a2a - the art 2 aging

When Scott Fulton was 40, he was active - sort of. He coached a lot of soccer and played golf.But he was overweight and out of shape.And, as so often happens in life - as if it was meant to - a chance invitation from a neighbour for a bike ride - changed Scott forever.Scott Fulton is the author of a best seller titled “Function” in which he lays out the link between health and longevity. “Well, obviously,” I can hear you thinking.Not so obvious. The link between health and longevity is far more than just diet or exercise, important as they are. To hear our original discussion about Scott’s book, click this link.But to hear Scott’s story which ultimately led to the creation of Function, listen to our conversation this week on The Art 2 Aging.Now available in video form on YouTube, Spotify and elsewhere! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theart2aging.substack.com/subscribe

In the nearly 3 years that The Art 2 Aging has been offering views, opinions, and information on being older, there is one area that we haven’t tackled: grief over the death of a loved one.Like life insurance, death is not something people want to discuss, let alone hear about.But it is inevitable, isn’t it?Yet even when we know it’s coming, it hits like a Mack truck.Michael Whelan is not a name that may be familiar to many outside the television industry.But if you’ve ever watched a boxing event on HBO or tennis from Wimbledon on NBC or a golf tournament on The Golf Channel, Michael Whelan’s name is all over it.Professionally, he’s had a great life filled with success, accolades, Peabodys, Emmys – you get the picture.However, that’s not who he is today. Michael lost his wife of nearly 50 years last March (2026) from Parkinson’s Disease.All the Emmys, Peabodys, and accomplishments mean nothing now. His life story changed overnight.Michael agreed to speak openly about the loss of his one love, Rebecca, and what he is learning about death and the impact that grief is having on his life. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theart2aging.substack.com/subscribe

When happiness expert, Kathie Donovan, began writing her new book, she had one goal in mind: to help women (and men, too) break free of roles that were imposed on them at a very young age and reinforced over the years.These roles essentially rob each of us of our real power as human beings.Kathie Donovan is our guest this week on The Art 2 Aging and this conversation is as powerful as her new book is. You won’t want to miss this one! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theart2aging.substack.com/subscribe

We’re big fans of Kathie Donovan, here at The Art 2 Aging. Kathie is a happiness expert and author of a terrific new book, “You Look Great For Your Age - And Other Things We Should Never Say Again.”This week on Body and Soul, Kathie gives us a 60 second reminder on the value of staying in the present moment. Enjoy! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theart2aging.substack.com/subscribe

“Aging in place” is a phrase we hear a lot.“Aging in space” we don’t hear at all.What is aging in space? According to health and housing developer, Andrea Leja, aging in space refers not just to the space inside the walls of a home but the space outside that home.As countless studies have shown, a critical component of aging well is access to a community. And for older adults, that means a community that is highly walkable, provides all the services – medical, dental, fitness opportunities – and is a space that is pleasing to live in.Andrea Leja is working on developing just such a community and she joins us this week on The Art 2 Aging. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theart2aging.substack.com/subscribe

Sometimes, a tilt of the head can reveal a new look.Put another way, there are many different ways to see an idea.Take aging, for instance. Aging is far more than a simple if-then proposition:· If you’re over 65, then you’re likely old and useless· If you have grey hair, then you’re probably heading towards senilityYou get the picture.Because we can look at something like aging from various angles, we can see far more than mere black and white.That’s why author and social gerontologist, Jeanette Leardi, wrote Aging Sideways. She wants to show how aging can be – and should be – seen for the natural stage in life that it is.Aging Sideways is a battle cry against ageism and Jeanette Leardi joins The Art 2 Aging this week to demonstrate how older adults can “take up the sword.” This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theart2aging.substack.com/subscribe

