Stop Counting

A few weeks ago, as I trudged out of bed and onto the balcony to attempt a little bodyweight session, I tried something so trivial it almost doesn't warrant sharing. At least that's what I thought — but the effects seem to be bearing fruit, so here we are.

I was cycling through some squats, an exercise I've done countless times over the last ten years. Always counting — out loud or in my head. That's how it's been since I started training, whether CrossFit or any other sport. Practice always came with the metric. Where do I stand? How many do I need to complete my set? What set am I on?

This time, I simply told myself to stop counting.

At first I was almost taken aback at how difficult it was. I kept raising my body up and down and like clockwork my mind couldn't help but increment that trusty internal ticker. I had to actively shift my focus to form. Instead of counting, I told my mind to scan my whole body. How did I feel during the exercise? Where was my breathing? How did my muscles feel? It took a while, but it felt great. I moved on to push-ups and kettlebell swings — not after the set number I always had in my head, but when it felt right. I was tired but not worn out. Something just said move on.

I've since tried to carry this into my subsequent training sessions, and for me, right now, it's working wonders. It takes the pressure off and stops me from judging sessions as either successful or sub-par. I did the thing. That's all that matters.

As a 42-year-old father with a full-time job, it's not easy to prioritize fitness. And when you do, you're inundated with the idea that you're not doing enough — either through your own mind or whatever the algorithm is trying to sell you. The fact remains: just moving, doing something, is good enough.

So for me, right now, that's how I'm approaching my training. On my own terms. No preconceived notion of what I'll do — just committing to move and listening to myself in the process. Trying to introduce flow and play into the equation and see where it takes me.

Maybe something that could be helpful to you too. I hope so.