it's gym, Jim, but not as we know it.

A bit of a surprise when I turn up at the gym this morning.  We usually have a lie down at the end of the session, not the beginning.  More people arrive and they too just stand and stare.  

Instead of our usual warm up we're going to spend around 15 minutes learning how to get up off the floor.  Just in case we can't.  Which, to be fair, seems to be happening a lot lately.  The chairs are for those who can't easily get down in the first place.  

Then they sneak in a couple of exercises.  On our hands and knees , then stick out right arm and left leg.  Then left arm and right leg.  Not at the same time, obviously.  And so on.  (I'm told by my resident Yoga guru that this is 'Superman' pose.)  As if.

This is surprisingly hard and our instructor encourages us by calling out phrases such as " keep those bellies in, I don't want to see a load of cows on the way to the milking parlour."

Eventually it's over and I head off to the equipment room for a quiet bike ride.

We talk about it all through the tea break: about how difficult it is getting up off the floor.  That's how I know I'm getting old.