

The Not Old - Better Show
Paul Vogelzang
The Not Old – Better Show is a radio show that is broadcast over the Internet using podcast technology discussing the hottest issues and topics that fascinate and inform those 50+ age Americans and are of interest and concern to boomers.
Not Old – Better viewers and listeners can “tune in” whenever they want, giving them the freedom to enjoy the show in the gym, in the car, at home or work.
A SHOW FOR THOSE 50+, BY THOSE 50+ Talk About Better®
Not Old – Better viewers and listeners can “tune in” whenever they want, giving them the freedom to enjoy the show in the gym, in the car, at home or work.
A SHOW FOR THOSE 50+, BY THOSE 50+ Talk About Better®
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 28, 2025 • 32min
Live Long Better: The New Science of Strength, Independence & Aging Well
Live Long Better: The New Science of Strength, Independence & Aging Well Science-backed fitness. Real-life aging. Expert advice for living long—and living better. The Live Long Better Interview series, from The Not Old Better Show. 🧠💪 Fitness Over 50 Is Booming — But Are We Ready to Support It? The fastest-growing segment of the fitness market? Adults over 60. And it's not just a trend—it's a movement. On the latest episode of The Not Old – Better Show, I sat down again with ACE Fitness expert Sabrena Jo, Ph.D for a powerful and insightful conversation about the future of fitness and aging. We covered a lot: → Why senior-friendly gyms are thriving → How wearable tech can motivate, protect, and inspire older adults → Why fitness is crucial to mental health and social connection → How fitness professionals—and healthcare providers—can work together to keep older adults thriving Sabrena doesn’t hold back. She speaks to the heart of the issue: that staying active isn't about chasing youth, but about preserving independence, dignity, and joy. For professionals in healthcare, wellness, and business, this episode is a must-listen. The aging population isn't slowing down—and it's time to create services, spaces, and communities that reflect that. 🎧 Listen to the episode here on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3FAbebT Let’s rethink aging—one strong step at a time. #ActiveAging #HealthyWorkplace #SeniorFitness #CorporateWellness #LeadershipInAging #HealthcareInnovation #NotOldBetterShow

Aug 26, 2025 • 37min
From Beds to Threads: Emma Seymour on Sleeping Cool & Dressing Smart
🛏️ Cool sheets. 🧥 Smart style. Emma Seymour from Good Housekeeping shares the best in bedding and adaptive fashion. Listen now 👉https://apple.co/3FAbebT What makes a sheet truly “cooling”? Are pricey beds worth it? And what exactly is adaptive clothing — and why is it changing lives? 🛏️👕 Emma Seymour, Associate Director at the Good Housekeeping Institute’s Textiles Lab, joins Paul Vogelzang on The Not Old Better Show for a fascinating Good Better Best conversation. From testing hundreds of sheets and comforters to spotlighting clothing that blends fashion with accessibility, this episode is about living better in every way. Listen here 🎧 https://apple.co/3FAbebT #GoodBetterBest #NotOldBetter #AdaptiveClothing #SleepBetter

Aug 19, 2025 • 33min
From Desk Chair to Breakthrough Care: Your Health, Upgraded
From Desk Chair to Breakthrough Care: Your Health, Upgraded The Not Old Better Show, Prevention Magazine Interview Series 🎧 Welcome, everyone, of the Prevention Magazine Healthy Living Interview Series on The Not Old Better Show. I’m Paul Vogelzang, and I am so glad you’re here with us today. Today’s episode is sponsored by Daily Greens by Factor Form. We’ve got a fantastic returning guest—independent health journalist and author of mindful women's novels, including the award-winning Warrior Won, and her new book, Yoga Bind, which will be published next spring and longtime Prevention Magazine contributor, Meryl Davids Landau—who’s bringing us the kind of conversation that sticks with you long after you’ve stopped listening. 🚶♂️ Is 10,000 steps a myth? Turns out — yes. According to Prevention Magazine’s Meryl Davids Landau, new research shows 7,000 steps a day is enough to lower your risk of dementia, cardiovascular disease, and even falls. No marathon walking necessary. 🧘♀️ And if you’re sitting at a desk all day? Meryl also shares easy, seated yoga moves that target your eyes, wrists, neck, shoulders, and spine. These movements are gentle, restorative, and made for anyone 50+, working or retired. No yoga mat required — just a willingness to stretch. 🔬 We also look back at 75 years of medical milestones. From robotic surgery to IVF, wearable ECGs to personalized gene editing — this episode is a celebration of science that has saved and changed lives. And it’s also a reminder of what’s still possible as we age. 🎧 This conversation is packed with practical advice, surprising stats, and timeless wisdom. Whether you're walking more, stretching smarter, or reflecting on how far we've come in health innovation — this one's worth a listen. Today’s episode is sponsored by Daily Greens by Factor Form 🔗 Catch the episode here: Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3FAbebT 👉 Hosted by award-winning Paul Vogelzang on The Not Old Better Show #HealthyAging #WellnessAtWork #PublicHealth #MedicalInnovation #PodcastRecommendations #ScienceCommunication

