How long Can This Go On?

66. Get out most days. Can go harder than most of the local crew of any age. Don't try to match the very young guns.

I do weight sessions most mornings. About 7 exercises, 3 sets, 12 reps. Eat well, lots, loads of carbs, wholemeal everything, lots of fruit and veg, good quality red meat, all the other proteins.

Get out on the water most days for a 2 hour session. My technique is pretty solid so if I choose to I can have dry sessions and my watch tells me I have had little exercise benefit from the session. If I choose to go hard the watch exercise rating shows that.

I think the exercise industry is a bit of a fraud. All that go hard, high impact, push yourself stuff is BS. You just wear yourself out, get bored or injured.

My preferred method is do fun stuff that requires some exertion every day. Eat well. Enjoy what you're doing. Have fun.

It's awesome to read so many people keep on windsurfing.
I'm 58 and currently have a shoulder injury keeping me from windsurfing but doing physio and hope to be back on the water next month.
Injuries really suck but need to keep positive.
Enjoy life and what activity on the day be it windsurfing, sup surfing, e mtb, also learning to wing foil and when the weather is bad go to the gym.
A couple of months ago even played a game of golf that after the first few tee shots going on the wrong fairway and hitting trees I got the swing and played well, saying that it's something that's a fun social activity but can't replace action sports

As long as you dont get injured. Stay flexible. We all know above 'average' fitness is reqd.
Injury at 50 for me.
Havnt sailed since 2021. Too broken to attempt. Fitness not anywhere near sailable.
Shifu, youre a good sailor n a fit Rooster. You will be good for years mate.

Biological & chronological age is a factor, but enjoying windsurfing is relative to what your health history is and what your expectations are.

Decade older than you, but no where as old as some others still enjoying windsurfing. Relatively fit & BMI still in the low 20s from a past life as a (too) competitive road, mtn bike racer and nordic ski racer. Started windsurfing in the mid-30's when my competitive days were over. The problem are the long term effects of all the injuries. Cycling was just concussions, lacerations and abrasions. But windsurfing has been couple torn MCLs, left knee ding, shoulder and wrist injuries plus another concussion. So down to just "mowing the lawn". Just something I accept and actually enjoy. Hope is to be able to enjoy the activity for several more years.

One old buddy had to call it quits after needing two totally knee replacements. Injuries and trauma from too many bump runs. Was really into mogul skiing. Another windsurfing friend will be needing a knee replacement sooner than hoped for. Anyone out there that has had to have a knee replacement and still windsurfing?

At 57, I intend to windsurf and foil until I'm physically unable. I'll patch up my decaying body for as long as I'm able to keep me out there. If all the "wheels" fall off as I roll across the final finish line of life, then I've done it right. I love seeing the 70+'ers still out there still fanging it and loving it, you are such a great inspiration

Used to be a pro cyclist and I've seen people in their 70's kick much younger riders butts. Windsurfing I think is a bit different as there's more strength and impact involved

19 years older, retired for 27 years and did not start windsurfing until the 50's. Decided a worthwhile retirement was to learn to windsurf and wave sail. Slow and persistent, getting lessons at first.

Love to run the trails, wavesail on Pacific coast point breaks of Baja, Mex. and Chile. Chile side-onshore the most challenging, however. Learning to kite now in a lagoon in Canada, and also southern Baja, doing turns reliably. Must start to practice toeside, then switch to a directional board. Do not plan to stop windsurfing; rather, to do both. My quiver has 4.2, 4.7, 5.3 and find myself under and over powered a lot. Gear stashed in three locations. Also use a SUP surf a few times each year in an ideal location for that.

Runners have to deal regularly with their physical limits to avoid bench time and this helped me pace myself in new sports. WS seasons for me are spring and part of summer in northern AND southern hemispheres.

Some things that have helped:

Have modest expectations after a break between austral and boreal seasons, doing shorter sessions with recovery days at first, and letting some days with good conditions go by for recovery. Rest or go for an easy run, do pushups, ab curls, etc. Using exercise bands, but not enough.

Maintain flexibility with stretching and do thorough warmups before pushing.

Run hilly trails for endurance, for the legs and lungs. Have been doing running circuits on grass or track or hilly trail: few laps warmup slow, some backwards running, skip rope for a bit after each lap, do a few pushups, maybe some pullups, and some strides if well warmed up. Hill repeats are also great if thoroughly warmed up, doing the first few cautiously. Did very little competitive sports, outside of some mediocre tennis in school, and only informal stuff when younger so my joints have been good. Bodyweight squats are helpful, two legged deep and one legged shallow squats.

Diet, vegan for the last 12 years, now eating fish infrequently. Avoiding fruit juices, meats, highly processed foods and taking B12, D3, etc.

Keep foot straps wide open for ease of separation when getting washed in surf--feet are nearer the center of the board for leverage. Impact injury time has come from staying with the gear until the last minute. If staying with the gear, never let go of the boom. Most wave sessions, I have to swim for my gear at least once. On some intimidating days, either play it safe or wait until conditions are less radical. Learning how to fall on turns helps a lot.

Backing off when injured, to recover, whether it is from running or windsurfing or .... Having breaks during the year to cross train. During working years would join road bike groups on weekends and run during the week. Did many all day cycles in the hills, one running marathon and more shorter events and one tri.

Windsurfing develops the lats, so after a season, pull-ups are possible. Conversely, pull-ups would be great in the off season.

Learn how to do my own physical therapy to prevent overuse injury, compensate for lots of inactivity while online, e.g., and recover from injury or incipient injury. Be attuned to points of vulnerability. Sometime, just a stretch, or fixing a muscle imbalance, or an insert in shoe or bootie. Good posture is a challenge right now, suggests core work.

Stay covered up to avoid UV damage to pale skin and visit dermatologist regularly. Wear protective equipment for head, eyes, ribs, cold, etc.

In reply to the OP.

Now in my late 70s. For as long as possible.

Would not go out in high winds anymore, but just buzzing about is great.

No kidding about those "love bites." Even when I don't feel the contact underwater, at the end of a day of foiling, I find all these nicks on my shins. I guess shin nicks are how to identify a windfoiler.