Margaret Tanner, 100, does water aerobics at the Gwinnett Family YMCA several times a week.
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. -- There may be no such thing as the "Fountain of Youth, but 100-year-old Margaret Tanner has discovered what may be the next best thing.
Every week, she attends several water aerobics classes at the J.M. Tull-Gwinnett Family YMCA.
"It wakes you up and makes you want to start moving," Tanner said. "The water is so soothing."
Born in South Georgia in 1912, Tanner has seven children, 10 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
She turned 100 on January 8.
"I was in a state of shock, actually," she said. "But it was wonderful."
She began going to the Gwinnett Family YMCA when it opened more than 25 years ago.
"She apparently was the captain of the soccer team when she was in college," said Rhonda Tingle, Wellness Director at the YMCA. "Obviously she's been into fitness for a long, long time."
"Research shows that's one of the keys to longevity and staying healthy is to keep moving," Tingle said. "And she is proof that works."
In the water, the pain of Tanner's arthritis melts away.
"You know you're helping your body when you do that, and your mind, too," she said.
She also credits an active social life with helping her feel younger.