Life has been described in terms akin to a play. Shakespeare wrote:“All the world’s a stage and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances…”We also refer to periods in life as acts or chapters.For example, many of us have reached the Third Act, as writer Wayne Lehrer calls it – that time in life when we falsely believe the best has come and gone. It’s also a time that behooves all of us who are older to really consider carefully how we want to spend what could be another 30 years on earth. Because, remember, statistically if you are 65, you will likely live into your 90s.This period in life could also be called the Second Act - as in another chance, a kind of do-over, an opportunity to take a fork in the road toward adventures unknown.Author Jay Samit has very strong suggestions for how you can profitably spend those three decades and achieve a legacy at the same time.You ought to read Jay’s biography here.His professional life is pretty astonishing.As one of the original Tech Bros before there was such a thing, let alone such a phrase, Jay pioneered remarkable change in the world through technology.He is now an author of several books, the most recent titled The Second Act Advantage: Monetize Your Wisdom, Master Longevity and Build an Unforgettable Legacy.How? Several ways but they all revolve around making strong use of that elephant in the room: AI.Fear not; Jay’s recipe for success offers a new way to look at AI that is empowering. And very exciting.He talks about his book this week on The Art 2 Aging. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theart2aging.substack.com/subscribe

What does it mean to age consciously?A good question since most of us age unconsciously.We enter into those later years filled with misunderstanding, half truths, flat out lies, and old wives’ tales about what it means to grow old. And we end up living out our lives just so.That’s why Wayne Lehrer wrote The Art of Conscious Aging. Wayne also speaks to older adults living in retirement communities. Together, they explore conscious aging and Wayne tries to help them shatter the illusions about becoming old.This week on The Art 2 Aging, Wayne talks about the attitudes he’s encountered during these discussions.Some of them are going to surprise you. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theart2aging.substack.com/subscribe

Recently, the Global Wellness Institute commissioned three studies to determine what aging well means in different countries.More than 20 experts working in the aging field on retirement, health, and market research were asked for their views (that study can be found here).Over 25 creative directors from ad and marketing agencies were surveyed to determine what makes good advertising for an aging well message and why agencies continue to miss the advertising mark.A thousand people in each of five countries were asked a series of questions about how they view getting older, what they want out of older age and what they fear the most. When that study is released in August, The Art 2 Aging will update you.With five countries and nearly 50 experts surveyed, you wouldn’t be wrong in assuming a wide variety of views was expressed. Or would you?Veteran marketing and advertising executive, Dave McCaughan, headed several of the studies for the Institute.He joins The Art 2 Aging this week to discuss what he and his teams discovered. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theart2aging.substack.com/subscribe

Who are the rich and powerful? The tech bros? Nope.According to a 54 year old Yale professor whose income is north of $250 thousand a year, it’s older adults like you and me!You didn’t know how influential and affluent you are, did you (in Canada, one of the major banks has an ad slogan that goes, “You’re richer than you think”)?Back in April, the New York Times ran an opinion piece by Professor Samuel Moyn entitled, “Older Americans Are Hoarding America’s Potential” in which he argues for things like restricted voting for older adults, mandatory retirement, taxes on the homes of older people and other “creative” solutions to counter what he refers to as “gerontocracy” in the United States today.Needless to say, the op ed has stirred things up. Janine Vanderburg, founder of Encore Roadmap, and a fearless opponent of ageism, has angrily opposed Moyn’s arguments in her writings.She is our esteemed guest this week on The Art 2 Aging. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theart2aging.substack.com/subscribe

Kathie Donovan is a frequent contributor and guest on The Art 2 Aging and for good reason.She walks her talk.What we love about Kathie is that we learn from her every time we listen to her. You just can’t help but be inspired.Now, Kathie has written a book called, You Look Great For Your Age (And Other Things We Should Never Say Again), about how we have bought into ageism, how we’ve internalized it and how we can rid ourselves of it. It’s worth the read!In today’s video message on Body and Soul, Kathie offers a way to release old, self-limiting stories we have carried inside for years… This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theart2aging.substack.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theart2aging.substack.com/subscribe

