7-DAY Love-Your-Heart CHALLENGE

IT'S THE ENGINE THAT HELPS EVERYTHING ELSE in your body run smoothly. Spend a week showing your heart some extra love: Just take one concrete step each day toward better cardiovascular health.

- MARISA COHEN

DAY 1:

TAKE THE STAIRS

Exercise is one of the best all-around heart boosters: It can help keep blood pressure in check, reduce levels of stress hormones, and help muscles pull oxygen out of the blood, among other things. And here is an easy-peasy way to get it in: Walk up stairs. Recent research from Tulane University found that climbing more than five flights of stairs daily could reduce risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) by 20%. And counting 50 steps going up is a lot easier than counting 10,000 steps on flat ground!

DAY 2:

STRATEGIZE FOR BETTER SLEEP

Chronic lack of sleep is associated with higher blood pressure and an increased risk of CVD. When we snooze, our blood pressure drops to its lowest point of the day, which helps us maintain healthy blood pressure during our waking hours, says Rebecca Robbins, Ph.D., a sleep expert for Oura. Today, set the stage for a better night's sleep. First, consider installing blackout shades, as research shows that adults exposed to light when they sleep may be more likely to develop high blood pressure than those who sleep in complete darkness. Next, find a spot to charge your phone that's not in your bedroom so blue light and scrolling won't keep you up. Finally, try to crash between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m.-a study found that people who fell asleep within this window had a lower rate of developing CVD than those who conked out earlier or later.

DAY 3: