The Gnat Test: How I Know My Workouts Are Actually Working
You know that moment when life unexpectedly tests you — and you pass?
That happened to me recently on my favorite trail.
I was deep into my walk in the woods when I hit two stretches of the most horrific gnats I've seen in years. We're talking thick, heavy patches, swarming right through the areas with dead leaves and new spring growth starting to push through. There was no going around them.
So instead of trudging through half a mile of gnat chaos?
I ran. I just ran right past them.
And I could.
That's the Sign
That simple moment — sprinting past a swarm of gnats on a trail — told me everything I needed to know about whether my workouts are working.
Not a number on a scale. Not a PR in the gym. Just one simple question:
Can I do the things I want to do in my life — with ease?
That's it. That's the whole framework.
What My Movement Looks Like Right Now
Most of my cardio comes from playing tennis, but this spring I've woven in seasonal strength routines with a cardio element because this time of year calls for it.
Spring is the perfect season to shake off the heavy, stagnant energy that winter leaves behind. And depending on where you live, winter might feel like ancient history right now or it might have felt like just yesterday. Either way, that energetic shift is real, and movement is one of the most powerful ways to meet it.
The Only Fitness Framework You Actually Need
The biggest measure of whether a workout program is truly working for me has always been this:
Does it support the life I want to live or is it making things harder?
Is your body showing up for you when you need it? Are you moving through your days with more energy and ease? Or do your workouts feel like one more exhausting thing on an already too-long list?
Those questions matter far more than any metric a fitness tracker can give you.
To counteract the heavy, dense, stagnant energy of winter, we need the opposite lightness, movement, warmth, brightness. We need to put on the happy mixtape. We need to dance, shake, and move our bodies back to life.
This is something I've been teaching at both my retreat and workshop this past week, and it never gets old watching people feel it click into place.
Your Turn: A Simple Inventory
This week, I want to invite you to do your own little check-in.
- Where are your workouts showing up for you in your daily life?
- Where might there be room to adjust so they're working with you instead of against you?
Notice. Observe. Change things up if needed.
Your workouts should be giving you more life not draining what little you have left.
And if you ever find yourself effortlessly sprinting past a cloud of gnats on a spring trail? That's how you'll know it's working.
A Way to Go Deeper This Season
Move your body with the season, not against it If you want a movement practice that honors where you are physically, energetically, and seasonally Seasonal Strength is the 12-week program I'm personally doing right now. You can find it here.