What’s the difference between an elder and someone who is just older?Well, if you think about the word, ‘elder,’ you’ll likely have an image of an indigenous person in your mind. Or, perhaps, a medicine man, a swami, or maybe a shaman.Fair enough. But the truth is that, according to Dr. Marc Cooper, an elder is simply someone who is older AND enlightened.At the age of 81, Marc puts himself squarely into that category. While turning 81 was automatic, becoming enlightened certainly was not.However, the former dentist believes it is possible for anyone to reach an enlightened state of mind, so much so that he has established the Contemporary Elder Institute to provide the guidance needed to discover the path to happiness and satisfaction.Dr. Marc Cooper is our guest this week. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theart2aging.substack.com/subscribe

When I had my quadruple bypass last summer, it wasn’t because I’d had a heart attack, demonstrated a wonky ECG, or had angina. In fact, I had no symptoms at all.Several months earlier, I had my GP refer me to a cardiologist so I could proactively determine my heart health. Of course, I assumed my heart was perfect in all respects.Turns out that wasn’t the case.I had decided to take the high road after an interview with an Australian cardiologist named Warrick Bishop. What he said about the critical importance of imaging resonated with me.And it’s probably what has allowed me to be writing this today.Anyway, here is that interview, part of our Encore Experience series. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theart2aging.substack.com/subscribe

Wayne Lehrer is back with another of his popular “Fortune Cookies” - spoonfuls of wisdom that contribute to making each of our lives more meaningful and rich on a daily basis. Today, on Body and Soul, Wayne talks about why giving can be such a powerful two-way street. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theart2aging.substack.com/subscribe

Wayne Lehrer drops by this week to remind us all that life, rather than being programmed, is simply infinite possibility being expressed moment by moment as our lives.What this means to each of us is that an abundance beyond description awaits us. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theart2aging.substack.com/subscribe

Pushing 70 doesn’t faze Ande Lyons. In fact, she can hardly wait.Ande is a passionate pro-age woman who applies an equal measure of passion to battling ageism.She would make most Gen Zers envious of her ability to work social media. Her podcast series, Don’t Be Caged By Your Age, is on just about every platform there is – including Pinterest.Yes, that’s right – her podcast. Ande, you see, doesn’t believe that an increase in the years lived is in direct proportion to a growing inability to use technology to craft and distribute a message. In fact, Ande has been podcasting since 2012!As you might expect, my interview with Ande Lyons was like a cleansing breeze wafting through a stuffy room. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theart2aging.substack.com/subscribe

James returns to remind all of us that joy is always close at hand. A beautiful message wrapped in his soothing voice. Enjoy! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theart2aging.substack.com/subscribe

Take 2 minutes - less, even - and follow along with James Adams in another of his popular Meditation Minutes, here on The Art 2 Aging. Become still. Become calm… This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theart2aging.substack.com/subscribe

Happiness.We talk about it often on The Art 2 Aging for a number of pretty obvious reasons.First, life is a lot easier and more fun when we’re happy, especially as we grow older.Second, happiness doesn’t fall from the heavens. We have to create it within ourselves. Especially as we grow older.And third, creating our own happiness can be difficult. It doesn’t come easily in the 21st century.That’s why this week’s guest is unique. Dana Hilmer is a trained positive psychologist, executive coach and mentor.She’s the founder of Wiser and Free, designed to help people live lives with happiness, purpose, and freedom.But she’s way more than that.She’s one of those rare human beings who walks her talk. Even when it’s painful to do so.What makes this interview so special is how Dana shares honestly and openly her own issues and how she still manages to create happiness in her daily existence.I will guarantee that you cannot help but be moved by her words.Here is a link to Dana’s free workbook with content and resources to help anyone become happier.If you are enjoying the content here on The Art 2 Aging, we would love you to become a paid subscriber. You get access to our entire archive of content along with our mid-week features like POV (Point of View) and Body and Soul. It really helps us to continue to generate meaningful information for older adults. Thank you! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theart2aging.substack.com/subscribe

We all want to control our lives. We want to know in advance what’s going to happen if we go through Door #1, 2, or 3.We want to know ahead of time if we should take that job despite a longer commute and more pressure.We want to know before we dive in whether to marry that person or not - especially if it’s not our first marriage rodeo.Wayne Lehrer, our resident sage at Body and Soul, offers his thoughts this week, in his latest Fortune Cookie.Enjoy… This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theart2aging.substack.com/subscribe

