Sunrise Letter exclusive · 28 days
The 28-day Sunrise Reset
One small action a day for four weeks. Tick each day when it's done: the sun rises with you. No account, no app.
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Up next: Day 1 · Choose your wake timeWeek 1 · Light and sleep
Rise
A steady body clock: one wake time, morning light, a calmer evening.
- Day 12 minUp next
Choose your wake time
Pick one wake time you can keep for the next seven days, weekends included. Set it as your only alarm.
Why A steady wake time is one of the simplest sleep levers there is. Sleep calculator →
- Day 210 min
Ten minutes of morning light
Within an hour of waking, spend ten minutes outside or at an open window. Face the bright sky, never the sun itself.
Why Daylight through your eyes sets your body clock. Sleep guide →
- Day 31 min
A caffeine cut-off
Count six hours back from your bedtime. That is your last coffee, tea or energy drink of the day.
Why In a sleep study, caffeine six hours before bed still cut measured sleep, and people did not notice. Sleep guide →
- Day 42 min
Set a wind-down alarm
Set a second alarm 30 minutes before bed. When it rings: lights low, phone charging outside the bedroom.
Why A wind-down that starts at the same time each night gives sleep a steady runway. Sleep guide →
- Day 510 min
Dark, cool, quiet
Lie in bed with the lights off and fix one thing: a gap in the curtains, a blinking LED, a noisy window.
Why Small fixes to the room are the cheapest sleep upgrade you will ever make. Sleep kit guide →
- Day 63 min
Find your bedtime
Work back from your wake time to a bedtime that gives you seven to nine hours in bed asleep, plus time to settle.
Why Most adults need seven to nine hours, by the National Sleep Foundation's table. Sleep calculator →
- Day 73 min
Week one check-in
Count the mornings you woke within 30 minutes of your chosen time. Write the number down. Keep the alarm.
Why What you count, you keep. The Reset only asks for one number a week. Daily ritual →
Week 2 · Heart and Zone 2
Engine
Easy, conversational minutes that build the engine everything else runs on.
- Day 83 min
Find your Zone 2
Work out your Zone 2 heart rate range, then save it on your phone or watch.
Why Zone 2 is the easy, steady pace that builds your aerobic base. Zone 2 calculator →
- Day 920 min
20 minutes, talk-test easy
Walk briskly, cycle or row for 20 minutes at a pace where you can still speak in full sentences.
Why Where talking first gets hard lines up closely with the top of steady aerobic effort. Zone 2 guide →
- Day 102 min
Count your steps
Check today's step count before bed. Tomorrow, add a 10-minute walk to beat it.
Why In pooled cohorts, the lower risk of death levelled off at about 8,000–10,000 steps a day in adults under 60, and 6,000–8,000 from 60. Steps article →
- Day 1130 min
30 minutes in Zone 2
One longer easy session: 30 minutes in your range. If your heart rate drifts up, slow down rather than stop.
Why WHO recommends 150–300 minutes of moderate activity a week. This is a fifth of the floor in one go. Longevity Compass →
- Day 1220 min
Four short pick-ups
In an easy 20-minute session, add four 1-minute pick-ups: hard but controlled, with 2 easy minutes after each.
Why Easy volume plus a little hard work is how the VO2max guide raises it. VO2max guide →
- Day 133 min
Estimate your VO2max
Get a first estimate of your cardiorespiratory fitness. It is your starting line, not a verdict.
Why Fitness is linked to a longer life, and it is one of the most trainable numbers you have. VO2max estimator →
- Day 1440 min
The long easy one
Your longest Zone 2 session of the month: 40 minutes, outside if you can. Then add up this week's minutes.
Why Easy volume is the base the hard sessions stand on. Zone 2 guide →
Week 3 · Strength and balance
Strong
Two short full-body sessions, a carry and a test you will want to beat.
- Day 153 min
Your baseline test
Count how many times you can stand up from a chair and sit back down in 30 seconds, arms crossed. Write it down.
Why Muscle and strength matter more each decade. You will retest this on day 21. Strength guide →
- Day 1620 min
Full body A
Three rounds: 10 sit-to-stands, 8 wall or knee push-ups, 12 hip bridges, then a 30-metre carry with a heavy bag in each hand.
Why Training guidelines suggest muscle-strengthening work on two or more days a week. Strength guide →
- Day 174 min
Balance on one leg
Brush your teeth standing on one leg: one minute each side, a hand near the sink. Do it again tonight.
Why From 65, WHO adds varied activity that trains balance. It is easier to keep than to get back. Daily ritual →
- Day 183 min
Strength snacks
Three times today, wherever you are: 10 squats or 10 push-ups. Smooth reps, a couple left in the tank.
Why A few strong reps spread through the day add up to real volume. Morning Map →
- Day 1920 min
Full body B
Three rounds: 8 split squats a side, 10 band or towel rows, a 20-second plank, a 30-second dead hang or farmer's hold.
Why Two sessions a week is the line the guidelines draw. This is your second. Week Builder →
- Day 208 min
Mobility for the long run
Ten slow cat-cows, a one-minute deep squat hold, ten hip circles each side. Breathe through the nose.
Why Mobility is easier to keep than to get back. Daily ritual →
- Day 213 min
Retest and grin
Repeat the 30-second chair test from day 15. Write the new number next to the old one.
Why A number that moves in a week is the best reason to keep going. Fitness age →
Week 4 · Fuel and calm
Steady
Protein that does its job, a five-minute reset for stress, and a plan for next month.
- Day 223 min
Your protein target
Work out your daily protein target and split it across three or four meals.
Why For people who exercise, the ISSN puts the range at 1.4–2.0 g per kg a day, well above the EU minimum. Protein calculator →
- Day 2310 min
Protein at breakfast
Make breakfast carry a real serving of protein: eggs, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, tofu or a shake.
Why Spreading protein across your meals makes the daily total easier to reach. Protein guide →
- Day 245 min
Five minutes of cyclic sighing
Two inhales through the nose, one long, slow exhale through the mouth. Repeat for five minutes.
Why In a one-month randomized trial, five minutes of daily cyclic sighing improved mood. Sunrise Breath →
- Day 2520 min
A walk with no phone
Twenty minutes outside, phone at home or on silent in a pocket. Zone 2 pace if you like.
Why Easy minutes count twice: toward your activity target and toward a calmer head. Recovery guide →
- Day 265 min
Plan an easy week
Look at your next seven days. Mark one day as fully easy: a walk, mobility and an early night.
Why Hard and easy days together are how training gets absorbed. Recovery guide →
- Day 275 min
Build next month
Build a real week of training for your level, days and equipment. Put the sessions in your calendar.
Why A decided session beats a good intention. Week Builder →
- Day 285 min
Look back, then up
Read your three numbers: wake-time mornings, Zone 2 minutes, chair stands. Choose the one habit you keep for good.
Why Twenty-eight small days are a better start than one perfect week. Longevity Compass →
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Take your progress with you
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- The address of this page updates as you tick, so a bookmark saves your progress too.
- Nothing is uploaded: the link only travels where you send it.
- Send it again after a few days, so the newest ticks come along.
Never miss a day
Add 28 daily reminders to your calendar, one for each day of the Reset, starting tomorrow.
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