What Happened When I Took 2,000 Steps Every Day

Day one was easy. It was a Friday, it was sunny, and I was working from home, so I wasn’t worried about getting ready for the day or my commute. Over the weekend, I was loving my new routine, and even exceeded 2,000 steps most mornings.

Day five (a Tuesday) was when I hit my first roadblock and completely forgot to do my walk. I remembered in the late morning as I was walking to the train, so I decided to take the long route to make up for the missed morning steps.

Living in New York City, I often take for granted how many steps I typically clock by the end of an average day. I walk to the subway, to get coffee, to the grocery store, etc., so I normally end the day with well over 10,000 steps. But during this challenge, forcing myself to set aside intentional time for walking in the morning made me feel more focused on work, more energized, less groggy, and more ready to take on the day.

Ava wearing her favorite city walking shoes: the Asics Gel-Culumus.

On day 10, I decided to up my target to 30 minutes of walking each morning, after speaking with physical therapist Winnie Yu, DPT, CSCS, of Bespoke Treatments in New York City, about the benefits of morning walking. Yu explained that 30 minutes allows for enough time for your heart rate to climb, muscles to activate, and means more sun exposure, meaning greater benefits. Since I was handling 2,000 steps/15 minutes just fine, for the remainder of the challenge, I doubled it.

While my 15-minute walks were great for my mood and helped clear my head, I didn’t feel like they were doing much for my fitness. Walking for 30 minutes, in comparison, brought my heart rate up a little higher and kept me on my feet longer. The increase didn’t seem like much at first, but fitting it in along with my normal morning activities required a little more planning. However, I noticed the benefits more than I had before, which instantly made it worth it.

Morning walks (and sunlight) helped me reclaim my energy.

After the first few days of the challenge, I started to feel a real shift. I was feeling more alert and awake throughout the day, especially in that post-lunch slump where I usually feel groggy and tired. I’d often try to go for a walk in the afternoon to shake it off, but getting out in the morning helped prevent it in the first place. I quickly learned that a little morning light and movement goes a long way for me—for my focus, mood, and energy.

I lucked out with a long stretch of sunny mornings during the challenge, and soaking in that early light boosted my mood in the biggest way. I found myself looking forward to the fresh impending-spring air and that sense of calm before the chaos of the workday.

I’ve always preferred exercising after work since I like to eat beforehand—but in the winter, especially, that means way less sunlight exposure. Doing this challenge made me realize how important it is for me to get outside first thing, even if it’s just for five minutes. Now, I’m planning to keep that habit going—even if it just means sitting on my stoop with a coffee while checking my email.

Ava’s go-to pre-walk morning snack: a protein bar, banana, and dried dates.

Here’s why morning sunlight and steps are a game-changer for restful sleep and a stable mood.

Morning sun exposure is key to stabilizing our circadian rhythm for a number of reasons, according to Lisa Strauss, PhD, a licensed psychologist specializing in the cognitive-behavioral treatment of sleep disorders and a contributing columnist for the Washington Post. “It shuts off our nighttime production of melatonin. It also tells our biological clock that the sun is up—that it’s morning. The third thing that it does is instruct our bodies to start manufacturing melatonin in earnest in about 14 hours, which supports falling asleep again in about 16 hours,” she says. Even on a cloudy day, the sun is still vastly more effective for these purposes compared to artificial indoor lighting, she says.

Recent research backs this up: More time spent in outdoor light during the day was associated with better mood, improved sleep quality, and more stable circadian rhythms, according to a 2022 study in Journal of Affective Disorders. Participants who got more light exposure reported fewer insomnia symptoms, easier wake-ups, and a naturally earlier sleep-wake cycle. Morning light may also play a direct role in improving mental health. Bright light therapy in the early hours of the day helped regulate circadian rhythms and lifted symptoms of seasonal depression in a 2024 study published in npj Digital Medicine—likely due to its impact on hormone levels and mood-regulating neurotransmitters.“[Natural light] assists with alertness, it stimulates production of cortisol, and it stimulates release of certain neurotransmitters,” says Strauss.

However, Strauss warns that you can get morning light too early. When that happens, the biological clock may compute that the sun is still up, rather than that it is newly up, throwing off the cycle. Strauss says the rule of thumb is to get natural light within about an hour of natural waking. Since this can vary a lot by person, she recommends consulting a sleep specialist if you are experiencing sleep issues.

Sun exposure can also have a positive impact on mood and help combat seasonal affective disorder. “We know that light has a positive impact on mood,,” she says. “Overall, good sleep helps mood and good mood help sleep, and the light and dark conditions to promote good sleep tend to be the same ones that promote good mood,” she says. Although Strauss warns that if you suffer from a serious mental illness, like bipolar disorder, avoid changing your light exposure timing without consulting an expert to avoid triggering symptoms.

Walking any time of the day is great for joint health, cardiovascular fitness, and vitamin D absorption (if you are outside), but there are unique benefits to walking in the morning, according to Yu. “Adding in some walking, even just 30 minutes in the morning, can go a long way in terms of kickstarting that metabolism,” she says. Working out out in the morning may even give you a leg up when it comes to weight loss, according to a 2021 review in Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews. The researchers suggest a few reasons why—like the fact that morning workouts can curb your appetite later in the day, and they’re often done before eating, which may support weight loss. Plus, exercising early helps reinforce your body’s internal clock, signaling it to wake up and get moving, which is especially helpful since disruptions to your circadian rhythm have been linked to issues like diabetes and obesity. While we still need more research to know exactly how much workout timing affects metabolism, getting it done in the morning can be a great way to build a consistent habit.

Shop Ava’s Go-To Walking Gear

Patagonia Women’s Nano Puff Insulated Vest

Lululemon Define Cropped Jacket Nulu

ASICS Gel-Cumulus 27

Nike Pegasus 41

JBL Vibe Beam Wireless Earbuds

Carhartt Knit Cuffed Beanie

Waking up early on cold mornings is hard—here’s what helped me stay consistent.

1. I figured out a pre-walk snack.

I’m one of those “breakfast first thing” people—I wake up hungry. So the thought of walking before eating was a little daunting. But grabbing a few dates or bringing a banana with me to snack on during the walk made that first hour much more doable.

2. I prepped for the cold (and for my future self).

Making time for a new habit—especially one that depends on time of day—was tough. But setting my alarm just a little bit earlier helped, as well as laying out my warm coat and hat the night before. Having everything ready made it easier to get out the door.“Just like you plan any events in your calendar, put that 30 minute time physically into your weekly calendar because then you know this is your dedicated time to walking,” says Yu.



Ava’s winter-ready morning walking gear—laid out the night before to make getting out the door even easier.

3. I reminded myself it’s always worth it.

Sure, there were mornings I had a little trouble getting out of bed. But every time I took that first step outside, I was glad I did.