Betty Morris of Jackson, Michigan, just celebrated her 101st birthday on May 13 at the local YMCA, a place that she credits with her long and healthy life.
Morris told Today,
I can't get along without the Y. Every time anybody asks me why I've lived so long, I say, βExercise at the Y.'
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And she's not kidding either. At 101, Morris still drives herself and goes swimming at the Y every day, a routine that she began about 40 years ago, at the tender age of 60.
Morris said of her time in the pool,
The water doesn't discriminate. In the pool, you can do anything you want to.
In addition to swimming, the centenarian also attends a regular Zumba class at the YMCA and goes for walks with her daughter, Sue Condino.
Staying social is another thing that Morris identified as a key to a long life, with Condino saying of her mom,
She enjoys being around other people. At church or any gathering, she's very social and kind of lights up a room. She goes up to everyone in the pool to ask their name if she doesn't know them, and then she really remembers.
It's those friends from church and the Y that attended Morris's pool party to celebrate her 101st birthday earlier this month.
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The last (and maybe most important) thing that Morris noted as a reason for her longevity was yummy food. While the 101-year-old continues her habit of baking homemade bread each week, the thing that stands out to her is a little more decadent, with Morris telling reporters,
I love peanut butter fudge!
There you have it. Swimming at the Y, good friends, and peanut butter fudge. What could be better?
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