have advance directives; do they speak with their families about end-of-life care?

Do these patients know that their poorly controlled underlying conditions place them at increased risk, and do they believe this to be true? How are they being transported safely to and from work and their dialysis treatments when they are already at risk or immunocompromised? How are we keeping dialysis patients safe when they are already at risk for catheter-related infections, even when medical staff wear the recommended protective equipment -- but more so now that this equipment is hard to come by?

There are further crucial questions. Diet and exercise are important ways to control kidney and heart disease, yet how are patients following the recommended dietary restrictions when grocery shelves are bare and the general population continues to hoard? Many groceries have now shifted to online ordering, a luxury that some, who lack easy access to internet or a credit card, cannot afford. What food remains on the shelf that is SNAP or WIC approved? How do you get exercise outside in a neighborhood that is not safe to walk?

Policymakers need to broaden the scope of federally subsidized programs to address these issuesto support these vulnerable, high-risk patients and to help lower their risks. And they need to make testing available in these communities at great risk, with corresponding federally supported medical care.

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The questions to ask and actions to take to help black Americans fight the virus - CNN

Want more information about the coronavirus in Minnesota? Gov. Tim Walz is eager to tell you almost everything he knows about it.

Over and over and over again.

Although he was holed up in the Governors Residence for two weeks while under self-quarantine amid the COVID-19 crisis, Walz has been almost a constant presence in the Minnesota news media.

The first-term DFL governor has participated in daily media briefings on the pandemic, which put him on newspaper front pages and the lead story on radio and television newscasts, as well as a hot subject on social media almost every day.

In addition, Walz has addressed the state four times in YouTube videos in recent weeks to announce his stay-at-home order for Minnesotans, make a power-point presentation to launch a new website providing COVID-19 information, deliver a State of the State address and update the public on the latest pandemic data.

While he delivers the news, he is not the big story. The coronavirus is.

As governor, Walz has been thrust into the job of leading the state through a battle like no one has ever seen before. Hes consumed by it.

Why? A governors first responsibility is emergency management, he said last week.

He spends his days and many nights picking the brains of experts across the state, nation and world to get information about the virus, trying to locate and acquire face masks, personal protection equipment, test supplies, respirators and other material health care providers need to fight the disease and issuing orders to protect public health and safety while trying to limit damage to the states economy.

Heres a look at a typical day in Walzs life:

5:15 a.m. Wake up and hop on his treadmill. He said he runs 22 miles a week.

8 a.m. After breakfast, he starts his work day with a phone or video conference call with his staff.

9 a.m. Phone or video briefings by the state department heads on his COVID-19 team.

Late morning-early afternoon Phone calls to major stakeholders around the state to find out what they need and how they can help combat the pandemic. Last Thursday, for example, he called long-term care providers, Minnesota Rural Electrical Association members, railroad and transit workers, building and construction trade union leaders and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum.

Im not one that loves the phone a lot. I tend to do things in person, he said in a Pioneer Press phone interview. But Ive embraced what the technology team put in so I feel like Im very much in the loop at all times.

2 p.m. Participate in the state Health Departments daily media conference call where he and his commissioners update reporters on pandemic-related developments and answer questions, often for more than an hour.

Late afternoon More phone calls. (He takes breaks from his busy schedule to down six cans of Diet Mountain Dew a day.)

5:30 or 6 p.m. Final daily briefing from his staff and cabinet members.

Early evening Time with his wife, Gwen, and their teenage children: Hope, a University of Minnesota freshman, and son Gus, a St. Paul Public Schools student.

Were spending time as a family again, Walz said. Were all eating supper together at a set time. That hasnt happened in quite awhile. If theres more free time, they read books or play the dice game Yahtzee together.

His day doesnt always end with his family. Nearly every other night, he said, he gets briefings on his administrations legislative agenda or future policy plans.

While the Legislature is in recess, the governor said he stays in contact with lawmakers by phone and text messages, most recently preparing for the session scheduled to resume Tuesday. Were working out details ahead of time so we have a clear agenda, he said.

That to me seems relatively normal, the way they (legislators) are communicating and my policy team is working with them. Were putting out proposals, finding out what we agree upon, what compromises can be worked out and then planning on how to get them done.

Also on Walzs weekly schedule are conference calls he and the other 49 governors make every Tuesday to President Donald Trump to discuss what the states need from the federal government. After a rocky start, Walz said relations between the governors and the president have improved.

