Where do you even start with your health after 50? In this debut episode of the Over 50 Health & Wellness Podcast, host Mark Sullivan cuts through the fads and fear to share the 5 wellness habits that actually matter for aging well — backed by the CDC, NIH, and the U.S. Surgeon General.

No gimmicks, no scare tactics — just practical, evidence-based wellness for adults 50, 60, 70 and beyond. Learn why movement, muscle, protein, sleep, and connection are the real foundations of thriving in your second half, and walk away with 3 simple things you can start this week.

In this episode:• Why brisk walking counts as real exercise (and how much you actually need)• The muscle you've been quietly losing since age 30 — and how to fight back• How much protein adults over 50 really need• The sleep myth that's quietly hurting your health• Why loneliness may be as risky as smoking — and what to do about it

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This episode is for education and encouragement only and is not medical advice. Always talk to your doctor before changing your diet, exercise, or sleep routine.

• Physical activity — 150 min/week + 2 strength days + balance: CDC, Physical Activity Basics — https://www.cdc.gov/physical-activity-basics/adding-adults/index.html and https://www.cdc.gov/physical-activity-basics/adding-older-adults/what-counts.html
• Muscle loss ~3–5% per decade after age 30; sarcopenia in ~10–20% of older adults: NIH, NIH News in Health, "Slowing Sarcopenia" — https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2025/04/slowing-sarcopenia
• Protein: 0.8 g/kg RDA; ~1.0–1.2 g/kg recommended for older adults; kidney-disease caution: PROT-AGE Study Group position paper (J Am Med Dir Assoc) — https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1525861013003265 · U.S. Administration for Community Living, "Nutrition Needs for Older Adults: Protein" — https://acl.gov/sites/default/files/nutrition/Nutrition-Needs_Protein_FINAL-2.18.20_508.pdf
• Sleep: ≥7 hours for adults, ~7–8 for 65+; ~1 in 3 adults under-sleep; "need less sleep with age" is a myth; CBT-I as first-line for chronic insomnia: CDC Sleep FastStats — https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/data-research/facts-stats/adults-sleep-facts-and-stats.html · AASM — https://aasm.org/cdc-publishes-new-estimates-of-u-s-adult-sleep-duration/
• Loneliness/isolation comparable to smoking up to 15 cigarettes/day; ~29% higher heart disease, ~32% higher stroke, ~50% higher dementia risk; ~half of U.S. adults report loneliness: U.S. Surgeon General's Advisory (2023), "Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation" — https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf