I am 46. Been skating non-stop since I was 11-years-old. I broke my leg/Fib (just above ankle) with bad ligament damage in May 2019. Lots of hardware, and two surgeries. I broke it on a 6' mini doing a "set-up" trick I've done 1,000s of times. I just started skating again in March 2020. Was out almost a year. My ankle will never be the same. Weaker, with a lot less flexibility. But it is slowly making progress. I honestly thought I would never be able to skate again for awhile. I can now, but not at the level before the break. I was doing 7-stair rails (just boardslides) at 45-years-old. That b/s disaster in my sig file ain't going to ever happen again...but I am still skating, and that's all that counts. The entire process taught me a few things about being an "old guy skater."
-Have no expectations (of what you "should" be able to do). Carry those and it will only lead to frustration, anger, and resentment. Abandon them, and skateboarding opens up like never before.
-Play the Long Game. Shift focus from thinking about what rad new tricks to learn today, to thinking about what you can do today to make sure you are skating tomorrow.
-Skate as often as you possibly can. There is real truth to the phrase "use it or loose it." That is even more true as we age.
-A harsh reality is the we simply do not react, or heal, as quick as we used to. Soft tissue damage is a common injury among us old guys. We also become more stiff with age. A bail can suddenly turn into a pulled or torn muscle. Regular stretching can help avoid (or minimize) that. To that end, pads can be your best friend (esp. on mini ramps/small transitons). Again, we do not heal/react as fast. A bad run-out can instantly turn into a twisted/torn knee or ankle...a good knee slide avoids that problem.
In short, there are three pillars to guy-skating, which will keep you rolling, and smiling, for a long time.
1. No expectations.
2. Low Impact skating.
3. Pads, when applicable.