The Hollywood legend Dick Van Dyke is just one month away from celebrating his 100th birthday. Sadly, in a new interview, Van Dyke is admitting that he feels “diminished” ahead of this landmark birthday.
Van Dyke Feels ‘Diminished’ At Nearly 100
Van Dyke is set to turn 100 on December 13. In the lead-up to this, Van Dyke penned an essay about aging that was published in The Times on November 13.
“It’s frustrating to feel diminished in the world, physically and socially,” wrote Van Dyke, 99. “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.”
Van Dyke went on to reveal some of the “physical deterioration” that he has experienced in recent years. He then compared and contrasted these challenges with those of some older characters he has played in movies.
“Like my old characters, I am now a stooper, a shuffler and a teeterer,” the former Mary Poppins star lamented. “I have feet problems and I go supine as often as is politely possible.”
“Those fake old-timers smacked their dentures. I chew nicotine gum, all day long — still, decades after I quit smoking!” he continued. “My sight is so bad now that origami is out of the question.”
Van Dyke then confessed that other struggles include “following group conversations” and troubles with his hearing aids. Indeed, he would “complain frequently” about the latter. Sadly, eating meals has also become a challenge for Van Dyke.
“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,” he acknowledged. “‘It’s got blueberry all over it,’ she’ll say. ‘Polka dots are in again!’ I’ll reply.”
Van Dyke Still Stays Healthy
Even so, Van Dyke is adamant that he doesn’t let any of this stop him from staying healthy. Even at nearly 100, he still manages 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 wrote. “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.“
Van Dyke explained that he would dangle “carrots” “in front of myself to get out the door.” These included things like a “huge smoothie and/or frothy caffeine treat” after a workout or a “well-earned” nap time. He has also found 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.”
As for Van Dyke’s gym routine, it involves “a circuit” between machines around the gym “without a break.”
“I start with the sit-up machine,” he disclosed. “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.”
‘Ok, What’s Next?!’
Music plays a major role in Van Dyke’s gym routine. He will typically hum, sing and dance his way from one machine to the next.
“You heard me, dancing!” Van Dyke concluded. “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. OK, today, what’s next?!”
What’s next, indeed!
We applaud Van Dyke for being so open and honest about what it’s like to be nearly 100. In the end, Van Dyke is still showing the world that age really is just a number.
We’d like to wish Van Dyke a very happy birthday, and many more to come. God bless you, Dick Van Dyke!