Rod Stewart took up yoga - but gave up when he fell into his fireplace.

The 'Maggie May' hitmaker quickly realised the exercise and relaxation regime wasn't for him when his first session went awry as he tried to master a basic move.

He explained in his new book 'Rod: The Autobiography': ''A man came to the house to teach me the fundamentals.

''As I was attempting to master a beginner's level 'balancing table' position, I fell over into the fireplace.

''Surely if God had meant us to do yoga, he would have put our heads behind our knees.''

While the 67-year-old star is known for his love of cars, he admits he is terrified of appearing on motoring shows - because his technical knowledge is so poor.

Rod - who is married to 41-year-old model Penny Lancaster - said: ''Mechanically speaking, I don't really know one end from the other.

''They keep asking me to go on 'Top Gear' - but I'm worried they're going to start talking to me about camshafts and drivetrains and using words like 'torque', at which point I'd be lost.''