While lots of things can influence a person’s overall height, it is believed that genetics account for three- to four-fifths of that result. Other than genetics, height can be influenced by things like nutrition and exercise. The human body usually gains 2 inches of height between age 1 and puberty a year. Puberty puts things into overdrive, raising this annual development by as many as 4 inches. If these statistics seem off, it is also worth remembering that everyone develops differently.
Girls experience puberty in their early teens while some boys may not experience the jump in height until the latter half of their teenage years. Growth generally stops once puberty does, meaning that adults are unlikely to experience further vertical development.
Some adults will resort to human growth hormones (HGH) to short up a perceived inadequacy in height; these people erroneously believe that HGH can make them taller. While HGH is not an option for adults, there are several things that a person can start while undergoing adolescence that can be continued into adulthood to Increase Height.
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Stay away from “growth supplements”
There are a handful of moments where supplements should be given to children and older adults to increase height; the most obvious being a disorder or condition that affects the body’s ability to produce growth hormones.
Older adults may take supplements to bolster their levels of calcium or Vitamin D and combat osteoporosis. The general advice is to ignore supplements promising increased height. The moment the body’s growth plates fuse together is the moment that a person’s height hits its ceiling.
Exercise and maintain a healthy weight
Sticking to a regular exercise routine has a lot of benefits, including stronger bones and muscles, a slim waistline and HGH release. You should get at least one hour of exercise each day. This exercise should focus on the following areas:
- Strength exercises
- Stretches and exercises on flexibility
- Aerobic (cardio) exercises
Adult exercise has its own benefits beyond just making you healthy. Adult exercise also helps combat osteoporosis, a condition that leads to weak or brittle bones due to loss of bone density. The best advice for an adult exercise routine is to walk, engage in tennis or practice yoga 3-4 times a week.
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Get enough hours of sleep
While the occasional all-nighter will not hurt height development in the long run, adolescents regularly sleep less than they should. Chronic under sleeping is where height development can take a hit. Since sleep is how the body is able to release growth hormone, less sleep equals less growth. Conversely, sleeping more can cause a greater release of growth hormone that helps to increase height.
As an adult, you should sleep at least 7-9 hours per night, if you regularly sleep less your learning ability, memory, concentration, ability to control emotions will be affected. Getting extra sleep may even increase HGH production, so go ahead and take that power nap.
Have a healthy balanced diet
The body needs the right sorts of nutrients when it is still growing. This means that your diet should focus on fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains, quality sources of protein, milk products. This also means that you should minimize or remove any of the following from what you daily ration: products with added sugar, trans and saturated fats.
If you have a medical condition or old age leading to a loss in height, due to lesser bone density, take more calcium. In general, women over the age of 50 and men over the age of 70 should get 1,200 mg of calcium each day.
Vitamin D is also an excellent way to have healthy bones. Common ways to get it in your diet include tuna, milk and egg yolks. If these seem insufficient, consider talking to a professional about Vitamin D supplements.
Improve your posture
Bad posture can give the impression that a person is shorter than their frame allows but do it often enough and it can leave a real impact on that person’s true height. The human back is supposed to curve at three points. Slumping or slouching can shift those curves to suit the person’s preferred posture even if the neck or back find it painful to do so.
Be aware of how you carry your frame when standing, sitting and even sleeping. A doctor can suggest ergonomics to better help a problematic spine and the problem may be cleared up with a simple standing desk or memory foam pillow.
Another approach would be to work on exercises the bolster posture over the long term. if you are unclear of which exercises to focus on, ask your doctor about some and work with them to figure out a routine ideally suited to your needs.
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