+
upworthy
Identity

97-year-old Dick Van Dyke shares his 3 big secrets to remaining youthful

The “Mary Poppins” star is ageless.

dick van dyke, longevity, masked singer

Dick Van Dyke speaking at the 2017 Phoenix Comicon at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona

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%.”

@mrvandyke

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.

True

After over a thousand years of peaceful relations, European semi-superpowers Sweden and Switzerland may finally address a lingering issue between the two nations. But the problem isn’t either country’s fault. The point is that the rest of the world can’t tell them apart. They simply don’t know their kroppkakor (Swedish potato dumpling) from their birchermüesli (a Swiss breakfast dish).

This confusion on the European continent has played out in countless ways.

Swedish people who move to the United States often complain of being introduced as Swiss. The New York Stock Exchange has fallen victim to the confusion, and a French hockey team once greeted their Swiss opponents, SC Bern, by playing the Swedish National Anthem and raising the Swedish flag.

Skämtar du med mig? (“Are you kidding me?” in Swedish)

Keep ReadingShow less
All images by Rebecca Cohen, used with permission.

Here’s a thought.

Self proclaimed feminist killjoy Rebecca Cohen is a cartoonist based in Berkeley, California.

Here’s what she has to say about her role as an artist taken from her Patreon page.

Keep ReadingShow less
Family

'This isn't how it's supposed to be': Family with ‘good jobs’ lives paycheck-to-paycheck

“Go to college, get a degree, work to support your family. Here we are. Did that. Now what?”

A mom in Pennsylvania is having a hard time getting by even though she has a good job.

There’s a specific trait that exists deep in the American collective psyche that suggests that one’s financial well-being is somehow a reflection of their moral compass. Many people assume that if someone struggles to get by, they don’t work hard enough or make poor choices.

But that knee-jerk reaction couldn’t be farther from the truth. There are countless reasons why hard-working people struggle, especially these days with historically high inflation. Just about everything costs an arm and a leg.

For many, the sharp increase and costs forced them to go from being comfortable to getting by paycheck to paycheck. In addition to the financial stress, many feel stigmatized because of their struggles.

Keep ReadingShow less
Family

Heartwarming comics break down complex parenting issues with ease

Lunarbaboon comics tackle huge, important subjects with an effective, lighthearted touch that you can't help but smile at.

All images by Christopher Grady/Lunarbaboon, used with permission

Writing comics helped a father struggling with anxiety and depression.

Christopher Grady, a father and teacher from Toronto, was struggling with anxiety and depression. That's when he started drawing.

He describes his early cartoons and illustrations as a journal where he'd chronicle everyday moments from his life as a husband, elementary school teacher, and father to two kids.

"I needed a positive place to focus all my thoughts and found that when I was making comics I felt a little bit better," he says.

He began putting a few of his comics online, not expecting much of a response. But he quickly learned that people were connecting with his work in a deep way.

Keep ReadingShow less
Democracy

Australia is banning entry to anyone found guilty of domestic violence anywhere in the world

"Australia has no tolerance for perpetrators of violence against women and children." 👏👏👏


Australia is sending a strong message to domestic abusers worldwide: You're not welcome here.

Australia has recently broadened a migration law to bar any person who has been convicted of domestic violence anywhere in the world from getting a visa to enter the country. American R&B singer Chris Brown and boxing star Floyd Mayweather had been banned from the country in the past, following their domestic violence convictions. Now the ban applies to all foreign visitors or residents who have been found guilty of violence against women or children.

Even convicted domestic abusers who already have visas and are living in Australia can be kicked out under the new rule. The government is using the rule, which took effect on February 28, 2019 to send a message to domestic violence perpetrators.

Keep ReadingShow less

The Preussen Munster square off against the Würzburger Kickers

As a soccer match between German teams Preussen Munster and Würzburger Kickers went into its final minutes, a defender from the Kickers, 23-year-old Leroy Kwadwo, stopped to point out a problem in the stands.

A Munster fan was making monkey noises at Kwadwo, a black player of Ghanaian descent. It was a clearly racist heckling—an issue that has publicly plagued the international sport in various venues, even as recently as last week. But this time, the response from the crowd far outshined the racist in the stands.

Keep ReadingShow less