This episode first aired in 2024. We are recreating it as an Encore Experience.So, you’re 53 years old and you get fired without warning. What do you do? Well, if you’re Gail Mercer-Mackay, you don’t panic. You go to Arizona to play golf for two weeks and do some serious journaling as well.What Gail discovered (besides still having a slice) was that she wanted to be a writer. Long story short, she did become a writer and founded a content creation company in the process.Today, the company routinely earns revenue in the millions and at the age of 69, Gail is still going strong. Hear her story this week on The Art 2 Aging.If you are enjoying the content here on The Art 2 Aging, we would love you to become a paid subscriber. You get access to our entire archive of content along with our mid-week features like POV (Point of View) and Body and Soul. It really helps us to continue to generate meaningful information for older adults. Thank you! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theart2aging.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit theart2aging.substack.comThe Art 2 Aging is thrilled that happiness expert, Kathie Donovan, is joining our Body and Soul content series.Kathie walks her talk. So when she talks about getting happy and staying happy, she’s talking from her soul. She’s living it. She’s being it.And her approach to becoming happy, is simple and clear. Like happiness itself!For our paid subscribers

Older adults continue to have a tough time getting their resumes in front of employers.There’s this thing called AI that has become yet another obstacle for those older folks who are trying to return to the workplace – either out of need or the simple desire to remain productive.Heap AI on top of ageism and you have a formidable barrier to overcome.Well, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em, as the old saw goes.Paul Chaney is 70 years old and he is a solo entrepreneur. He uses AI every day and is making a very nice living for himself as a content creator.His views on AI, how companies should be using it and how those of us who are older can leverage it are enlightening and offer hope.Paul is our guest this week on The Art 2 Aging and our conversation kicks off a series of discussions with others about AI in future episodes.If you are enjoying the content here on The Art 2 Aging, we would love you to become a paid subscriber. You get access to our entire archive of content along with our mid-week features like POV (Point of View) and Body and Soul. It really helps us to continue to generate meaningful information for older adults. Thank you! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theart2aging.substack.com/subscribe

When we think about marketing or its close cousin, advertising, we often think Madison Avenue in New York and the famous TV series, Mad Men, about the men and women who populated the early days of mass marketing and advertising.That series had liberal doses of sexism in each episode along with heavy smoking and drinking, all of which was perfectly accepted and tolerated back then.What it didn’t have was any reference or after thought to ageism. It was a time in America when the vast majority were still young and becoming upwardly mobile.But, as populations began to age, marketers often failed to realize the golden opportunity in front of them.And, in many ways, they still fail to realize it.This week on The Art 2 Aging, I talk with veteran marketer and product innovator, Costas Papaikonomou to get his thoughts on where marketing is right now and where it could be heading in a world of older consumers.Costas ran his own agency, Happen Group, which was acquired by Accenture in 2019, and his clients ranked among the biggest consumer goods companies in the world. That makes his insights noteworthy.If you are enjoying the content here on The Art 2 Aging, we would love you to become a paid subscriber. It really helps us to continue to generate meaningful information for older adults. Thank you! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theart2aging.substack.com/subscribe

In the Gospel of Matthew, we find this statement: “Love thy neighbor as thyself.”For many of us older adults, we have been carrying resentments big and small for a long time and the notion of loving those around us can be a tall order at times.Wayne Lehrer, author of The Art of Conscious Aging, recommends what he calls a reconciliation - a balancing of the scales through which we first forgive ourselves before we can truly love ourselves, and only then do we have the capacity to fully love those around us. This is the first of Wayne’s Fortune Cookies, as he calls them, for Body and Soul on The Art 2 Aging. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theart2aging.substack.com/subscribe

