Dick Van Dyke revealed he ditched two common vices to better his chances at reaching 100 years old.
The actor, who will celebrate his centennial birthday on Saturday, December 13, said at a Vandy High Tea event held at his Malibu home on November 30 that he once had an “addictive personality” that caused him to “overdo” things he grew fond of.
“I got rid of booze and cigarettes and all that stuff, which is probably why I’m still here,” Van Dyke told the crowd, per a People report published on Sunday, December 7. “I think I was probably in my 50s before it dawned on me.”
The Mary Poppins star also noted that he “smoked a lot” before reflecting on the life of Walt Disney, revealing that he’s “probably the last person alive” to have worked with the iconic animator and film producer. “He was a wonderful guy,” Van Dyke said. “He just smoked too much! Doggone.”
Van Dyke’s latest insight into his health comes on the back of his book 100 Rules for Living to 100: An Optimist’s Guide to a Happy Life, released on November 18. In the collection of stories, the actor stated that he still tries to “hit the gym three times a week” ahead of his milestone birthday.
“I’m not a ‘wake up and go back to bed’ type just yet, unless it’s cold and rainy,” he wrote in the book. “If I miss too many gym days, I really can feel it — a stiffness creeping in here and there in my joints.”
Van Dyke also revealed insight into his current diet, writing about what he tends to consume after each gym session. “[A] huge smoothie and/or frothy caffeine treat after my workout, full-body tingly exhilaration, sharper mind, sense of accomplishment to bask in for the rest of the day nap time [that is] well-earned, limber dancing in the days ahead,” he wrote.
As for what he does at the gym, Van Dyke revealed that he was into “circuit” training before detailing his regimen. “Going from one machine to the next without a break, in a circle,” he wrote.. “I start with sit-ups on the sit-up machine.”
The movie star expanded on his routine, adding that his makeup artist wife, Arlene Silver, also gets involved: “Then, it’s lower body — I do all the leg machines religiously and repeatedly because my legs are two of my most cherished [parts]. And then the upper body. The sector ingredient to my gym time is the music. For some reason, our gym is sparsely attended in the early mornings — bad for the owners, but better for me and Arlene. She knows how to get into the sound system, so she always brings my kind of stuff, and she really blasts it.”
In September, Van Dyke was seen via Instagram in a photo that showed him flexing his arm muscles during a gym workout with Rick Springfield. Van Dyke was snapped sitting on a piece of equipment alongside the “Jessie’s Girl” singer, who captioned the post, “I went to the gym and who should be there but 99-year-old Dick Van Dyke working out on every machine. Dick has lived in Malibu for about 30 years and is an awesome human being. I thought I was doing well at 76, but Dick got up from the chest press machine and did a little dance step before I left! ❤️ Amazing!”
