Dick Van Dyke Admits He Feels ‘Diminished’ Ahead of His 100th Birthday, but Still Tries to ‘Hit the Gym’ 3 Times a Week

NEED TO KNOW

• Dick Van Dyke revealed in an essay for The Times that he felt “diminished in the world, physically and socially”

• The actor also described some of the physical challenges he faced in his daily life such as “feet problems” and sight issues

• Van Dyke, who will turn 100 on Dec. 13, said he still tries to stay physically fit by going to the gym three times a week

Dick Van Dyke is reflecting on his storied life and career.

The 99-year-old acting legend detailed how much his life has changed ahead of his 100th birthday on Dec. 13 — and the challenges that come with aging — in an essay published in The Times on Nov. 13.

“It’s frustrating to feel diminished in the world, physically and socially,” said the Mary Poppins star. “I get invites to events or offers for gigs in New York or Chicago, but that kind of travel takes so much out of me that I have to say no. Almost all of my visiting with folks has to happen at my house.”

He explained some of the “physical deterioration” that he has experienced in recent years, which he compared and contrasted to that of the older characters he has played in movies.

“Like my old characters, I am now a stooper, a shuffler and a teeterer. I have feet problems and I go supine as often as is politely possible,” Van Dyke said in The Times.

He continued, “Those fake old-timers smacked their dentures. I chew nicotine gum, all day long — still, decades after I quit smoking! My sight is so bad now that origami is out of the question.”

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Dick Van Dyke on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ in December 2024

He said other things that he struggled with included “following group conversations” and troubles with his hearing aids, which he said he would “complain frequently” about. Another thing made difficult with time is eating meals.

“At mealtime I spill stuff, and when my wife, Arlene [Silver], asks me to put on an unstained shirt before we go out, I get impatient. ‘It’s got blueberry all over it,’ she’ll say. ‘Polka dots are in again!’ I’ll reply.”

However, The Dyke Van Dyke Show alum said that he didn’t let those things try to get in the way of keeping healthy. He revealed that he still tried to “hit the gym three times a week.

“I don’t know why this is something I still want to do but it is,” Van Dyke confessed in The Times. “If I miss too many gym days, I really can feel it — a stiffness creeping in here and there. If I let that set in, well, God help me.“

He noted that he would dangle “carrots” “in front of myself to get out the door” including things like a “huge smoothie and/or frothy caffeine treat” after a workout or a “well-earned” naptime. He also said that heading to the gym gives him more internal treats like “sense of accomplishment to bask in,” a “sharper mind” and “full-body tingly exhilaration.”

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Dick Van Dyke at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards in September 2024

He detailed his gym routine, which included doing “a circuit” between machines around the gym “without a break.”

“I start with the sit-up machine. Arlene says I could do 500 but that might be exaggerating. Then I do all the leg machines religiously because my legs are two of my most cherished possessions. And then the upper body,” he said.

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He shared that the key to helping him keep consistent was “music,” and he would hum, sing and dance his way from one machine to the next. He added, “You heard me, dancing! And if I’m really feeling it, I’m no quiet warbler; I’m a Broadway belter.”

“By the end I’m in a sweaty rush, the blood flowing from fingertips to toes, and my spirits are soaring,” he said, adding, “OK, today, what’s next?!”

Read the original article on People