If you are an older adult over 55, there is a good chance you wake up on a Monday morning with aching knees after an active weekend.Not unusual at all. Fully 25% of adults over 55 have chronic knee pain and if you’re over 75, that percentage rises to 50%.More and more of us older adults want to remain fit so we might engage in strenuous sports with gusto.Only to pay the price the following morning.So do you grab the Tylenol and down a couple with your coffee?Or do you reach for a new device called Knee Mo (thekneemo.com)?Well, after you listen to this week’s interview on The Art 2 Aging with one of the creators of Knee Mo, Jenny Hledik, PhD, you might never need Tylenol again!If you are enjoying the content here on The Art 2 Aging, we would love you to become a paid subscriber. It really helps us to continue to generate meaningful information for older adults. Thanks very much! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theart2aging.substack.com/subscribe

This is the first of a new content stream on The Art 2 Aging, called Body and Soul. Why? Because it’s time we all paid far more attention to our physical and spiritual selves.James Adams, an instructor in meditation and breathing, will be offering you simple, short meditations on a regular basis.Janine Agoglia, a yoga instructor, will also be creating yoga content just for us so watch for her yoga content coming soon!And Wayne Lehrer, author and speaker, will contribute inspiring messages designed to help us find our center in a chaotic world.Enjoy and be enlightened… This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theart2aging.substack.com/subscribe

There is one thing that we humans everywhere have in common.We all dream.We daydream; we let our thoughts wander off without attempting to control them.We dream at night when we sleep. Often, we don’t remember our dreams. Sometimes we don’t even realize that we have even dreamt at all.But, one way or the other, we all dream.Our guest this week on The Art 2 Aging is Robert Waggoner, author of the best selling book, Lucid Dreaming – Gateway to the Inner Self and his follow-up book, Lucid Dreaming, Plain and Simple.Robert explains what lucid dreaming is and offers advice on how to trigger lucid dreams when we sleep.But the real magic of lucid dreaming is what those dreams can tell us about ourselves, especially as we age.It’s a remarkable conversation. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theart2aging.substack.com/subscribe

Let’s say you have retired – willingly or unwillingly – and you now find yourself with a lot of time on your hands that you never had when you were working and raising a family.After the initial feeling of “being on holiday” has passed, you feel like the days start dragging by, each day the same as the next, your life becoming unstructured and without direction.This is not unusual for those older adults who stop what they have been doing for years.The sense of self vanishes and you begin to struggle with who you now are.But all the sudden extra time can have a silver lining if you are prepared to do what we might call inner work.In other words, you can discover another side of yourself – or maybe discover your whole self for the first time – and begin to create something brand new in your life.It all depends on what you think life is - what it appears to be through your eyes or what you want it to be in your mind’s eye.Our guest this week on The Art 2 Aging is Dr. Paula Petry, PhD, a cognitive psychologist and trained shaman.She has created a program called Divine Design Activation which is meant to reconnect an individual with their inner self and allow greater clarity of purpose to open up. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theart2aging.substack.com/subscribe

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that ageism shows up in gyms and fitness classes.Why wouldn’t it?Ageism is a prejudice carried in the minds of people. So, if a fitness instructor leans that way, then his or her classes will reflect that in the workout.“You shouldn’t pick up that big dumbbell. Try the little one, dear.”Our guest this week on The Art 2 Aging is Erin Eleu, a functional aging specialist, whose mission is to highlight ageism in the fitness world.But more than that, Erin walks her talk; her own fitness classes for older adults are designed to intentionally challenge internalized ageism, as well. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theart2aging.substack.com/subscribe