Aug 12, 2025 • 33min
Dumped, Not Done: Suzy Hopkins on Unbreaking Your Heart After 50
Dumped, Not Done: Suzy Hopkins on Unbreaking Your Heart After 50 The Not Old Better Show, Art of Living Interview Series Welcome to The Not Old Better Show, Art of Living Interview Series. Today’s episode is brought to you by Acorns. Acorns is a financial wellness app that makes it easy to start saving and investing for your future. Acorns.com/NOB Getting dumped after decades together can feel like the air goes out of the room. The empty chair at breakfast. The phone you shouldn’t check. The question, “Who am I now?” If that sounds familiar, this episode is for you. Suzy Hopkins knows the shock. After a 30‑year marriage ended, she and her daughter, New Yorker illustrator Hallie Bateman, created What to Do When You Get Dumped—a warm, witty, beautifully illustrated guide to unbreaking your heart. We talk about the first 24 hours and the weeks that follow: drawing clear lines on calls, texts, and social; eating something warm; asking for help; walking every day; and trying one small new thing that reminds you you’re still you. This conversation honors later‑life love and loss. It speaks to anyone starting again at 50, 60, 70+, and to families who want to support with care and respect. Humor sits beside grief here—and both are welcome. “Dumped, Not Done: Suzy Hopkins on Unbreaking Your Heart After 50.” If you need a steady voice and a few practical steps, join us on The Not Old – Better Show with Paul Vogelzang. Today’s episode is brought to you by Acorns. Acorns is a financial wellness app that makes it easy to start saving and investing for your future. Acorns.com/NOB

Aug 1, 2025 • 33min
Taming Wild Hearts: The Siberian Fox Experiment, Evolution, and the Power of Curiosity—A Conversation with Lee Alan Dugatkin
Taming Wild Hearts: The Siberian Fox Experiment, Evolution, and the Power of Curiosity—A Conversation with Lee Alan Dugatkin The Not Old Better Show, Smithsonian Associates Interview Series 🦊✨ What if you could witness evolution—real, visible change—unfolding not over millennia, but within a single lifetime? On the latest episode of the Not Old Better Show Smithsonian Associates Interview Series, I had the privilege to sit down with evolutionary biologist, author, and Smithsonian Associate Lee Alan Dugatkin, who brings to life one of the most daring experiments in modern science. Lee Alan Dugatkin will be appearing at Smithsonian Associates, coming up. Please check out THIS link for more details! 📚 Lee’s acclaimed book, How to Tame a Fox (and Build a Dog), chronicles the incredible journey of two visionary scientists, Dmitri Belyaev and Ludmila Trut, who set out in the icy wilderness of Siberia to answer an age-old question: how did wild animals become our trusted companions? Against a backdrop of scientific controversy and political peril, they not only tamed foxes—they rewrote what we know about genetics, behavior, and our relationship with animals. 🌏 This story isn’t just about foxes or genetics. It’s about the courage to pursue discovery, the tenacity to overcome obstacles, and the lifelong adventure of following your curiosity. Lee’s insights are a powerful reminder that learning and growth have no age limit. Whether you’re an early-career scientist or someone considering a new passion in your fifties, sixties, or beyond, the spirit of this experiment speaks to all of us. 💡 In our conversation, Lee shares how selection for tameness led to foxes with wagging tails, floppy ears, and even laughter-like vocalizations. He opens up about working with Ludmila Trut—now in her late eighties and still leading this experiment—and about how history, resilience, and wonder can intertwine to create something extraordinary. 🎧 I invite you to listen to this fascinating episode, whether you’re a fellow scientist, an animal lover, or simply someone who believes it’s never too late to change the world with a question. The experiment continues, and so does the adventure. 🔗 Tune in now at notold-better.com. Let curiosity lead the way! More details here: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/taking-wild-out-of-animal