On Wednesdays he gets on another conference call organized by National Governors Association where the governors exchange ideas. As a former National Guard Sergeant Major, Walz said he often advises them on military issues.

In addition, he calls individual governors almost every day to trade ideas. He said Govs. Jay Inslee of Washington and Larry Hogan of Maryland, states where the pandemic spread earlier and more lethally than in Minnesota, were particularly helpful.

Theyre our future selves a couple of weeks out, he said. Sometimes we get a real gift when they say, This is what I would have done differently or This is what we did that really worked.

The governors office is swamped with phone calls, letters and email messages from Minnesotans, and his staff responds to as many as they can handle, said Walz press secretary Teddy Tschann.

Walz said the overriding message hes hearing from constituents and on social media is that folks are willing to do whats asked of them. People are telling us they want more information, Were big people. We can handle it.

While the coronavirus consumes most of his time and energy, he said he tries not to neglect his other duties. Last week, for example, he carved out a three-hour block of time to interview judicial applicants and appoint new district court judges.

To slow the spread of COVID-19 in the past month, Walz has used the extraordinary powers granted to governors during crises to close schools and implement distance learning for students.

He shuttered bars and restaurants (except for takeouts and deliveries) and shut down theaters, museums, sports arenas, music halls, fitness centers and other public gathering places.

He ordered Minnesotans to stay at home as much as possible and stay at least 6 feet away from other people when out in public to avoid spreading the disease. Last week, he extended that order, which had been scheduled to expire Friday, until May 4.

The governor helped provide unemployment benefits to people who lost jobs and paid leave for state workers laid off because of the pandemic. He barred landlords from evicting tenants who cant pay rent and increased penalties for price gouging.

To help ensure hospital beds are available for COVID-19 victims, he ordered delays in elective surgeries. His administration persuaded Minnesota health plans to waive costs for treating those victims.

As commander in chief, the former Army National Guard Sergeant Major deployed Minnesota Guard troops to transport and stockpile personal protection equipment for health care workers.

To get all that done, Walz has issued 34 executive orders, which have the force of law without being passed by the Legislature.

But he worked with lawmakers to pass, with strong bipartisan support, more than $500 million in state aid for health care providers, emergency loans for small businesses, funds for child care providers who care for children of medical and other emergency workers and grants to food shelves, homeless shelters, needy veterans and tribal nations.

Walzs stay-at-home order and other social distancing guidelines appear to be working. Minnesotas coronavirus infection rate is among the lowest in the nation, and the growth rate of the infection has slowed.

That has bought more time for hospitals to prepare for a surge in cases. By Saturday, 1,427 Minnesotans had tested positive for the virus and 64 had died.

The governor has leveled with Minnesotans about the bad news: The crisis will get worse. Forecasters predict hospitalizations and deaths will continue to rise, and Walz cites those predictions in warning people to continue staying home and following other social distancing guidelines.

Hes not afraid to admit mistakes and change policies. After refusing for a week to name long-term care facilities where patients contracted COVID-19, he and his commissioners agreed to identify the centers, saying the publics right to know outweighed the patients privacy.

Most people are following his orders, indicating public confidence in his plans. Former Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty said that public unity isnt surprising. Minnesotans tend to pull together in a crisis. We rally around our leaders, he said.

The first major sign of dissension since the crisis started surfaced Thursday, when Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka, the states top-ranking Republican official, announced his opposition to Walzs extension of the stay-at-home order. Gazelka and some other GOP lawmakers have complained that the DFL governor is unnecessarily hurting the state economy by shuttering businesses and sending home workers who could safely return to the job.

Walz responded that he wants the 385,000 Minnesotans who applied for unemployment benefits to go back to work, but he said he wouldnt lift his restrictions until health experts agree the infection is under control.

Before Gazelka criticized Walzs stay-home order, the governor appeared to have united bipartisan support in contrast to the fiercely partisan divide that prevailed before the coronavirus struck.

He still gets high marks from Minnesotas former Republican governors. So far, I think Gov. Walz is doing a very good job of leading the state through this crisis, said Pawlenty, whom Walz consulted for advice.

Former Gov. Arne Carlson said Walz has been very prudent so far. The steps he has taken to combat the pandemic make very good sense. I think well come out of it all right, Carlson said.

Former GOP Gov. Al Quie said of Walz, Hes trying to do his best.

Walz has also sought advice from former DFL Gov. Mark Dayton, who said his successor is doing terrifically well. Hes straightforward, hes made good decisions, and he communicates well.

