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Pretty Cool - It's My Pulse!
Even
though your heart is inside you, there is a cool way to see it work from the
outside by feeling your pulse! You can find your pulse by lightly pressing on
the inside of your wrist, just below your thumb. It is best to use your index or
middle finger of your other hand, because your thumb has a pulse of its own.
That would make it pretty confusing, with all those pulses!
You'll know that you've found your pulse when you can feel a small beat under
your skin. Each beat is caused by the contraction (squeezing) of your
heart. If you want to find out what your heart rate is, use a watch with a
second hand and count how many beats you feel in one minute. When you are
resting, you will probably feel around 70 beats per minute. When you run around
a lot, your body needs a lot more fresh blood. Your heart pumps faster to supply
the fresh blood that your body needs. You may even feel your heart pounding in
your chest. Try running in place or jumping rope for a few minutes and taking
your pulse again - now how many beats do you count in one minute?
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