Jul 28, 2025 • 40min
60 Years of Wonder: Frederica Adelman on the Legacy and Future of Smithsonian Associates
🎉 Celebrating 60 Years of Smithsonian Associates: A Conversation Worth Sharing Since 1965, Smithsonian Associates has offered more than just lectures or museum tours—it has sparked imagination, created lifelong connections, and helped generations see the world with new eyes. This year marks its 60th anniversary—a milestone that honors the past and looks boldly toward the future. To celebrate, The Not Old Better Show – Smithsonian Associates Interview Series sat down with Director Frederica “Fredie” Adelman to talk about what makes this organization so extraordinary. Fredie shares rich, behind-the-scenes stories—from Justice Ginsburg and Justice Scalia debating on stage (“they laughed, they dueled, and the audience loved it,” as NPR’s Nina Totenberg recalled) to the evolution of museum sleepovers, arts programs, and the groundbreaking move to virtual learning. But this episode goes beyond nostalgia. We asked bold, reflective questions: 🔹 What does it mean to lead an organization shaped by six decades of curiosity? 🔹 How has Smithsonian Associates balanced innovation with tradition? 🔹 And what will the next 60 years look like for lifelong learning? Fredie answers with wisdom, humor, and purpose—and offers a preview of the 60th Anniversary Celebration Weekend, including the public events at the Ripley Center this October. For anyone passionate about museums, education, leadership, or meaningful cultural experiences, this conversation is for you. 🎧 Listen to the full episode and see why learning—at any age—is still the best kind of adventure: [Insert Link] #SmithsonianAssociates #NotOldBetterShow #LifelongLearning #Leadership #MuseumEducation #PublicEngagement #60YearsOfWonder

Jul 22, 2025 • 31min
Art of Living series: Helen Sheehy, Just Willa
Today’s story begins in a barrel, and today’s show is brought to you by Daily Greens by Factor Form. A woman named Willa Hardesty is burning trash in the backyard, muttering, “this is hell.” She’s angry, grieving, and standing on the edge of something big. She’s not famous. She’s not looking for glory. But her life—hard-earned and fully lived—just might stop you in your tracks. 🔹 Who tells the stories of women who “weren’t famous”—but should have been? That question haunted author and biographer Helen Sheehy—until she turned it into her stunning debut novel, Just Willa. 📚 Just Willa follows the unforgettable Willa Hardesty, a Kansas farm girl who becomes a single mother, tenant farmer’s wife, and bootlegging cowboy’s partner. Her life brushes up against nearly every major event of the 20th century—from the Dust Bowl and Great Depression to the polio epidemic and rural electrification. 🎙️ On the latest episode of The Not Old Better Show, I sat down with Helen to talk about Willa—who’s based on her own mother—and the 20-year journey to bring this extraordinary “ordinary” woman to life. Sheehy’s years of biographical writing blend beautifully with her gift for dialogue, scene, and emotional depth. 🕯️ This is more than historical fiction—it’s an excavation of memory, family, and the deep ties between mothers and daughters. For our audience, especially those reflecting on their own legacy or wondering how to tell their family's stories, this episode hits home. 💬 We talk loss, resilience, farming, bootlegging—and the courage it takes to write what you don’t know, but feel in your soul. 📡 Listen now at: https://notold-better.com #Storytelling #AuthorInterview #HistoricalFiction #PodcastRecommendation #WomensHistory #ArtOfLiving #NotOldBetter Today’s show is brought to you by Daily Greens by Factor Form.

