Dick Van Dyke turns 100 on Saturday, Dec. 13. The actor best known for his roles in Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is ageing like fine wine. According to his wife, Arlene Silver, he is ‘a health nut’ and stays happy and healthy as he celebrates a milestone in his life. “The funniest thing is, it’s not enough. A hundred years is not enough. You want to live more, which I plan to,” the actor told ABC’s Good Morning America, which aired on Friday. So how has he managed to stay healthy and energetic at 100? Let’s take a look. Regular workout was his thing Exercise is a part of his daily life. Van Dyke, who lives in Malibu, Calif., hits the gym three times a week. According to the actor, this simple habit has ‘saved’ him from pain. “That’s good advice for anybody,” he told GMA. He doesn’t skip his workouts. “If I miss too many gym days, I really can feel it — a stiffness creeping in here and there,” he revealed in his new book, 100 Rules for Living to 100. So what are the exercises he does for longevity? “I usually do a circuit, going from one machine to the next without a break, in a circle. I start with the sit-up machine. Then I do all the leg machines religiously because my legs are two of my most cherished possessions. And then the upper body,” the actor said. A recent study from NYU Langone Health / NYU Grossman School of Medicine found that exercise plays a crucial role in improving mobility during ageing. “Our findings make clear that the impact of exercise on brain health and mobility is not exclusive to the young. By getting enough physical activity, we can still heighten dopamine release to help us move faster and more easily,” study senior author Margaret Rice, PhD, a professor in the Departments of Neurosurgery and Neuroscience at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, said. He finds joy in little things Van Dyke is an eternal optimist. He is someone who finds joy in little things. “I’ve always thought that anger is one thing that eats up a person’s insides — and hate. And I never really was able to work up a feeling of hate. I think that is one of the chief things that kept me going,” he earlier told People magazine. According to the star, no one is genetically miserable. Regardless of their current circumstances, we all have the capacity for a joyful life. In his book, Van Dyke elaborates on how he sees life. “I’ve made it to 99 in no small part because I have stubbornly refused to give in to the bad stuff in life: failures and defeats, personal losses, loneliness and bitterness, the physical and emotional pains of ageing,” he said. Meaningful relationships Van Dyke’s wife, Arlene Silver, 54, has a great role in keeping him healthy and happy at 100. In fact, he credits his youthfulness to Silver. “She keeps me young. We sing. We dance. She just keeps me a teenager,” he told Today. His lasting relationship with his wife has everything to do with his energy. “Without question, our ongoing romance is the most important reason I have not withered away into a hermetic grouch. Arlene is half my age, and she makes me feel somewhere between two-thirds and three-quarters my age, which is still saying a lot. Every day she finds a new way to keep me up and moving, bright and hopeful and needed,” he wrote in his book. Two recent studies by the University of Eastern Finland, published in the journal Home Health Care Management & Practice, found that social support plays an important role in health and well-being in later life. “We found that older adults who received general and health-related social support from relatives only had a higher mortality risk compared to those who also received support from friends, neighbours and colleagues. We also observed that, contrary to expectations, those below 70 years of age who did not receive general and health-related social support had a higher risk of mortality than their over-70 counterparts,” doctoral researcher Catherine Kayonga from the University of Eastern Finland said. Passion for music Van Dyke, a Tony, Emmy and Grammy award winner, thrives on music. It’s a part of his life. He sings every morning. “Singing is the best thing you can do for yourself. Usually I’ll wake up with an old tune going through my head,” he said. On his 99th birthday, he made an appearance in a Coldplay music video, singing “All My Love” with Chris Martin. Music is a crucial factor in his longevity, and science backs it. A recent study by Monash University researchers found that listening to or playing music for those over 75 was linked to up to a 39% reduction in dementia risk. “Evidence suggests that brain ageing is not just based on age and genetics but can be influenced by one’s own environmental and lifestyle choices. Our study suggests that lifestyle-based interventions, such as listening to and/or playing music, can promote cognitive health,” the researchers said. The findings were published in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. He quit smoking and drinking Van Dyke struggled with alcoholism, and in 1972 he checked into a hospital for three weeks to address his addiction. Over the years, he battled his drinking problem and eventually overcame it. Now he’s sober, and the best part is that he doesn’t miss it. “I like life too much without it. Now that I’m completely free of it, I don’t have any desire to ever drink again.” According to the WHO, alcohol consumption contributes to 2.6 million deaths each year globally. Back in 2023, while appearing on the Really No Really podcast, he revealed that quitting smoking was twice as hard as alcohol. “It was much worse than the alcohol,” he said. “I’m still chewing the nicotine gum. It’s been 15 years, I think.” Given that both alcohol and smoking have deleterious effects on life, Van Dyke quit them, which is another factor contributing to his longevity. Van Dyke is not seeking the help of expensive supplements or treatments to stay healthy at 100. Instead, he is focusing on small lifestyle changes that, over time, have had a massive impact on his life.Note: The information provided in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before starting any new medication or treatment, or before changing your diet or supplement regimen.
5 longevity secrets from 100-year-old Dick Van Dyke |
