The TV favourite, who celebrated his 50th birthday early, said the exertion “broke” him as he becomes increasingly weak.
The cancer-stricken star says he always felt “sporty” but is now increasingly frustrated at how cancer has affected him.
Jonnie, father to three young children, says: “I tried to play football with Rex the other day and was in goal and I couldn’t get near the ball.
“It was so frustrating.
“I’m very sporty and suddenly it’s just like…it was as if it was the first time I’d attempted football.
“I felt like a granddad. And that broke me a bit.
“I always thought, ‘I’m an older dad but I’ll be leading from the front’ but I’m now at the back.”
He also decided to celebrate his 50th birthday early.
The actual date is not until November but defiant Jonnie decided to celebrate it early with a huge bash with 170 friends and family.
Among the guests were co-star Jasmine Harman and ex-England cricketer Andrew Caddick.
Jonnie told The Sun: “It was a great night. I chose a playlist with some great tunes from the 90s and 2000s and people came from all over the country and abroad.