Jul 21, 2025 • 31min
Sun Protection That Works: Sabina Wizemann on the Science of Smarter Skincare
☀️ Your sunscreen might say SPF 50—but what does that really mean? Chemist and Beauty Lab Director Sabina Wizemann has answers. From UVA myths to white cast truths, she breaks it all down—science, no fluff 🌞Is your sunscreen actually doing what it promises? Many of us apply it daily—some of us still forget—but few of us truly understand what’s in that bottle. Especially those of us 50 and older, who’ve spent decades under the sun. That’s where Sabina Wizemann comes in. Sabina is the Beauty, Health & Sustainability Lab Director at the Good Housekeeping Institute. She’s a trained chemist with over 16 years in the personal care and pharmaceutical industries, and she’s tested hundreds of sunscreens to determine which ones really work—for all skin types, tones, and ages. In this week’s episode of The Not Old Better Show: Good, Better, Best: Good Housekeeping Interview Series, Sabina gives us the clear, science-backed truth behind the SPF labels. Chemical vs. mineral? White cast worries? UVA vs. UVB? Sabina breaks it all down in a way that’s engaging, entertaining, and easy to understand—even if you haven’t touched a chemistry book since high school. She also shares how her lab evaluates sunscreens—not just for performance but for how they feel, absorb, and wear on real skin. That’s the kind of research that makes a difference when you’re choosing a product you’ll wear every day. And yes, she gives her top picks. 🎧 Whether you’re outdoors daily, or just looking to make smarter skin health choices—especially as we age—this is one conversation you’ll want to hear: https://apple.co/3FAbebT #SkincareScience #SunscreenFacts #HealthyAging #BeautyLab #SunSafety #NotOldBetter #GoodHousekeeping #50PlusLiving

Jul 20, 2025 • 30min
The Great Museum of the Sea: Why Shipwrecks Capture the Imagination
🌊 What do shipwrecks really reveal about us? In this special episode of The Not Old – Better Show, produced in collaboration with Smithsonian Associates, we’re celebrating 60 years of learning and discovery by going deep—literally—with maritime archaeologist Dr. James P. Delgado. From the wreck of the Titanic to the sunken slave ship Clotilda, Delgado shares powerful stories from decades of underwater exploration. These aren't just relics—they're reflections of our history, identity, and humanity. Join us in honoring the Smithsonian Associates’ 60th Anniversary with a conversation that reminds us how far we’ve come—and how much the past still lives beneath the surface. 🎧 Listen to the full episode now on Apple Podcasts! 📘 Discover The Great Museum of the Sea #SmithsonianAssociates #60YearsOfLearning #NotOldBetter #ShipwreckHistory #UnderwaterArchaeology #LifelongLearning https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/great-museum-of-sea

Jul 14, 2025 • 34min
The Indispensables: How the Marblehead Regiment Saved Washington’s Army
The Indispensables: How the Marblehead Regiment Saved Washington’s Army The Not Old Better Show, Smithsonian Associates Interview Series 🎧 They didn’t just serve Washington—they saved the Revolution. Listen now: 👉 https://apple.co/3FAbebT 🪖 They weren't just soldiers. They were fishermen, craftsmen, abolitionists, and immigrants. 🫱🏽🫲🏼 Black, white, Native American, and Hispanic—united not by uniform, but by purpose. 🎙️ On the latest episode of The Not Old Better Show, Smithsonian Associates series, I sat down with acclaimed military historian and author Patrick K. O’Donnell to uncover the nearly lost story of The Indispensables—a Marblehead, Massachusetts regiment that quite literally carried the Revolution on their backs... and in their boats. Patrick O’Donnell will be appearing at Smithsonian Associates coming up and the title of his presentation is The Indispensables: How the Marblehead Regiment Saved Washington’s Army. Check out our show notes today for more details, but we have Smithsonian Associate Patrick O’Donnell today! 🌊 From rowing Washington across the ice-filled Delaware on Christmas night... ⚓ To creating the foundations of the U.S. Navy... 🧪 To leading one of America’s first public health responses to a deadly virus outbreak... …these soldier-mariners defined what it means to serve a country still being imagined. 📚 Patrick’s storytelling is immersive, human, and deeply researched—bringing back voices that history left behind. Including the “canceled” Revolutionary War-era doctor who was shunned, then went on to save the entire Continental Army. 🇺🇸 This isn’t just a story of battle—it’s a story of character, community, and what happens when ordinary people do extraordinary things. If you believe in the power of history to teach us something about the present… this one’s worth your time. 🔗 Listen now: https://apple.co/3FAbebT 💬 And if you’re moved by the conversation—drop a comment or share with someone who’d love this. NotOldBetter #SmithsonianAssociates #AmericanHistory #Leadership #Veterans #MilitaryHistory #RevolutionaryWar #PatrickODonnell #LifelongLearning #AgingBoldly #DiversityInHistory For more details, please check out Smithsonian Associates: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/indispensables