It’s back to the gym - for some writes Andy Mitchell

It’s an annual horror for those of us who last saw the inside of a gymnasium in 1980.

This year, for those who have set up our office camp within yards of the fridge door, it must be even more of an ordeal. Back in the early days of lock down, we used to do news bulletins from my studio in Fleetwood. That left 57 minutes in every hour to tour the larders, cupboards and fridges downstairs. I’m surprised, when we’re allowed back to the office, that I didn’t need to be rolled down Mowbray Drive!

Back to the gym then for some. However, thanks to some understated, and not “in your face” at all advertising, I note that there are now intelligent bicycles which link themselves to the internet whilst some over enthusiastic American shouts encouragement via a computer screen at you, whilst you recreate biking it up Pendle Hill without ending up in Casualty.

Wednesday afternoons for me were more about seeing how little I could get away with during Games at school. Always of the opinion there was something better I could be doing that didn’t result in a good kicking on the rugby field, I left it to those who revelled in comparing cuts and bruises on Monday morning.

Reminders to get fit and make something else of ourselves are all around us, whether it’s on TV, or on Talbot Road, where eager beavers in their PE kits put on a daily display in the window of that gym, just around where I used to park the 7A back in the 80s.

Much like in 1980, I’m not a pretty sight in my PE kit. There’s just more of me these days.

Good luck to you then if you’ve embraced the brave new world of getting fit, or even bought yourself a hi tech bike where over enthusiastic Americans can shout encouragement at you.

I’ve discovered a new exercise which involves vigorously opening and closing the fridge door.

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