Rick Springfield Shares Gym Selfie with 99-Year-Old Dick Van Dyke: “Thought I Was Doing Well at 76”
Rick Springfield found himself starstruck during a routine gym visit when he ran into TV legend Dick Van Dyke, now 99, prompting the singer to jokingly reflect on his own age.
“Filming an episode of Men’s Health and I went to the gym, and who should be there but 99-year-old Dick Van Dyke, working out on every machine,” Springfield wrote in the caption of a selfie he posted to Instagram on Friday, Sept. 26. The singer, 76, couldn’t resist noting, “I thought I was doing well at 76.”
Springfield went on to praise Van Dyke, who remains remarkably active and is set to release his new autobiographical collection, 100 Rules for Living to 100: An Optimist’s Guide to a Happy Life, on Nov. 18. The beloved actor is approaching a milestone birthday himself, turning 100 on Dec. 13.
The chance encounter highlighted not just Van Dyke’s enduring vitality but also his approach to life, which has inspired generations both on and off screen. Springfield’s gym run, intended for a feature shoot, unexpectedly became a testament to the actor’s legendary energy and optimism.
(Left:) Rick Springfield in 1974; (Right:) Dick Van Dyke in 1970.
Michael Ochs Archives/Getty; Art Zelin/Getty
“Dick has lived in Malibu for about 30 years and is an awesome human being,” Springfield wrote in the caption accompanying the photo, which shows Van Dyke giving the camera a mock-intense glare while Springfield playfully raises a fist.
“I thought I was doing well at 76,” Springfield added self-deprecatingly, “but Dick got up from the chest press machine and did a little dance step before I left! 
Amazing!”
Springfield’s own commitment to fitness is nothing to scoff at. The “Jessie’s Girl” singer previously told PEOPLE how he keeps his abs in shape, even while on tour.
“I exercise every day, and every time I play with my band, it is a two-hour aerobic workout,” he explained.
On the road, Springfield has found a reliable ally in Planet Fitness. “We’re Planet Fitness whores,” he said of the gym chain. “Planet Fitness is like the Holiday Inn of workout places — they’re all the same, every place you go.”
Reflecting on how his touring priorities have shifted over the years, Springfield added, “The focus of tour used to be partying and getting laid. Now it’s getting enough sleep and finding a nice restaurant.”
Springfield also shared that his commitment to fitness extends to his lifestyle choices, particularly his approach to alcohol.
“I was drinking quite a bit, and as you get older, it’s kind of a natural thing to drop all that s—,” he said. “I’m not in AA — I mean, I know a lot of people it’s worked for. I’ll have a couple of sips of vodka or something when I’m onstage, but I don’t drink any other time.”
Reflecting on aging and perspective, Springfield told PEOPLE, “I still feel like I’m in my 20s in my head. Then I see people dying from old-age diseases and go, ‘Wow, I’m the same age as old people!’”
