A man was slowly counting his exercise repetitions but miscounted, and a little later he felt a sharp pain in his back. According to the riddle, why did he feel this sharp pain?

Introduction / Context:
This riddle uses an everyday scenario from physical exercise to create a playful link between miscounting and physical discomfort. The man is described as slowly counting, then miscounting, and later feeling a sharp pain in his back. On the surface, counting and back pain seem unrelated, but in the context of fitness, counting usually refers to counting repetitions of an exercise. The puzzle tests whether the learner can connect the idea of counting with exercise reps and understand that miscounting may lead to doing more than intended, causing strain or pain.

Given Data / Assumptions:

- A man is slowly counting. - He miscounts at some point. - A little later, he experiences a sharp pain in his back. - There is no mention of accidents such as car crashes or falls in the original description. - Counting in a slow and controlled manner is often associated with exercise repetitions.

Concept / Approach:
In gyms and home workouts, people commonly count aloud while doing repetitions of sit ups, crunches, or back strengthening exercises. Miscounting can easily lead to performing more repetitions than the body is prepared for. Extra repetitions, especially with poor form due to fatigue, can cause muscle strain or a sudden sharp pain in the back. The riddle relies on this shared experience. Instead of treating counting as a purely mental activity, we must recognize it as part of physical training. This insight makes option A the most natural and coherent explanation for the sharp pain described.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recognize that slow and deliberate counting is often used in workouts when tracking sets and repetitions. Step 2: Imagine the man doing sit ups, back extensions, or similar exercises while counting each repetition aloud. Step 3: If he miscounts, he may believe he has not reached his target number and decide to do a few extra repetitions. Step 4: These extra repetitions could push his back muscles beyond their comfortable limit. Step 5: Overexertion, especially in back focused exercises, can cause a sharp and sudden pain due to strain. Step 6: This connects the miscount with the later physical pain without requiring any other accident. Step 7: Therefore, the riddle suggests that he was doing sit ups or similar back exercises and overstrained his back because he miscounted.

Verification / Alternative check:
Check other scenarios. If he miscounted steps on a staircase, the story would usually mention a fall or slip rather than slow counting and later pain. Counting money or cars does not naturally cause sudden back pain unless an additional accident is introduced, which the puzzle does not mention. Counting sheep is linked with sleep, not with sharp back pain shortly afterward. The only option that naturally links counting, miscounting, and back pain through a single, coherent activity is counting exercise repetitions, especially sit ups or back extensions.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Falling down a staircase or being pushed in traffic would normally be described directly in the puzzle, because they are dramatic events. Counting money or sheep does not logically lead to sudden back pain unless extra details are added. Since the riddle is short and relies on implied context, these explanations feel forced and inconsistent with the simple description. Only the exercise scenario respects both the wording slowly counting and the later sharp pain in his back in a natural and realistic way.

Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to look for a complicated or unusual accident when a straightforward gym context already provides a strong link between counting and back strain. Learners may also forget how often they themselves count repetitions during workouts. Riddles frequently rely on everyday experiences that people overlook, so remembering to connect simple details like counting with common activities such as exercise can make solving them much easier.

Final Answer:
The man felt a sharp pain in his back because he was doing sit ups or back exercises and, after miscounting his repetitions, overstrained his muscles.