Dick Van Dyke continues to make a compelling case for the power of staying active, proving that a steady mix of exercise and stretching can help preserve mobility well into the milestone age of 100.
The Mary Poppins legend was up to his old tricks as he shared an Instagram video of himself strapped upside down to an inversion table, the hashtag ‘keep moving’ added for positive reinforcement.
With his signature white hair and beard, the beloved entertainer appeared to turn back the clock as he stretched with his slippered feet lifted high and his head lowered, using the move to decompress his spine and keep his body limber.
Adding a fitting soundtrack to the moment, Moonspatz’s song Keep Stretching played in the background, underscoring the routine’s playful but purposeful tone.
Van Dyke’s commitment to fitness is well established. The screen legend is known to visit the gym as often as three times a week, where he uses weight machines, completes circuit training and focuses heavily on stretching, with abdominal exercises playing a key role in maintaining his overall strength.
Although Van Dyke recently used a walker while out with his wife, Arlene Silver, his energy in the gym has become part of his legend. According to the Today show, Cheers star Ted Danson once saw him dancing between machines instead of simply walking, and singer Rick Springfield reportedly witnessed the same lively approach on another occasion.
Dick Van Dyke was up to his old tricks as he shared an Instagram video of himself strapped upside down to an inversion table along with the hashtag ‘keep moving’
The Mary Poppins legend has shown time and time again that a consistent workout and stretching routine is what it takes to stay mobile at 100 years old. Above, Van Dyke in 2021 attending the Kennedy Center Honors in Washington D.C.
In December, Van Dyke celebrated his milestone 100th birthday.
To mark the special occasion, his wife led a flash mob in dancing to a medley of the actor’s songs, and they were joined by family and friends for a party at their Malibu home.
‘It went so perfect — just everything,’ Arlene told People at the time. ‘And he was so happy. His face, I love to make him have that face. This felt so perfect.’
The former make-up artist, 54, admitted she felt ‘relieved, grateful and so happy’ with how the day turned out.
Van Dyke recently credited his long years to giving up cigarettes and alcohol in his 50s.
Speaking at the Vandy High Tea fundraising event – which raised money for The Van Dyke Endowment of the Arts and The Dick Van Dyke Museum – at his home, the song and dance man told how he was ‘probably the last person alive’ who got to know and spend time with Walt Disney before the animation legend died of lung cancer in 1966.
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‘He was a wonderful guy. He just smoked too much! Doggone,’ he said, according to People.
Van Dyke’s son, Barry Van Dyke, 75, noted his dad had ‘never smoked too much’ himself, but The Chitty Chitty Bang Bang star admitted that wasn’t the case.
Van Dyke defied gravity as he stretched and decompressed his spine with slippered feet raised high and his head hanging while Keep Stretching, a song by Moonspatz, played on the soundtrack
In December, Van Dyke celebrated his milestone 100th birthday and to mark the special occasion, his wife, Arlene Silver, led a flash mob in dancing to a medley of the actor’s songs. Above, Van Dyke and Arlene in 2021 attending the Kennedy Center Honors in Washington D.C.
The song and dance man recently credited his longevity to giving up cigarettes and alcohol in his 50s. Above, Van Dyke pictured in 2021 in Malibu, California
But Van Dyke admitted he feels ‘lonely’ and ‘frustrated’ in his old age because he’s outlived most of his best friends. Above, Van Dyke in a scene from the 1964 classic Mary Poppins with, L to R, Karen Dotrice, Matthew Garber and Julie Andrews
‘I smoked a lot, actually!’ Van Dyke corrected. ‘I think I was probably in my 50s before it dawned on me that I had an addictive personality. If I liked something, I was going to overdo it.
‘So I got rid of booze and cigarettes and all that stuff, which is probably why I’m still here.’
But Van Dyke admitted he feels ‘lonely’ and ‘frustrated’ in his old age because he’s outlived most of his best friends and he rarely gets to attend glitzy showbiz events because of his declining health.
‘Though I still do guest spots on TV, and ads and videos, I miss going to the studio every day for a regular series. And every single one of my dearest lifelong friends is gone, which feels just as lonely as it sounds,’ as he revealed in an article written for The Times newspaper.
He added: ‘It’s frustrating to feel diminished in the world, physically and socially.
‘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.’