Age Better with Barbara Hannah Grufferman

Barbara Hannah Grufferman
  • 4.9 (49)
  • Health & Fitness
  • Updated Weekly

AGE BETTER is the podcast for women 60+ who want to be strong, informed, energized, and in charge of the years ahead. Each week, award-winning author, journalist, and healthy aging advocate Barbara Hannah Grufferman talks with leading doctors, scientists, authors, and experts about what really matters now: building muscle, protecting your bones, fighting frailty, supporting your brain, deepening your connections, improving sleep, rethinking nutrition, staying mobile, nurturing intimacy, and living with real purpose. This is not about slowing down or settling in. It is about knowing what to do now so you can stay strong, healthy, independent, and engaged for decades to come. Because while living longer is the goal, living better—with strength, purpose, joy, and connection—is the point. AGE BETTER will help you take charge of what happens next.

  1. 16h ago

    AT 79, KATHRYN GRODY IS STILL UNFINISHED

    “I want to proceed unfinished . . .think of the changes as adaptations, not surrender.” — Kathryn Grody  KEY LINKS  Kathryn Grody’s one-woman show, The Unexpected 3rd — October 13–November 1 at George Street Playhouse The Unexpected 3rd — tickets and information  Don’t Listen to Us with Mandy Patinkin and Kathryn Grody — Kathryn and Mandy’s podcast with their son, Gideon Listen to Don’t Listen to Us  “The Layers” by Stanley Kunitz — the poem Kathryn reads during our conversation Read “The Layers”  How Not to F*ck Up Your Face by Valerie Monroe Visit Valerie Monroe’s Substack  What does getting older actually feel like?  At 79, award-winning actress and writer Kathryn Grody isn’t interested in pretending she has aging figured out. She’s funny about it, angry about parts of it, grateful for it—and determined to keep discovering who she is.  Kathryn joins me for a wonderfully candid conversation about entering what she calls her “third and final act,” which inspired her one-woman show, The Unexpected 3rd. We talk about the strange experience of feeling like yourself while suddenly being treated as “old,” why allowing her hair to go gray felt almost radical, and what happens when the world begins making assumptions about what you can—and can’t—do.  We also talk about strength and changing bodies, needing more time to recharge, bringing new people into your life as old friends are lost, the fear of mortality, marriage and family, and the unexpected social-media fame that came when her son Gideon began filming Kathryn and her husband, Mandy Patinkin, simply being themselves.  And then the conversation goes somewhere deeper: How do we acknowledge what is hard about aging without allowing fear and loss to become the center of our lives?  Kathryn’s answer has stayed with me. Stay curious. Keep adapting. Keep participating. Keep making room for new experiences. And above all, don’t assume you’re finished.  If this conversation speaks to you, please share it with a friend who is thinking about what her own next chapter might look like. And be sure to follow AGE BETTER wherever you listen, subscribe to the AGE BETTER YouTube channel, and leave a rating or review—it really does help more women find the show.

  2. Sep 1

    English Doesn't Have the Right Words for Growing Older — with Maggie Rowe

    “One of the biggest mistakes I’ve made is overvaluing status and undervaluing purpose. And as I get older, I hope to switch that out.” — Maggie Rowe  KEY LINKS  Lisen to ‘50 Words for Snow’ podcast HERE  Learn more about Maggie Rowe HERE   Read AGE BETTER CHEAT SHEET newsletter HERE    What if some of the problem with aging is simply that we don’t have good enough words for it?  English gives us elderly, senior, over the hill, anti-aging—and the particularly maddening “you look good for your age.” But in other languages, there are words that describe growing older very differently: as ripening, accumulating wisdom and experience, becoming more grounded, letting go of old burdens, and approaching life with renewed curiosity and wonder.  My guest today is writer and performer Maggie Rowe, co-host of the fascinating podcast 50 Words for Snow, which explores words from other languages that have no direct English equivalent.  Maggie introduces me to words and ideas I wish we had been using all along—including a Japanese concept that compares aging to ripening and becoming more complex and layered with time, another that describes the treasure trove of experience we accumulate through life, and shoshin, or “beginner’s mind”: the ability to approach life with curiosity instead of assuming we already know everything.  We also have some fun deciding which aging words deserve to be retired forever.  But the deeper question is one worth thinking about: Do the words we use merely describe aging—or do they influence what we expect aging to be?  Because if the language surrounding getting older is mostly about decline and loss, it’s easy to start believing that story. What happens when we replace some of those words with ones that recognize what can actually increase with age—perspective, freedom, purpose, curiosity, self-knowledge and the ability to appreciate our lives?  This conversation may make you think differently about the words you use to describe yourself—and this stage of your life.  Listen to this episode and then tell me: What word would YOU choose to describe growing older?  Send me your word at agebetterpodcast@gmail.com or share it with me on social media.  And if this episode made you think, please follow AGE BETTER, leave a rating or review, and share it with a friend.Those small actions make a huge difference in helping more women discover the show.  And don’t forget to sign up for the AGE BETTER CHEAT SHEET for more of the ideas, research and practical strategies that can help all of us age better.

  3. Aug 25

    Vaginal Health After 60: What Actually Works for Dryness, Pain & UTIs with Dr. Margaret Nachtigall

    “For vaginal estrogen . . . there’s no window of timing. If you’re 80 years old and your body has not seen estrogen in 30 years, you can still start local vaginal estrogen. It’s not too late. You can start.” — Dr. Margaret Nachtigall  We talk a lot about protecting our hearts, our brains, and our bones as we get older. But what about vaginal health?  In this episode of AGE BETTER, Dr. Margaret Nachtigall joins me to talk about what really happens to the vagina and urinary tract after menopause — and, more importantly, what we can do about it.  We cover vaginal dryness, burning and discomfort; why urinary urgency and recurrent UTIs can be connected to menopause; when symptoms are normal and when they’re a red flag; and the treatments that can make a real difference. Dr. Margaret explains the role of local vaginal estrogen, hyaluronic acid, moisturizers and lubricants, pelvic floor physical therapy, and other options — including what women with a history of breast cancer should discuss with their medical team.   We also talk about sex after 60, STI protection with a new partner, pelvic exams as we age, and one message I especially want women to hear: you do not have to simply accept vaginal discomfort as part of getting older. There are treatments, and it is never too late to ask for help.  If you’re in your 60s, 70s or beyond — or care about someone who is — this is an important conversation to hear and share.  Listen now, and then talk with your healthcare provider about what makes sense for you.  Are you loving AGE BETTER? Consider subscribing and following wherever you tune in. Check out AGE BETTER CHEAT SHEET newsletter on Substack.   See you next week!

  4. Aug 18

    More Years or Better Years? What Women Over 50 Really Want

    “Your doctor can be the expert on the medicine. But you are still the expert on the life you’re trying to protect.” – Barbara Hannah Grufferman  KEY LINKS  The original study in PLOS One is HERE   AGE BETTER CHEAT SHEET on Substack is HERE   What do we really want as we get older—more years, or better years?  A fascinating new study of more than 6,000 adults over 50 asked people to make some surprisingly personal choices about aging, health, quality of life, independence, and who should have the final say when medical decisions need to be made.  In this solo episode, I unpack the findings that caught my attention most—especially what women said about quality of life versus simply living longer, why what our bodies can do becomes increasingly important as we age, and why maintaining a voice in our own healthcare matters.  I also share the experience that fundamentally changed the way I think about physical function and independence: watching my mother’s world become smaller after a hip fracture.  You’ll come away with a different way to think about longevity—not simply as adding years, but as protecting your ability to live the life you want for as long as possible. And I’ll give you one question to ask yourself that can help clarify what you’re really trying to protect as you get older.  If this episode makes you think, share it with another woman and ask her: What is the one thing you most want to protect as you get older?  And please follow AGE BETTER with Barbara Hannah Grufferman on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. It’s one of the easiest ways to help more women find the show.

