97-year-old Dick Van Dyke shares his 3 big secrets to remaining youthful
Comedian, actor, singer, dancer and all-around entertainer Dick Van Dyke has had a fantastic career in entertainment.
The 97-year-old has won Tony, Emmy, Grammy, and SAG awards and played iconic characters, including Rob Petrie on “The Dick Van Dyke Show” and Bert in “Mary Poppins.”
Van Dyke captured the public’s attention earlier this month when it was revealed that he was the woodland gnome on “The Masked Singer,” where he performed “When You’re Smiling,” made famous by Frank Sinatra.
After the big reveal, judge Nicole Scherzinger broke into tears, saying, “I love you so much. We love you so much. The whole world loves you so much. I’m trying to, like, play it cool, but you look so gorgeous! You look so handsome!”
Van Dyke beamed with boyish delight on the stage, proving that even though he’s 97 years old, he still has a youthful spirit.
After his return to the spotlight, Yahoo Entertainment asked him for his secret to “staying so youthful.”
“Genes, I guess, for one thing. Having a beautiful young wife half my age to take care of me [Arlene Silver]—that works!” Van Dyke told Yahoo. “My positive attitude, I get that from my wife.”
Van Dyke met his wife at the SAG Awards in January 2007 when Silver worked as a makeup artist. The two became friends, Van Dyke hired her for gigs doing makeup and soon she was helping him out around the house.
The couple wed in February 2012. At the time, Silver was 40, and Van Dyke was 86. Silver helped Van Dyke set up a TikTok channel so that he could share his dance steps with the world.
The “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” star also stressed the importance of exercise in staying youthful.
“And one other thing is, I wrote a book called ‘Keep Moving’: I still go to the gym three days a week and work out,” Van Dyke continued. “And I advise everybody to do that, because that’s what ages people—it’s just a stiffening up and not exercising their muscles and their lungs. Exercise is the answer.”
Experts agree with Van Dyke when it comes to exercise and longevity. A study published by Harvard suggests that people who exercise more than the recommended amount can lower their risk of early death by “as much as 31%.”
Keep Moving!!
“Our study provides evidence to guide individuals to choose the right amount and intensity of physical activity over their lifetime to maintain their overall health,” Dong Hoon Lee from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health wrote in the study.
Ultimately, it seems Van Dyke has hit the trifecta that keeps him spry at 97. He’s in love with his wife, has a song in his throat, and has a strong desire to keep moving. Van Dyke is a wonderful inspiration for anyone who wants to stay forever young and has shared some incredible life lessons on how to join him.
Source: Upworthy
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