The Heart

Your heart is one of the most important parts of your body. It is about the size of your fist and sits in the middle of your chest. The heart is a special muscle that never stops working. It pumps blood to every part of you, from your head to your toes. The blood carries oxygen and food that your body needs to stay alive and healthy.

How the Heart Works

The heart has four parts inside called chambers. Two are on the top and two are on the bottom. Blood flows into the heart and then gets pushed out again. The heart squeezes and relaxes over and over. Each squeeze is called a heartbeat. When you put your hand on your chest, you can feel it thump. Your heart beats about 100,000 times every day!

Keeping Your Heart Healthy

You can help your heart stay strong. Running, jumping, and playing are great for your heart. Eating fruits and vegetables also helps a lot. Getting plenty of sleep keeps your heart happy too. When you exercise, your heart beats faster to give your muscles more oxygen. The more you move, the stronger your heart becomes.

Fun Facts

• A kid's heart beats faster than a grown-up's heart.
• Your heart pumps about 2,000 gallons of blood every single day.
• The sound of a heartbeat comes from tiny doors called valves closing inside the heart.

Did You Know?

If you stretched out all the blood vessels in your body, they would be long enough to wrap around the Earth more than two times!