"In terms of my back it's been a life changer," he said.
"It enabled me to maintain mobility and movement."
Since then he had become an instructor and a member of the national Taioist Tai Chi society.
Many people got involved at an older age to keep active with soft exercise, he said.
"All the muscles, tendons, ligaments are being turned and stretched and it's that constant movement that really benefits people."
Tai Chi was also a form of "moving meditation" because people had to be present in the moment to focus on their bodies and their movements, he said.
"For a lot of people this is an antidote to the busyness of their everyday life.
"People love the opportunity to just be silent and move for 20 minutes," he said.