If you are a regular listener to The Art 2 Aging, then you likely grew up in the 60s, an astonishing time to be young and alive.First, there was the massive transition in music. Then came the drugs. Alongside the negative aspects of the drug culture, emerged something that we can call New Consciousness, for lack of a better term.New Consciousness meant exploring the inner depths of one’s self. Transcendental meditation burst into the culture as one popular method and the exploration of the soul was underway.It was the “dawning of the Age of Aquarius,” as sung by the Fifth Dimension in 1969.Transcendental meditation (TM, for short) did not disappear like many of the musical acts from the 60s did; it is still with us along with several other types of meditation.What this amounts to today is this: a revitalized, even stronger search for the connection between man and God, Source, All That Is – whatever you choose to call it.TM established scientifically that meditation has profound positive effects on our bodies and minds. The same can be said of all types of meditation.Our guest this week is James Adams. James is a former broadcast journalist, former Bill Clinton campaign worker and the former V.P. of Marketing for Chipotle Mexican Grill.Today, James follows a different path and in an open, honest, and forthright way, he explains his past struggles with life and his newfound inner journey with meditation as his companion. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theart2aging.substack.com/subscribe

Our regular contributor on our Point of View segments, Dave McCaughan is back this week.Dave, as you might know, has a wealth of knowledge and experience in advertising and marketing, having worked for McCann, the global giant, in Asia for decades.He has always had a fascination with aging demographics because it impacted his work in a major way.Dave is now involved with the Global Wellness Institute, compiling a lengthy report on how aging well is perceived in different countries around the world.The report is still a work in progress but Dave has a number of interesting observations that his team has already gathered and he shares them with us this week. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theart2aging.substack.com/subscribe

As world populations age, there are numerous challenges around how to take care of older adults who need help. Most often, they surround healthcare systems.However, one aspect of aging populations may not get the same amount of attention: caregiving.More and more of us unwittingly become caregivers for a loved one, most often an aging parent.In December, The Art 2 Aging featured an interview with Debbie Howard, a former caregiver who is working hard to create support in her community in Texas for other caregivers.All too often, caregivers don’t have community resources that they can access to lessen their burden.If you are a caregiver, then you know what we’re talking about.In the Canadian province of Ontario, there is an organization whose mission is to support caregivers. It’s called the Ontario Caregiver Organization (OCO).OCO recently completed a year end review for 2025 that paints a disturbing picture of caregiving in the province; the strain that caregiving produces is showing up dramatically in the numbers.This week, A2A speaks with Amy Coupal, the CEO of Ontario Caregiver Organization.And if you’re a caregiver looking after an older person, perhaps a parent, then you need to hear this. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theart2aging.substack.com/subscribe

The world is a frightening place right now. Frankly, there are few times in history when it hasn’t been.Fear of the future has been ratcheting higher and higher since You-Know-Who entered office for the second time.But fear lives in the minds of each of us regardless of geopolitics; it’s an emotion that we experience almost more than its opposite, love.How do we deal with it? Especially if we are older adults with less time in front of us than behind us?There are many ways and strategies that we can employ to continue to get joy out of our lives, no matter what is going on within or without.Wayne Lehrer has been a frequent guest on The Art 2 Aging. His books, The Prodigy Within and The Art of Conscious Aging, describe our human experience in ways that open up new possibilities for all of us.Wayne has become a good friend, so, who better to turn to, I thought, when I wanted to discuss how all of us can live lives free of fear. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theart2aging.substack.com/subscribe

We all know that physical activity goes directly to lifespan and, indeed, healthspan - how healthily we are living our lives.That message has been embraced by those of us who are older adults; we get the connection between being strong and flexible and living a fit life.That’s why many older adults will happily join a local gym, determined to regain strength or increase it.Unfortunately, what do many find? Ageism. Not in the workplace this time. But in the fitness class, perhaps the last place they would suspect ageism to lurk.Erin Eleu is a functional aging specialist and falls resiliency coach who leads and teaches physical activity programs for older adults and who is vehemently opposed to ageism in the gym. She is also the host of the podcast series, AGEnts of Movement, and is our guest this week on Point of View. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theart2aging.substack.com/subscribe

