Why does my heart beat?

Your heart thumps because it pushes blood. Blood helps your hands and feet. It keeps you warm and moving. You can feel thump-thump.

Your heart beats to keep blood moving through your body. Each beat is a squeeze. The blood brings air and food to your head, hands, tummy, and toes. It also carries away stuff your body does not need. Your heart is like a little pump, pushing water through a toy, again and again.

Your heart beats because it is a strong muscle that squeezes and relaxes. Each squeeze pushes blood through tiny tubes called blood vessels. Blood brings oxygen, the part of air your body needs, and food energy to your cells. It also carries away stuff your body is done with. A tiny signal inside your heart tells it when to squeeze. Fun fact: your heart may beat about 100,000 times in one day.