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FOR many years I had wondered what went on at the gymnasiums I've seen both locally and in Cape Town where I worked in my City days. I was fascinated by office workers coming and going at the oddest hours. I presumed they bunked work or were employed on a flexi-time schedule.

I had resisted joining them because for me the lunch breaks were for lunch. I didn't work flexi-time; I worked full time. And the loud music is not to my taste.

In a moment of weakness I accepted Fish Hoek's new singles tennis champion, Denzil Cook's invitation to join a trial session at the gym where he works. The good news is that there is currently a special reduced contract fee. A gym instructor, writing a comment on my performance,?would have said something like this: "Chippy is far behind the class average and will have to put in a lot more work if he is to reach his goals,"

As a former sportsman I was appalled by my performance and current state of unfitness. Physical deterioration is an insidious process. ?Fortunately the breakfast class is held at a time when most people are busy with breakfast and not at the gym. Thus, I was spared too much embarrassment.

Colin Stiger is seven years older than I am. He still plays tennis at the Fish Hoek club and is years younger than I am in terms of fitness. The same goes for the happy ladies, Mary Wright, Jill Fitnum, Norma Wijers, Rita Schliepe and Rose Honey who make up our class. What strikes one as a 'new boy' is how friendly and helpful everyone is. The maze of equipment is explained and is quite simple and logical when you know how to use it.

They also cater for individual requirements. ?We of the 'breakfast' group know where we fit in as our time on the notice board is on an orange card. An advertisement on the TV is shouting about there being 450 (or was it 540?) muscles in the body.

If you're over 60, then time is not on your side to get to them all. Get started now.

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