Scott Fulton is an extremely talented individual. He’s a mechanical engineer by training who shifted into home design with older adults in mind, forming a company called Home Ideations. In fact, he custom built his own home in Virginia using the principles from Home Ideations.He dug deep – and still does – into how to live better as we age.Scott is well into his 60s, is very active and excels at physical fitness, competing in ironman triathlons and long distance running.His abiding interest in healthspan and longevity impelled him to dive into a vast trove of health data to answer one simple question: what’s the most important thing people can do for their bodies and brains that can help them live longer?By crunching many millions of bytes of data from 700 thousand adults, spanning 10 million person years, Scott has answered the question he posed and written a book called Function that lays out his findings.The answer to the question he posed to himself will surprise you..Settle in for a fascinating conversation. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theart2aging.substack.com/subscribe

There are nearly 60 MILLION Americans who are unpaid caregivers today.Now think about that; these are people who likely have full time jobs working 40 hours a week and who are working another 26 hours a week on average looking after an aging loved one.It’s a tough picture and it’s made worse by the lack of any kind of support available in the United States.Certainly this long term healthcare crisis (and it is a crisis by any definition of that word) is not exclusive to America alone.There are aging populations all over the world and countless millions more caregivers but many other countries have been proactive in implementing policies designed to mitigate the pressure that unpaid caregivers experience.Debbie Howard, a professional market researcher, knows what it’s like to be a caregiver after spending some years caring for her cancer-stricken mother.As a result, Debbie has devoted nearly 20 years to agitating for caregivers in the U.S., forming Aging Matters International and thecaregivingjourney.com along the way.She is our guest this week on The Art 2 Aging. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theart2aging.substack.com/subscribe

Dave McCaughan has made frequent appearances on The Art 2 Aging; he is an experienced marketer with decades of real, “in the trenches” marketing expertise and he has made the issue of marketing to an aging population a kind of mission for the past three decades.Today, he provides another thought-provoking Point of View in which he talks about how demographers have known for decades that the world’s population is aging (some countries faster and sooner than others, like Japan for example) and that an aging population will bring unique challenges and demands before it starts shrinking.So, if demographers have known this for more than 40 years, Dave asks, why is it now only just dawning on policy makers? Further, is encouraging women to have more babies really a viable tactic to reverse aging in any country? Or just a silly idea with no merit whatsoever (hint: it’s the latter…)? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theart2aging.substack.com/subscribe

I can’t remember how we first heard about Fred Woolman but I knew it was imperative to have him as a guest on The Art 2 Aging.That was more than a year ago; at the time, Fred was a full time fitness instructor at a nearby facility in his hometown of Rochester, Minnesota, 125 LIVE, where he was conducting fitness classes and personal training three times a week.At the age of 83.He’s still at it and the fact is, he is older than anyone in his classes – and they’re all what you could call “seniors”.They will tell you that they love his classes and they are his biggest fans.Well, bit by bit, Fred’s fame spread beyond Rochester and recently reached the offices of the Guiness World Records headquarters in London, England.They were intrigued that this now-84 year old guy was a fitness instructor and possibly older than any other living trainer. So they began their background checks to determine the veracity of Fred Woolman: was he who his bosses at 125 LIVE said he was? Could he be doing what he was purported to be doing at 84? Was it even possible?Yes, it was possible, they discovered. Fred came as advertised. He was the real deal – an 84 year old fitness instructor and personal trainer.So, Fred became a Guiness World Record Holder in September, 2025.But not just once. Twice. He’s in the Book of Records as the oldest living fitness instructor and the oldest personal trainer in the world.Now, what do you think that says about aging?I reached Fred at his home in Rochester, Minnesota to get the Guiness story from the horse’s mouth and learned that he’s just plunged headlong into a new physical activity: mountain biking!There’s no stopping this guy! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theart2aging.substack.com/subscribe

Last May, The Art 2 Aging had the pleasure of talking with Mike Drak about his commitment to regain his health.Mike is a 70 year old man who lives just north of Toronto. His sedentary lifestyle had resulted in large weight gains and he was determined to lose as much of it as he could before August 3.That’s when he would enter a triathlon competition in Ottawa, Canada’s capital city. Here’s the link to that episode. If you are one of the millions who have decided to lose weight through injections of Ozempic, you might want to listen to it.We got in touch several weeks ago to interview Mike again after the triathlon and learn how he fared during the event which turned out to be filled with unexpected surprises. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theart2aging.substack.com/subscribe

