There are countless blogs around the Internet and they cover everything from DIY crafts to fashion to political commentary and home improvement. There are even specific blogs for seniors! Plus, podcasts are becoming extremely popular and these free audio files can be entertaining, funny, serious, and informative.
Here, we’ll share some of our favorite blogs made just for older adults, as well as some great podcasts for seniors and instructions on how to enjoy them.
Blogs for Seniors
No matter what you’re interested in, there’s a blog for you. Here are some of our favorite blogs for seniors by category:
Fashion for Older Adults
- That’s Not My Age – This blog covers everything from makeup to fashion to menopause and is run by Alyson Walsh, a journalist and former magazine fashion editor that believes men and women of all ages should refuse to be invisible. Her blog’s tagline is “the grown-up guide to great style.”
- Accidental Icon – According to the author, Accidental Icon offers an “urban, modern, intellectual aesthetic” for women who live “interesting but ordinary lives.” Not only does she post her own content, but she also collaborates with other professionals in the fashion industry.
- Bag and a Beret – Mel Kobayashi, or Miz Bagg, is quite the character and the voice behind Bag and a Beret. She is in her late-fifties and has dedicated her blog to throwing out the rulebook and creating your own version of “normal.” She says that “perfection comes in many levels of quality” and helps older women enjoy art, fashion, and more.
- Une Femme d’un Certain Âge – Susan Blakey is like your best friend in blogger form. She writes travel, style, and lifestyle posts and believes in “helping women be their best selves at any age.” You’ll want to read all her most recent posts on winter travel wardrobes and how to evolve your personal style at any age.
Health and Wellness
- Well by The New York Times – Well covers a variety of different topics for all ages, from medical advice to healthy recipes. The blog is separated into five categories: Eat, Move, Mind, Family, and Live. For example, this blog about regular exercise for older adults, explains how exercising can help your body feel younger.
- New Old Age – Also by The New York Times, New Old Age cover blog topics fit for Baby Boomers and beyond. They make you think about the life you’ve lived and the life you have ahead.
- Better Health – Better Health is a “smart health commentary” that offers tips on everything from health policy to interviews with experts in the industry to book reviews. It’s more clinically-focused, but their “True Stories” offers faces to the many health care stories. Personifying these topics helps us learn more about health and wellness.
- Senior Fitness – Ready to take care of your body? Senior Fitness is here to help. This blog for seniors is dedicated to the six pillars of senior fitness: anti aging, nutrition, exercise, supplements, sleep, and attitude.
Retirement Planning/Finance
- The Balance – The Balance is full of helpful financial tips, such as how to build an emergency fund and everything you should know about FICO’s new credit score system. Even more, they have a whole section dedicated to retirement planning. Find the answers to all your questions about IRA Accounts, annuities, mutual funds, stock market returns, and more.
- Can I Retire Yet? – The name is pretty self-explanatory, but this blog for seniors discusses all kinds of questions surrounding retirement, such as getting higher returns on your cash, where to invest, and what you need to know before and during your retirement years.
- The Retirement Cafe – The Retirement Cafe is a self-proclaimed blog about “retirement planning for the unwealthy,” meaning that the author, Dirk Cotton, helps everyone, no matter their net worth, get their retirement planning questions answered.
Podcasts for Seniors
Podcasts are free and a great source of information and entertainment. They are usually packaged in episodic format, with new episodes coming out every week or so. That means you can listen to old episodes, as well as subscribe to new ones. They can be enjoyed from your computer or smartphone, so here are some of our favorite podcasts for seniors:
- Stuff You Missed in History Class – This podcast, produced by the same creators as the popular TV show “How Stuff Works,” is perfect for all you history buffs. They cover everything from art history to exhumations to literary history, all in a fun and lighthearted banter. You’ll learn something new every time you listen to a new episode.
- Lux Radio Theater – You might remember the original radio anthology series by the same name that ran from 1936-1945, and now it has been revived as a podcast for seniors (and listeners of all ages). Follow all the drama right from your smartphone!
- Freakonomics – While not exclusively a podcast for seniors, Freakonomics is an entertaining podcast that covers how economics play a role in our culture, health, and activities. It’s by the same authors who wrote the widely successful book by the same name.
- This American Life – This American Life is one of the most popular podcasts ever, and for good reason. This storytelling podcast highlights the lives of Americans all over the country and helps tell their stories. Some are heartwarming, some are heartbreaking, and some are just laugh-out-loud funny. Either way, the podcast paints a picture of average people and the lives they live in an engaging and compelling way.
How to Listen to Podcasts
Listening to podcasts is easy:
- If you have an iPhone, the Podcast app should be automatically on your phone (if not, download it from the app store). When you click on the app, go to the bottom right hand corner and click on the search button. From there, you can type in the title of the podcast you want to listen to. Once you find the podcast you’re looking for, you can listen to past episodes and “subscribe” to be notified when a new episode comes out. Remember, subscribing to a podcast is free!
- If you have an Android, you can find your podcast in the Google Play Music App. Once in the app, tap the menu button (three horizontal lines) on the top left of the screen. Then, tap “Podcasts”. You can then search for the podcast you’re looking for and subscribe or listen to past episodes.
- You can also listen to podcasts on your computer. Simply go to the podcast’s website (for example, ThisAmericanLife.Org), and listen to them from there.
Blogs and podcasts for seniors are great ways to learn new things, pass the time, and entertain the whole family. We love these podcasts and blogs for seniors and think you will, too.
