In an effort to help Indiana residents reduce their heart attack risk, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis is asking people to do "Just One Thing" to improve their heart health.

The IU Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and the National Forum for Heart Disease & Stroke Prevention launched the World Heart Day-inspired "Just One Thing Challenge" at the beginning of September. The campaign encourages people to choose just one thing to do in September to improve their heart health and do that one thing until World Heart Day on Sept. 29.

"There is a real sense of urgency to this campaign," Paul Halverson, founding dean of the Fairbanks School of Public Health, said in a statement. "Today, Indiana ranks 41 out 50 states when it comes to overall health. We're even worse when it comes to smoking, 44 out of 50, and obesity, 43 out of 50. Our ranking when it comes to deaths from heart disease and stroke isn't much better: just 39 out of 50. "

The campaign will culminate with a one-mile World Heart Day walk at each Indiana University campus. At IUPUI, the Fairbanks School of Public Health and Healthy IU will lead a walk that begins at the Rotary Building, 702 Rotary Circle, at 11 a.m. The public is welcome to join the walk. Details on all the walks, including walking routes, can be found under the "Chancellor's Challenge" tab on the Just One Thing Challenge events page.

"The good news in all of this is that public health practices can help us reverse Indiana's trend. The Just One Thing Challenge is a great way to help people take that all-important first step toward better health or help them take their efforts to the next level," Halverson said.

John Clymer, executive director of the National Forum for Heart Disease & Stroke Prevention, said getting people to change their habits is a challenge, but the Just One Thing Challenge can work.

"By asking people to do just one thing to improve their heart health, we're making change easy, fun and affordable," Clymer said. "We've heard all kinds of things this month that people are doing, from walking more and eating more vegetables to doing pushups and jumping rope daily. We can improve heart health in Indiana by making one small change at a time."

The IU Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health was established in 2012 at IUPUI in Indianapolis, Indiana's premier health sciences campus. It offers eight academic degree programs designed to prepare graduates to improve health for the people of Indiana and beyond.