Every week, thousands of readers enjoy the musings about aging that can be found on Crow’s Feet. The best way to describe Crow’s Feet is to think of it as a gathering place or compendium of content about growing older that flows from the minds of hundreds of different writers every month.Nancy Peckenham oversees the content, editing and publishing the works of her writers and leaning on her former broadcast journalism career at CNN to keep the content polished.Nancy talks about that career, her new one with Crow’s Feet and what she, herself, thinks about growing older in this week’s episode of The Art 2 Aging. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theart2aging.substack.com/subscribe

Wayne Lehrer is a guy who thinks deeply. About life. About his role in the world. About what he can bring to others that is inspiring and supportive.In this week’s POV, Wayne talks about “oxygen” – the thing that inspires each of us to make a contribution – and why it’s important that we locate it within ourselves each day. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theart2aging.substack.com/subscribe

Statistics tell us that as we get older, we become more prone to falls. Whether from tripping over something like a curb on the street or the dog at home, once we get past age 65, balance starts to become an issue.But some incredible technology with bullet proof evidence that it works is being utilized by an Israeli company called Gait Better. They’ve taken the technology and applied it in real world situations with amazing results.Our guest this week on The Art 2 Aging is the CEO of Gait Better, Hilik Harari. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theart2aging.substack.com/subscribe

Artificial intelligence. AI, as we know it, more familiarly.Everyone is talking about AI and how it’s going to change just about everything. Which has many of us worried about just how and how much it’s going to change everything.Should we fear it? Plunge ahead and embrace it, come hell or high water?Regular POV contributor, Dave McCaughan, has his own take on AI. And, as usual, he makes a helluva lot of sense.Running Time: 5:30 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theart2aging.substack.com/subscribe

We have had a number of guests on The Art 2 Aging who have spoken out about ageism in the workplace and how its insidious nature prevents qualified older adults from re-entering a job market that believes if you’re over 50 or 60 you’re irrelevant.This week, thanks to our powerhouse guest, Loren Greiff, we tackle the problem from the point of view of the job seeker. What does an executive with 30 years experience need to do to get re-hired - and not just re-hired but with a substantial pay increase as well? You’ll find some great answers in this week’s episode. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theart2aging.substack.com/subscribe

As someone once famously said, “everything is related.” When it comes to our bodies, that couldn’t be more true.This week on POV, yoga expert instructor, Janine Agoglia who writes Yoga Living 50 And Beyond on Substack, talks about how movement is vital in our lives. Without movement, our bodies will stiffen up which, in turn, will affect our emotional wellbeing and then our mental state of mind. That’s what we mean when we say that everything is related.A five-minute listen This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theart2aging.substack.com/subscribe

Ever wonder about how social policy - especially healthcare policy- is created? It’s not something that many people consider because social policy just is. However, the story behind healthcare policy, social security, meeting the needs of the older population, feeding the poor – is far more complex and downright complicated than you would ever consider.Our guest this week is Erin Maruzella and she is neck deep in social policy creation, especially when it comes to healthcare for older Americans. Formulating such policy in the current political climate is an almost Herculian task., as she explains in this week’s episode of The Art 2 Aging. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theart2aging.substack.com/subscribe

Regular contributor, Dave McCaughan, joins us this week for his POV on how to keep life interesting during retirement or, really, at any time in our lives.Dave is a former ad executive with McCann in Australia who has turned his attention to examining and commenting on retirement – something that has led him to very interesting observations about living in our later years. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theart2aging.substack.com/subscribe

Every so often, we come across someone who is ripping up the rule book on aging. And we know we have to get them on the show. Our guest this week is a 70 year old man named Mike Drak. Mike lives just north of Toronto. And he decided a few months ago that he wanted to lose a lot of weight, regain his health and keep it that way.So, he committed to competing in a full triathlon in early August and began training hard. Here’s his story and it includes some disturbing details about his experience with a popular weight loss drug. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theart2aging.substack.com/subscribe