There’s a reason hypertension is called the silent killer—of the one in three adults who suffer from the condition, the American Heart Association estimates that about a third of them haven’t a clue since the symptoms can range from subtle to nonexistent. And nearly 56 percent of those who know they have the disease don’t have it under control, despite the disease is actually rather easy to keep in check.

So if you’re among the 76.3 million Americans who suffer from hypertension make your first line of defense—the home front—as hospitable as it can be to the heart-healthy habits you’ll need to adopt by following these tips:

Create your own home gym. There’s a strong correlation between physical inactivity and hypertension, so if you’ve been diagnosed, get moving. According to most experts, you should be engaging in at least 30 minutes of moderate to strenuous exercise every day. If you want to invest in a treadmill, an ab machine, or an elliptical trainer, and you want to save cash, you might be able to find a deal on Craigslist. But your investment needn’t be greater than a pair of sneakers, a jump rope, and an exercise mat. The important thing is to find a physical activity that you’d like to participate in every day for a half hour or more.

Ditch the bar. Drinking as little as three or four ounces of 80-proof alcohol can raise your blood pressure, so it might be time to purge your liquor cabinet of any whiskey, rum, vodka, or other libations that rate above 40 percent alcohol per volume. Thankfully, you can keep the wine and beer, which comes in at 10 to 14 percent and 5 to 6 percent per volume respectively, but remember that if you’re a man you should consume no more than two glasses of wine or beer a day—and only one glass is recommended for the ladies.

Shed the saltshaker. Excessive sodium levels in the blood are inextricably tied to hypertension, and in the U.S., excessive sodium intake has become an art form: The average American consumes up to 18 grams of salt each day, when the body only needs about 200 mg. For the sake of taste, a healthy adult can consume about 2,000 mg, but people with hypertension should take that number below 1,500 mg. With the enormous amounts of salt that processed and fast foods contain, it may seem impossible to stick to this goal, but by carefully reading nutritional information labels, writing down how much sodium you consume in a day, and crafting yummy, low-salt treats of your own, you can meet and maybe even beat that target.