Your Heart

     by Cynthia Sherwood
Have you ever watched as your mom or dad pumps gas into your
car? You may not realize it, but the most vital part of your body—
your heart—is simply a fancy pump. It is designed to move your
blood around your body. The heart is located a little to the left of
the center of your chest and is about the size of your fist.
Your heart works very hard. When you run around a lot, you can feel your heart beating
fast because it is pushing blood filled with oxygen and nutrients to the cells in your body.
Your heart is a muscle too! It is divided into two parts.  The right side receives blood from
your body and pumps it into your lungs. The left side receives blood from the lungs and
returns it to the rest of the body.
Your heart muscle beats between 80 and 120 times every minute. With each beat, blood
is both entering and leaving your heart. The vessels that carry blood away from your heart
are called arteries. The vessels that carry blood back to your heart are called veins.
Heart disease is common among older Americans because the heart can become
clogged over time. The heart will not pump as well if someone smokes or eats a lot of
unhealthy fats and sugary foods. To take good care of your heart, you should eat plenty
of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins. You should also exercise often to get
your heart pumping hard. Just like other muscles in your body, your heart needs exercise
to keep strong.
If you wonder why it is so important to have a strong heart, just think about this—your
heart will beat about three billion times in your lifetime!

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