This episode of SciShow Kids is brought to you by Child and Teen Checkups.

Every kid needs a checkup at least once a year. If you live in Minnesota, Child and Teen Checkups can help.

Learn more at GetCTC.com. ♪.

Jessi: Hey, Bill! Hey, Webb! What are you up to?

Bill: We’re playing a game!

Webb: A jumping game!

Bill: And it’s my turn — check it out!

Bill: Yes! I passed that flag, which means I jumped farther than Webb did last time! Could you move the flag to where I landed, please?

Jessi: Sure!

Bill: Thank you!

Webb: OK, my turn! Now all I have to do is jump past the spot where Bill landed.

Jessi: So each time you take a turn, you try to jump just a little bit farther?

Webb: Exactly!

Webb: Oh, phooey. I couldn’t jump far enough!

Jessi: Hmmm…. I bet you could both jump farther than this. Yes, you too, Webb! All you need is some science to help you.

I can think of two tricks you can both try right now! Think about what your body does when you jump. You bend your knees, then use your muscles to push off the ground as hard as you can, launching yourself into the air.

You’re both really good at that! But if you want to jump farther, the first thing you can do is find a way to move faster. Think about when you throw a softball — if you throw it hard, so it’s zooming through the air when you let go, it’ll travel really far!

But if it’s moving slowly when it leaves your hand, it’ll drop to the ground before it can go very far. Jumping is like that, too. So, can you think of a way to give yourself a speed boost when you jump?

Bill: We could make our muscles stronger?

Jessi: That’s true! And practicing jumping is a great way to get super strong. But that takes time, and there’s something else you could do that would help you get faster right now.

Webb: Oh, I know! We could do a run-up first!

Jessi: Great idea, Webb! If you’re already moving really fast when you jump, you’ll go farther than if you just tried to jump from standing still. So that’s one tip you can try! And I can think of one more: I noticed you’re both jumping straight ahead of you, instead of up.

Bill: Well, of course we are, Jessi! We’re trying to jump forward as far as we can, not as high as we can.

Jessi: That's true, Bill — if you want to go far, jumping forward is important. But it’s also important to jump up a little, too, so you’re on more of a diagonal. Think about that softball again. What happens if you throw it straight ahead of you?

It might go kind of far, but pretty soon it will hit the ground and roll, instead of moving farther through the air. It keeps rolling because it had lots of speed left, but it was so close to the ground that it landed really quickly! If you throw the ball forward and up, on a diagonal, it will take much longer to fall to the ground, and in the meantime, it has a chance to move much farther through the air.

So if you jump on a diagonal, you’ll also go farther!

Webb: OK, so to jump farther than that flag, all I have to do is run up, then jump on a diagonal?

Jessi: I bet it will help!

Webb: I’m going to try it!

Webb: I did it!

Bill: Yay!

Jessi: That’s fantastic, Webb!

Bill: Can I use these tips, too?

Jessi: Of course! I bet you’ll also be able to jump farther than you could before. Why don’t you both keep taking turns and see how far you can go?

Webb: Yeah! Thanks for the help, Jessi!

Jessi: You bet! This is a great game. You get to run and jump and play, all at the same time! When you play, you get your blood pumping and your muscles moving.

Your heart beats faster, you breathe harder, and you get stronger! That’s all really important for staying healthy. And so is getting your yearly checkup at the doctor!

With over six hundred muscles in your body, it’s important to make sure they’re all working the way they should. Your doctor can help you find problems early. And when it comes to fixing problems in your body, early is always best.

If you live in Minnesota, learn more at GetCTC.com If you don’t, you can find the link in the description, and find out what benefits are available to you. Thanks, and we’ll see you next time here at the Fort!

Webb: Bye!

Bill: See ya! ♪.