I recently turned 70 and have a few heart issues. That means walking every day and staying in shape is more important than ever before. I will keep going out there.
Now we go slower, fewer miles per day. More layover days. Time for a few naps. Pace is important. I am good for a week if we don’t hurry. For the first time I am contemplating floating some rivers instead of paddling and rowing all the time.
I ended up moving to the 51st state here in the US. The state of Denial suits me quite well. Never been graceful, no time to start now.
In seriousness, I quit paddling for a few reasons, one being the lack of physical benefits compared to other activity. Big on strength training and cardio these days. Enjoy my daily workouts/run, even if my shadow informed me one day that I may “feel like Mercury, look like Lurch.”
Stole my line exactly LOL 
just turned 68.
The first hundred years are the hardest.
My thoughts/attitude at 61, are about the same as if I were 21–Even with more brains, less brawn and a matured set of vintage balls:
No sniveling. Get out there as much as possible, by any means possible. When your number’s up, your number’s up. So git down, git down.
And boogie-oogie-oogie…'Til you just can’t boogie,
no more.
Hullivator not optional, biggest single diff wr to paddling.
Regular exercise also not optional, too hard to get conditioning back now compared to earlier decades.
A lot of my paddling accommodations for offshore are also about paddling solo, so I am much more conservative. They happen to line up with getting-older changes.
Do as much as you can and enjoy what you can do. At 67 and my husband at 74, we spend more time enjoying the scenery. Kind of stop and smell the roses philosophy. We got much lighter sea kayaks a few years ago as we knew that would become more of an issue over time. This was a great year to social distance on the water, so we did way more day trips than we would normally do. The one thing I want to make sure as time goes on is that I am able to get back into my kayak even if it is with a bit of help. The day I can’t do that might be the day to decide to stop. My mom was well in her 80s and still paddling even after hip replacement. That gives me hope. Stretching and exercise is a must now.
Oh Spirotoose, Oh Spirotoose!
Why hast thou now forsaken me?
No amazing grace, hell paddles my aged space,
as memory’s madness you’ve awaked in me!
Post Bee-Gee’d crazed into disco-dazed,
sick Seventies days of yore,
like Edgar’s Raven return their sick and cravened
perch in mind’s hall from nevermore!
For now those Witz end girls with voluptuous curls
residing through thin-walled duplex,
once again stir alive spinning 45’s,
turntable replay mode’s infernal vex!
And at least fifty repeats past my “No mas!” bleats,
Evermore boogie-oogie-oggies aural curse!
I hear those whirling dervish bounce walls dance move disservice,
in Devil’s Discotheque rehearse!
So now I’m left no choice but to lift my voice,
and cry, “There’s no age with grace! Why, ain’t it funny?!”
Thus from Spirit’s shock, please pass that cup of hemlock.
And for god’s sake, no Taste of Honey!
I don’t do anything difficult these days in terms of rapids. I used to be able to go 2 minutes without breathing. Now more like 30 seconds.
That means Class II or less for canoes.
Class III for drift boat.
Heck, I’ve been trying to age gracefully behind the paddle since I was a teenager… and I’m now 68 (for a while.) What’s to think about? Keep on keepin’ on and try not to screw up too badly today. Just as its been all along, today I’ll try not to do anything I can’t do today.
When someone asks “how ya’ been?”, the answer has always been some days been better than others. Some paddling days were better than others. Some were graceful, other not so much…
True, there are folks who might tell me I’ve been better, but in what way is it useful to listen to them?
Of Joy, real tears on my face, be had. I turn 63 today. These responses to my innocently asked question are the greatest gift I could have received on this day. Thank you to the paddle poets, deniers of entropy, seekers of tranquility, super freaks, ass kickers, ocean masters, trail blazers, portage gurus and creek droppers! You brought me out of my pandemic isolation funky today.
Happy birthday. My mantra is no matter what the age, use it or lose it. 
My wife and I ditched our kayaks after 18 years and bought nice light solo canoes. Can pick them up over our heads and carry them with no problems. Easy to get in and out of and can carry a lot more gear.
Happy Birthday and many more. Paddling is my vehicle to fight off the physical decline. And my key to keeping at it, is the Adirondack Canoe Classic. The 90 Miler happens the weekend after Labor Day and to be ready for that challenge forces me to get out and paddle, to ride my bike harder, to walk behind my mower instead of getting a rider, to park farther from the store, and to go for a walk with the dog as close to his speed as my legs allow. Just thinking of picking up the end of the MN4 and heading up the steps at Raquette Falls Carry is enough to get me off my couch. Each year i get to see my heroes, those in their 80s who still do the 90 Miler with its miles of portages and long spells in the boat.
And as long as i can paddle and walk i will be there to see them. At 71 my entry will be Open Touring in a C4. Can not do the pace necessary to be among the competition classes. A podium finish is no longer the goal, finishing is now the goal.
I have beaten cancer twice, I’m going out full bore kicking and screaming, there will be nothing graceful about it.
God bless
Well at 77 I can honestly say that I feel at my best after a few hours of paddling. Even better than after riding around on my new mountain bike which is my other main physical activity. I will admit that I am somewhat surprised that I am still able to carry my sea kayaks ( 17-19,footers) on my shoulder up to 100 yards, or so. if I have to.
The year 2020 should go down in history as the absolute work of the devil. Hopefully 2021 will be a much better time, but even so, when I’m paddling I’m reasonably sure that I’m not exposing myself to the unseen scourge of our time… Anyway, bring on the vaccine.
Don’t stop
Use it or lose it.
You’re gonna lose it. Just take care of it and use it as long as you can.
There’s a similar discussion going on at the Concept2 indoor rower forum:
Strength or Aerobic capacity, which goes first as we age
I liked this response best:
"People used to retire broken and ready for the rocking chair. I’ve got some pictures kicking around of my granddad when he was about 70. He looks like a 90yo, and any discussion of decline in athletic ability would have been risible, although he’d been a tidy enough sea rower in his youth. A lifetime of smoking and poor nutrition had done him in. We have far better futures ahead of us than our forebears did.
"It’s different at the elite and near-elite levels of course, but people decline because they stop doing stuff, and for most people, I suspect this is far more significant than the changes due to aging itself at least until 70 and over.
"Graham Dawe apparently played professional rugby the wrong side of 50. That’s pretty good going, but the old days of athletes retiring at 30 are gone.
“Do not go gentle into that good night.”