Dick Van Dyke is 95, and he looks better than ever. Despite getting older, he refuses to stop moving — and has even written a book on the topic.
Back in 2015, he was doing press for his book Keep Moving and Other Tips and Truths About Aging, which — according to NPR — was a subject suggested to the actor by his publishers. They saw that Dick was still spry and lively and figured it'd be a good idea to get his personal tips on paper.
Six years later and that motivation still hasn't changed. He's still out there, moving and even dancing. And he has no plans to quit before the age of 100.
Dick isn't just all talk. In fact, he actually demonstrated his typical workouts on CBS This Morning, showcasing how strong he's become. "I'm 95, and a lot of my friends won't do these," he said while exercising.
"So all you old guys out there, listen to me, I'm telling you," he continued. "You can keep going for a long — I'm still dancing! And singing!" Despite his age, Dick isn't afraid to challenge himself. He even discussed the dance number he did in the 2018 film Mary Poppins Returns.
On set, he was given "three versions and I took the hardest one," he said. "I had to prove I could do it." And that alone is why he's still so healthy. Dick seems to take challenges well, and he's not afraid of figuring out where his personal limit is. He's truly living life to the fullest.
Dick's positive attitude should persuade everyone to get moving. "It's more in my nature to be optimistic, I think," he told NPR. "I'm one of those people who gets up on the right side of the bed in the morning. I get up and have a cup of coffee and go to the gym before I talk myself out of it because I will as anybody will."
As for the dancing and singing, that's something that Dick has always enjoyed. "Everyone should dance. And everyone should sing," he said. "People say, 'Well, I can't sing.' Everybody can sing. That you do it badly is no reason not to sing. I have a beautiful, young wife who sings and dances, so there's a lot of duetting going on at my house."
And by young, he really does mean young. Dick and his wife, Arlene Silver, have a 46-year age gap. While it's a bit shocking, it's something that Dick doesn't seem to mind whatsoever. "It's one of the smartest moves I ever made," he told Parade back in 2013 after their wedding. "She makes me happy. She's very mature for her age, and I'm very immature for my age, so it's just about right!"
Arlene also seems very much in love, telling Parade in another interview that "I haven't been married before so it's wonderful. He's the perfect human being but he's also the perfect partner. I went through a lot of frogs to get my prince."
The two met at the SAG Awards, where Arlene was working as a makeup artist. "I remember seeing Dick at the catering table with his bow tie and his big smile," she said. "Right when I sat down, he was sitting next to me. He said, 'Hi, I'm Dick.' The first thing I asked him was, 'Weren't you in Mary Poppins?'"
The two started out as friends, but eventually a romantic relationship started. "I didn’t really realize how powerful the relationship was becoming," she said. "I would come over but I didn't want to bother him I guess. He gets so many people around him I didn't want to be intrusive, so I would just say I'll come over after work and we'll have dinner, and it turns out he was looking forward to it the whole day."
Being with Arlene might be yet another excuse to work out and move. Dick may be 95, but he has the stamina of someone much younger. That said, he knows that getting older has changed some of his past favorite hobbies.
"I can't handle the tennis court anymore," he told NPR. "I can still run and dance and sing. You know, I made a habit of asking other people in their old age: of all the things you enjoyed doing when you were younger that you can't anymore, what do you miss?"
The answers he gets in return made him realize something important about life. "Some people mention golf or tennis. One woman said 'I miss having lunch with the girls.' But the people who said I wish I had made smarter business decisions, I think they're missing the point," he said. "The point is to enjoy."
And in addition to the exercise, enjoying life also helps keep Dick Van Dyke so happy and healthy. In almost every picture, he's smiling. He seems really content with his life and is a great role model for others looking to improve their health. Remember, all you need to do is move.
