Dick Van Dyke, co-star of "The Dick Van Dyke Show" and "Mary Poppins," is on the cusp of his 90th birthday. In his new book,
Keep Moving, Van Dyke believes staying active is key to staying alive, and he practices what he preaches.
His typical day begins at 6 a.m., with a cup of coffee and a trip to the gym for a light workout that includes the treadmill and weights. Even at home in Malibu, Van Dyke says, "I can't sit still." He trots around the house, he says, "Edith Bunker-style." And he still performs with his quartet Dick Van Dyke and the Vantastix.
He says there are three keys to a long life: "You need something to do, someone to love, and something to hope for. I had all of those-and more." The two-time widower attributes his good health and cheer to his third wife whom he married in 2012.
On feeling young, Van Dyke says, "I am a child in search of his inner adult." On staying sharp, "I learn something new every day, like lines from Shakespeare. The language is beautiful and the writing is full of truth: 'Love is not love when it is mingled with regards that stand aloof from the entire point.'"
On love: "You are never too old for romance. A candlelight dinner, a slow dance, a stroll under the stars-these are as potent and magical at eight-five as they were at twenty-five."
The secret to a good night's sleep: "Forgiveness is the best sleeping pill."
Van Dyke's 90th birthday is in December. To commemorate, he says, "I'm going to Disneyland, to my homeland. Some friends and I will have dinner and maybe go on some rides," a fitting celebration for a man who finishes every day with a big bowl of vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce. A spoonful of sugar really does help the medicine go down, he says. "It's very, very true."
Adapted from "Life Lesson from Van Dyke" by Nora Krug, Washington Post.
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