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 canāt 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 memoryās madness youāve awaked in me!
Post Bee-Geeād crazed into disco-dazed,
sick Seventies days of yore,
like Edgarās Raven return their sick and cravened
perch in mindās hall from nevermore!
For now those Witz end girls with voluptuous curls
residing through thin-walled duplex,
once again stir alive spinning 45ās,
turntable replay modeās infernal vex!
And at least fifty repeats past my āNo mas!ā bleats,
Evermore boogie-oogie-oggies aural curse!
I hear those whirling dervish bounce walls dance move disservice,
in Devilās Discotheque rehearse!
So now Iām left no choice but to lift my voice,
and cry, āThereās no age with grace! Why, aināt it funny?!ā
Thus from Spiritās shock, please pass that cup of hemlock.
And for godās sake, no Taste of Honey!
I donāt 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, Iāve been trying to age gracefully behind the paddle since I was a teenagerā¦ and Iām now 68 (for a while.) Whatās to think about? Keep on keepinā on and try not to screw up too badly today. Just as its been all along, today Iāll try not to do anything I canāt do today.
When someone asks āhow yaā been?ā, the answer has always been some days been better than others. Some paddling days were better than others. Some were graceful, other not so muchā¦
True, there are folks who might tell me Iāve 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, Iām 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 Iām paddling Iām reasonably sure that Iām not exposing myself to the unseen scourge of our timeā¦ Anyway, bring on the vaccine.
Donāt stop
Use it or lose it.
Youāre gonna lose it. Just take care of it and use it as long as you can.
Thereās 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. Iāve 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 heād 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.
"Itās 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. Thatās pretty good going, but the old days of athletes retiring at 30 are gone.
āDo not go gentle into that good night.ā
My mom was still teaching tennis at the age of 80. The decline started when she broke her ankle and rushed the recovery, too eager to get back on the court. Still going at 86, my dad recently passed at 88, but at 80 I had to break up a fight he got in with a 30 year old (smh), and at 80 it was still daily tennis, weekly softball, and occasional bike rides.
My canoe poling mentor, Ed Hayden, was kicking my butt attaining rapids when he was 78 and I was 50 or so, but I was beating the 48 year old. When Ed was 80, we were pretty even; he was two years older, I was two years better.
Iāll be retiring at 62 I decided, half a year away. Getting ready, and psyched, running 15-20 miles a week (before the blizzard hit, now itās cc skiing/hiking), generally 100-150 pushups and sit ups daily mixed into the run, along with kettle ball, bowflex and weider gym workouts, as well as the steady tree cutting/hauling/splitting sideline that is offers several benefits, physical, mental and financial. Had some bad injuries when I was younger, couldnāt feel my legs for a year(23), couldnāt run for 18 years (35-53); so I really appreciate the decent mobility I have these days. I learned to disregard the doctors, they had me pegged as a para, possibly quadriplegic by 35 , if my blood pressure didnāt stroke me out by then. Now I just listen to my body and my wife who is really expert at nutrition, and have an addiction to feeling sore.
Another mentor of mine was this guy. Roughly 23 years my senior, we enjoyed many days on the river, weekly after work (for me) sessions attaining the local rapids and oftentimes some great conversations.I really miss Ed and Fred, but their outlook lives in me. Some of Freds trips here https://www.brockeng.com/
An obit I wrote for Ed.
https://npmb.com/ed-hayden/
My Dad is 97. He broke his hip two years ago. This has slowed him down. He was still hunting deer and turkey, before that happened. Used a walker to get into the woods where he hunts turkeys the season after the replacement. Flew up here last year for Christmas. As he doesnāt drive since the hip replacement. Says getting old aināt pretty. He still loves life, laughs and tells jokes, and has the attitude of a young man. May I be so blessed as I enter my 7th decade in a couple months. Donāt give up!
This Pandamnit has not been good for him, and has him trapped at home. He doesnāt live alone which is good. I look forward to the day we get together again.
In some respects, aging can be just in oneās headā¦ a number. Best to respect what the body tells us. I had rotator cuff surgery about 9 years ago, so no putting kayaks on roof racks. I found a classic 60s/70s small boat trailer that I modified to haul two kayaks. I know that I am good for about an 8 mile paddle in a day. Fortunate to have an AnyTime Fitness within biking distance, so I continue my upper body/arm workouts, as well as for overall strength, core, back and legs. My BlueCrossBlueShield Medicare Advantage plan pays for the membership through Silver Sneakers, so they wised up and realized that itās cheaper to pay to keep me healthy and strong. Other than that, watch the food intake to keep the un-needed pounds off joints.
Yeah, soreness. Iāve always kinda liked it if my muscles were just a little sore from using them. I was thinking about taking a poll to get a handle on how unusual it is.