  5. Aug 11

    Health Span, Wealth Span, Life Span: The New Rules of Longevity with Michael Clinton

    "Our own personal longevity is only 25% genetic. So the other 75% are in our control." — Michael Clinton  KEY LINKS  Learn more about “Longevity Nation: The People, Ideas, and Trends Changing the Second Half of Our Lives” HERE  Michael Clinton's Roar Forward, including the Reimagineers stories and free monthly newsletter is HERE  Connect with Michael Clinton on LinkedIn HERE   Read Age Better Cheat Sheet on Substack HERE  Barbara’s Website is HERE   ABOUT THIS EPISODE  Michael Clinton ran Hearst Magazines. Then he left, wrote ROAR, built a company, and ran a marathon on every continent — most of it after 60.  For his new book – Longevity Nation -- he interviewed more than 70 experts. Not just doctors. Technologists, urban planners, dermatologists, wealth strategists. What came back was a single, connected picture of what it actually takes to live a long life well — and it is far more in your hands than you have been led to believe.  Here's what you'll take away:  Life layering. Why the old sequence — school, work, retire — is obsolete, and how to build a second set of identities in your 50s, 60s, and beyond. The 57-year-old with the kids gone and the job gone is at a beginning, not an end.  Proof it's never late. A woman took her first welding class at 70 and launched a business at 81. A veterinarian started school at 56.  Baby steps, not overhauls. Michael's exact instruction for starting anything new — and why nobody solves this in a weekend.  The money conversation nobody has. The one question to ask your bank that tells you whether your money outlives you. Plus a statistic about women and their finances that will make you sit up.  Loneliness and frailty. Why your world quietly shrinks, how that becomes a physical problem, and the single habit every expert on this show agrees on.  What's actually here now. Wearables, early-detection testing, GLP-1s beyond weight loss, and precision medicine built around your biology, not the average.  And one thing to do this week. Just one. You'll know it when you hear it.  You can't control getting older . . . but you can control how you do it.

  6. Aug 4

    Desire Has No Expiration Date: The Science of Intimacy After 60 with Dr. Anna Elton

    "Just have fun — because if we don't have fun, what's the point?" — Dr. Anna Elton  Desire doesn't retire. In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Anna Elton — licensed marriage and family therapist, clinical sexologist, and author of the new book The Formula of Desire: What Brings Us Together and Drives Us Apart and the Science of Connection — for a frank, warm, and surprisingly practical conversation about connection, intimacy, and desire after 60. Dr. Elton works with couples in their 60s, 70s, and even early 80s, and she brought her best tools for us.  Links:  The Formula of Desire by Dr. Anna Elton → HERE  Learn more about Dr. Anna Elton → HERE  In this episode, you'll learn:  Why retirement and an empty nest can quietly redirect your desire — and how to point it back where you want it  A ridiculously fun "A through Z" exercise that couples in their late 70s are using to feel like they're dating again  The exact number of seconds a hug (or a kiss!) needs to last to trigger your brain's bonding hormone  How to escape "roommate syndrome" when you're suddenly together 24 hours a day  A gentle, shame-free way to start conversations about intimacy — even if you've avoided them for decades (hint: it involves a drawer)  The "credit score" for your relationship that took one couple five minutes to complete — and four hours to talk about  What Dr. Elton tells women who feel guilty about wanting companionship again after loss  Plus, Dr. Elton's top three takeaways — including the one thing that disappears first in long-term relationships and how to bring it back this week.  If this conversation resonated with you, please subscribe and follow Age Better wherever you listen — it's the best way to make sure you never miss an episode. Have an idea for a future episode or a comment about this one? Email me at agebetterpodcast@gmail.com. And for more tools you can put to work right away, read the Age Better Cheat Sheet on Substack.

  7. Jul 28

    Is 4 Minutes of Exercise a Day Enough? Dr. Jocelyn Wittstein Says Yes . . . BUT

    "Four minutes a day works . . . but not if you are an average or above average person in terms of physical activity level." — Dr. Jocelyn Wittstein  You've seen the headline everywhere: just four minutes of exercise a day is enough. There's a real study behind it — a randomized trial published in PLOS ONE — and the results are genuinely impressive. But the fine print matters. In the first episode of a new occasional series, I put a headline-making study under the microscope with orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist Dr. Jocelyn Wittstein of Duke, who gives it to us straight: yes, no, or yes . . . BUT.  KEY LINKS  The study: "4 minutes of daily exercise" trial (PLOS ONE) is HERE   Dr. Wittstein's book: The Complete Bone and Joint Health Plan is HERE   Follow Dr. Jocelyn Wittstein on Instagram HERE   My AARP article interviewing Dr. Benjamin Levine on reversing heart age is HERE   My AARP article on the Japanese Interval Walking Training program is HERE   The Age Better Cheat Sheet newsletter on Substack is HERE   WHAT YOU'LL LEARN  What the study actually found — and why it applies to people who are inactive with existing mobility limits, not to everyone  The 10-second single-leg balance test, and the eye-opening research on what being able to pass it predicts  The sit-to-stand benchmark Dr. Wittstein checks in clinic — can you get out of a chair without using your arms?  Why the real headline may be compliance: participants did the workout 81% of days for three months  Why four minutes is NOT enough for bone health, heart health, or body composition — and what the research says actually protects your bones  The 7,000-steps finding that's replacing the 10,000-steps myth  "Exercise snacks": how one-minute bouts of movement throughout the day add up  Joint-friendly ways to get real intensity: the Norwegian 4x4, the air bike, Japanese interval walking, and incline treadmill walking that spares your knees  THE BOTTOM LINE  Something is better than nothing — but where you start determines what four minutes can do for you. If you're just getting going, this study is proof that a small, doable daily habit creates meaningful change. If you're already active, keep going: the benefits of exercise are dose-dependent, and four minutes won't maintain what you've built.  LET'S KEEP GOING  If this episode was useful, share it with a friend who needs to hear it, and follow AGE BETTER wherever you listen so you never miss an episode. And for the simple, actionable takeaways from every conversation — including this one — sign up for my newsletter, the Age Better Cheat Sheet, on Substack. I'll see you next week.

  8. Jul 21

    After Menopause, Now What? Do Women 60+ Feel Ignored?

    Hi everyone—thanks for tuning in.  In this replay of a short solo episode of AGE BETTER, I’m doing something a little different: I’m turning the mic around and asking you to help shape what comes next.  Menopause is finally getting the attention it deserves—and that’s a very good thing. But for those of us in our 60s and beyond, I keep wondering: What happens after menopause?  Because the conversation often seems to stop right when many of us are asking some of the most important questions of our lives.  Our bodies are changing. Our priorities are changing. Our relationships, work, purpose, energy, confidence, and health concerns may all be shifting. And yet women in this chapter are too often ignored or left out of the conversation.  I don’t want that. And I know you don’t either.  As I map out future episodes of AGE BETTER, new video content, live conversations, and the work I’m doing on my next book, I want to hear directly from you.  In this episode, I’m asking:  What are you navigating right now in your 60s and beyond?  What do you want to know more about—physically, emotionally, spiritually?  What is keeping you up at night?  What topics do you wish experts would talk about more honestly?  Do you want shorter tips, deeper conversations, more video, more audio, or live Q&As?  Your voice matters. Your questions matter. And your answers will help shape the next chapter of AGE BETTER.  Email me at agebetterpodcast@gmail.com or reach out on social media.  We are not done. We are not invisible. And the conversation is just getting started.

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AGE BETTER is the podcast for women 60+ who want to be strong, informed, energized, and in charge of the years ahead. Each week, award-winning author, journalist, and healthy aging advocate Barbara Hannah Grufferman talks with leading doctors, scientists, authors, and experts about what really matters now: building muscle, protecting your bones, fighting frailty, supporting your brain, deepening your connections, improving sleep, rethinking nutrition, staying mobile, nurturing intimacy, and living with real purpose. This is not about slowing down or settling in. It is about knowing what to do now so you can stay strong, healthy, independent, and engaged for decades to come. Because while living longer is the goal, living better—with strength, purpose, joy, and connection—is the point. AGE BETTER will help you take charge of what happens next.

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