Dick Van Dyke, 100, Shares Inversion Table Workout Video

Q: How does Dick Van Dyke safely use an inversion table at 100, and what secret keeps him dancing through the gym?

Dick Van Dyke appears to use the inversion table cautiously and in a controlled way: in the video, he lies back horizontally, grips the handles, then briefly shifts his arms behind his head to balance while stretching. The table is typically used to relieve pressure on the back and joints by tilting the body backward, but the reporting does not indicate any extreme inversion or risky movement beyond a steady, supported stretch. Given his age and known mobility issues, the safest reading is that he is treating it as part of a gentle flexibility routine, not a stunt. The bigger secret to how he keeps dancing through the gym is simpler and better documented: regular movement, music and mindset. Van Dyke says he still tries to work out about three times a week and notices stiffness if he skips too many sessions. His routine centers on a circuit of machines, with special attention to leg work, plus stretching, sit-ups and yoga. He has said he often dances from one machine to the next rather than just walking. Music is the spark. In his own account, he sings and dances during workouts, and his wife, Arlene Silver, helps by playing the music he likes over the gym sound system. He says that by the end of a session, the music leaves him energized, sweaty and uplifted. He also credits sobriety, having given up cigarettes and alcohol, along with gratitude and an optimistic outlook. His long-running formula remains the same: keep moving.

Q: Despite his viral workouts, why was the 100-year-old actor recently spotted needing a walker, and what does it reveal about aging?

He was spotted with a walker because, despite his remarkable fitness, he is still 100 and dealing with the normal physical limitations of very advanced age. Recent coverage of a Los Angeles outing showed Dick Van Dyke using a walker, with his wife Arlene Silver helping him out of the car. At another recent public appearance, he used a cane. That does not contradict the viral inversion-table video or his regular gym routine. In fact, Van Dyke himself has said that if he skips workouts, he feels stiffness in his joints, which suggests he is actively managing age-related mobility issues rather than escaping them. What it reveals about aging is that healthy aging is not the same as being free of decline. Even highly active centenarians can be strong, flexible, upbeat and socially engaged while still needing support devices for balance, endurance or safety. A walker can reflect caution and adaptation, not collapse. Van Dyke’s example fits what aging experts often emphasize: regular movement, optimism, social connection and healthy habits can improve quality of life and function, but they do not stop the body from aging. His public life shows both sides clearly — exceptional vitality and the practical realities of living past 100. So the walker is less a sign that his workouts are misleading than a reminder that aging is uneven. A person can still dance between gym machines and, on other days, need help getting around.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 1

Instagram footage posted Friday showed Dick Van Dyke, 100, stretching on an inversion table, captioned “#DVD100 1/2 workout inversion table #keepmoving.”
The post underscored his message that he is still prioritizing fitness at 100, with fans praising his flexibility and urging him to stay healthy.
Last year, Van Dyke said regular exercise keeps him physically strong and mentally sharp, adding that he still tries to hit the gym three times a week.
His routine includes circuit training, leg and upper-body machines, and even dancing between stations, while he has also given up cigarettes and alcohol decades ago.
Van Dyke, who turns 101 in December, has also emphasized gratitude as part of his outlook, with collaborators saying he focuses on the 90% of life that is good.