ENCINO, Calif. -- With the attitude of a gym coach, Don U’Ren is teaching a group of seniors the art of ancient Chinese exercise, specifically tai chi and chi gong. 

"It’s about four or five thousand years old," U'Ren said.

He teaches the class at the Balboa Sports Center on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.  U'Ren's almost 91. He started the class in 1992 after his wife approached the recreation director asking about a senior exercise class.

"'I don’t have anybody to teach the class!' She said, 'my husband can do it.'  Oh, I knew nothing about it," U'Ren said smiling.

But he did know how to work out the body.  

"When you come up, position like this, you isolate the bicep," he said, demonstrating to the class.

U'Ren played three sports at Los Angeles State College before it was known as Cal State LA. 

"This was taken five minutes after these four guys broke the school record in the mile relay.  That’s me right there," U'Ren said, pointing to a track photo in his college yearbook.

He also majored in kinesthetics, the study of human motion, although it wasn’t until shortly after his exercise class started that a woman gave him a tape introducing him to the world of tai chi. He was hooked instantly.

"I think it’s critical to find some form of Chinese exercise and do it for the rest of your life," U'Ren said.  "From five to 105 years old, anyone can do what we do."

His wife, Esther, still takes her husband’s class.

"You feel so refreshed and so full of energy that you can really start your day," she said.

It's a mix of resistance exercise and standing meditation to improve strength, mobility, and help participants de-stress, a good fit for many seniors who can no longer handle as intense a workout.

"It’s extremely low impact but it makes your tendons strong," U'Ren said.

Cathy Strull has been coming here for 14 years.

"I used to be the youngest in the class but now there’s a couple of other people younger than I am," she said.

Angelika Rozek is the youngest in the class.  She use it in combination with cardio workouts, and finds U'Ren inspiring.

"It gives me hope that at 90 at 80 plus, you can still be moving parts versus being in a wheelchair," she said.

As for how long U'Ren plans to keep teaching and exercising his love of tai chi?

"As long as I’m upright," he said.