Dick Van Dyke shared an update on his health a few weeks before his 100th birthday.
The “Mary Poppins” actor reflected on the effect aging has had on him in an essay for the Sunday Times, published Nov. 13.
“It’s frustrating to feel diminished in the world, both physically and socially,” he wrote.
Van Dyke explained that he has had to turn down gigs in Chicago and New York because he has been having a hard time traveling lately.
“Almost all my visits with people have to take place at my home,” he said.
The comedian, known for playing old people in various roles over the years, said he was currently experiencing “physical decline.”
“Like the old characters, I am now hunched over, limping and hobbling. I have problems with my legs, so I lie on my back as often as I can politely,” he said.
“My eyesight is so bad now that origami is out of the question. I have trouble following group conversations and often complain about my hearing aids, but I never refer to them as ear trumpets. I’m not that old.”
Van Dyke spills on himself while eating and can be grumpy.
“I get nervous when my wife Arlene asks me to put on a clean shirt before going out,” he says. “‘It’s got blueberries all over it,’ she’ll say. ‘It’s got polka dots again!’ she’ll say.”
But inside, Van Dijk still feels like his younger self.
“But the superficiality, the physical decline, is the only thing I share with the old guys I used to play with,” he wrote. “Thank God, I’m as different from them as possible inside.”
The Hollywood icon reflected on his secret to staying young at heart.
“I was able to reach the age of 99 in no small part because I continued to stubbornly refuse the negative things in life, such as failures and defeats, personal losses, loneliness and regrets, and the physical and mental pain of aging,” he said.
“Those are realities, but I don’t let them define me,” he continued. “Instead, for years I’ve had what can only be described as a total bear hug experience of living. Living is doing life. It’s more like a giant playground than a job.”
Van Dyke explained that a “fun and fulfilling” life boils down to “romance, doing what you love, and laughing a lot.”
He and his 56-year-old wife, whom he married in 2012, dance together in the morning and always laugh.
“I met Arlene in 2006 and she instantly became my soulmate and the love of my life,” he exclaimed. “Without a doubt, our ongoing romance is the most important reason I don’t fall into a sullen mood.”
Van Dyke noted that Arlene is “half (his) age,” which makes him feel “somewhere between two-thirds and three-quarters (of his) age.”
“Every day, she inspires me, pushes me forward, gives me hope and finds new ways to help me feel needed,” he said.
He also sings in an a cappella group called Vantastix, whose members are all much younger than him.
“When we sing, my heart soars because I’m still doing what I love,” he said.
Other tips include laughing at yourself, not living in the past, and always being playful.
“Play can make virtually anything more fun, including a stressful family visit, a boring car trip, a dreaded chore, or an anxious wait at the hospital,” he said.
“When you accumulate these small experiences, your whole way of life changes. You become more energetic as a whole!”
Finally, he emphasized the importance of staying active and going to the gym.
“I still try to go to the gym three times a week,” he said. “I don’t know why this is still something I want to do, but it is.”
Van Dyke said her body feels “stiff” when she misses too much gym time.
“God help me if this continues,” he wrote.
He detailed his workout routine, sharing that he starts on an ab machine and does circuits.
“Arlene says she can do it 500 times, but that might be an exaggeration,” he said. “Then, my legs are my most valuable asset, so I do all the leg machines diligently. And then my upper body.”
He also shared that music is the key to maintaining energy during fitness sessions.
“By the end, I was sweating, blood was flowing from my fingers to my toes, and I was feeling great,” he said.
Van Dyke will celebrate his milestone birthday on December 13th.