House DFL Speaker Melissa Hortman was even more effusive in her praise of Walz. Thanking the governor for his very strong and very clear leadership after his State of the State address last week, Hortman said, I think in some ways he was made for this moment the teacher in him, the coach in him, the man who has military experience

She said Walz, a former high school geography teacher and football coach, has answered Minnesotans questions with the warmth of a coach and has led his administration to act with military precision.

While Republican lawmakers werent lavishing that kind of praise on the governor, they were united behind him in the fight against the coronavirus. In a video recorded before Walzs address, Gazelka said Democrats and Republicans have to face COVID-19 together. Were going to do everything we can to help our governor succeed, he said.

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Gov. Tim Walz and the coronavirus. The former football coach and Sergeant Major faces his biggest battle. - TwinCities.com-Pioneer Press

Here are 10 fun things to consider trying when the lockdown ends:

1. Face your fears in a skydive

Although skydiving centres across the UK have shut in response to the pandemic, jumping from dizzying heights once the restrictions lift could be a good way to celebrate freedom whilst facing your fears.

Daredevils usually embark on a skydive or parachute jump to raise money for a good cause.

According to Skyline, the largest organisers of sponsored charity jumps in the UK, there are over 3,000 charities who will cover the costs of your skydive in return for raising funds.

2. Put on your trainers and run a marathon

Running a marathon is a bucket-list activity for both complete beginners and veteran runners.

Training can be daunting for novices, but running apps like Couch to 5k are designed for beginners and a great way to get up and moving during lockdown.

A daily jog will help to stay fit as well as preparing you to tackle those 26.2 miles.

3. Challenge yourself to a mountain hike

The UK is home to mountains and hill walks for every type of explorer, with its leafy green climbs and craggy treks.

The National Trust has a series of walking routes to make the most of landscapes across the UK, such as the Horseshoe Ridge hike in the heart of the Brecon Beacons National Park, or England's highest mountain Scafell Pike.

But make sure to use a map and compass for navigation and check the weather conditions before you set off.

4. Take to the slopes and learn to ski

Indoor snow centres allow you to learn to ski or snowboard or can be a way of brushing up on your skills - even in the middle of summer.

"There are loads of benefits to learning to ski in the UK before you head to the mountains," according to the Ski Club of Great Britain, the largest snowsports membership organisation in the UK.

It says indoor snow slopes and dry slopes have areas for beginners to learn basic techniques, while professional qualified instructors can help you get comfortable with the equipment.

5. Cycle a historic route

Cycling UK, which represents cyclists and promotes bicycle use, has a series of inspirational routes for those keen to commemorate the end of lockdown measures on two wheels.

The popular Bristol and Bath Railway Path in Somerset is a tranquil cycling journey between the two cities, while the 21-mile off-road route of the Cinder Track allows you to explore the North Yorkshire coast.

For bicycle beginners, Cycling UK has tips to feel more comfortable in the saddle, as well as information about community cycle clubs to become more accustomed to biking.

6. Dig out the tent and go camping

Music festivals this year may have been cancelled or postponed due to social distancing measures, but a camping trip could be a great way to reconnect with the outdoors after weeks of staying inside.

First-timers should plan for all types of weather and invest in a good quality sleeping bag and roll mat to ensure a pleasant night's sleep.

Holiday plans have been left in tatters after airlines grounded flights and borders were closed worldwide in a bid to impede the spread of the virus.

While the UK currently advises against all but essential travel, writing a list of places you would like to visit once the measures ease might be a practical way of staying optimistic.

When the UK's lockdown ends, booking a "staycation" is a great way of supporting local tourism forced to close in response to the pandemic.

8. Join a gym or exercise class

Psychologists have said that maintaining a healthy lifestyle as far as you can, including diet and exercise, is crucial to your physical and mental wellbeing during the lockdown.

But the disruption to everyday life caused by the measures could lead to unhealthier habits among some people.

If so, challenge yourself to take part in a new exercise class once gyms and leisure clubs have reopened.

The Outdoor Swimming Society has a handy online guide which answers questions about how to swim safely and responsibly, as well as giving advice on how to recognise drowning and taking children into the water.

Not feeling brave enough for an open water swim? There are a number of outdoor swimming pools across the UK open to the public during all weather.

And finally, following the unprecedented closures of pubs nationwide, make sure to mark the end of lockdown measures with a visit to your local.

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10 fun things to try when the lockdown ends - Lancashire Post