Can You Actually Increase Your Height?

If you look in the mirror and wish you were taller (wish you were a baller), then you are not alone. But your height is an aspect of your body that you can’t control. In this article, we will be discussing How Can You Actually Increase Your Height before it’s too late?

Although you may have seen any remedies or miracle tips on the Internet, once you grow tall, you can’t really increase your height.

Some people are not satisfied with their height and hope they can be taller. Unfortunately, for most adults, there are few ways to improve their height.

Before you reach your height limit, there are several factors that can help you maximize your growth. But after puberty, you can only affect how tall you look, not how tall you are (there is no commitment for the baller part).

Why do you stop growing in your teens?

Scientists believe that about 80% of height is determined by genes (thank you, mom and Dad!), Very simply, if a person’s parents are very tall, then the person is also likely to be very tall. If a person’s parents are short, then the person is also likely to be short. But they do not fully understand the exact link between genes and height.

Height is determined by more than 700 genetic variants (not just one gene), so it is difficult to predict a person’s height. A study in 2017 studied DNA samples from more than 700000 people and found that some less common genes account for more than 1 cm of a person’s height.

Certain medical conditions can also play a role in determining a person’s height. The following situations may change the way a person grows up in childhood:  Gigantism or Marfan syndrome.

Gender is another biological factor that determines a person’s total height. The total height potential of women is often lower than that of men.

Most people stop growing at the age of 18, but the exact time may vary depending on whether you start puberty and whether you are male or female.

Girls usually reach full height around the age of 14 or a few years after the beginning of menstruation. Boys usually stop growing around the age of 16, but they may grow a few inches later.

Throughout adolescence, your bones become longer due to the growth plate at the end of your bones. When you approach the end of puberty, your long bones will eventually form, and the cartilage in the growth plate will become bone or ossification. Once this happens, your height is a foregone conclusion.

How to improve your height before it’s too late?

Nutrition

Nutrition can also affect a person’s height potential. Access to good nutrition, including dietary sources of vitamins and minerals, helps people grow. On the contrary, people who don’t get enough nutrition may not grow that tall.

When it comes to growth, a balanced diet is essential. Nutrients such as calcium and vitamin D are very important because studies have shown that both can significantly benefit bone health.

Eating fruits and vegetables to achieve vitamin and mineral intake is important for everyone, but especially for those who are still growing.

Studies have also shown that protein is crucial to bone health and can improve bone mineral density of the spine. A 2016 study of 45 pairs of twins found that nutrition is particularly important in infancy, and protein deficiency may be the biggest environmental factor affecting height.

Does caffeine in coffee affect your bones?

Some people believe that drinking coffee, especially in adolescence, can affect bone health, but there is not much evidence to support this view. A 1998 study of 81 white American women between the ages of 12 and 18 found that there was no difference in bone mineral increase between women who consumed the most caffeine and those who consumed the least caffeine every day. Although the study was small, it showed that caffeine intake did not affect bone growth in adolescents.

Sleep

Studies have shown that many functions affecting growth occur during sleep, which may mean that proper sleep is necessary for proper growth.

A 2013 study found that children with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) had lower growth hormone levels, height, and weight than children without OSA. Since obstructive sleep apnea can lead to disturbed or interrupted sleep, these findings suggest that poor sleep quality has a negative impact on growth.

Stay active

Physical activity also has a certain impact on children’s growth and height, because active physical activity can promote the release of growth hormones. When this hormone is released, children with open growth plates in their bones may experience more growth than children without physical activity.

Exercise won’t make your bones grow longer, but research shows that physical activity can increase bone mineral density, especially during adolescence.

A Calcium-rich diet combined with healthy physical activity can maximize bone mass and reduce the risk of osteoporosis.

Maintaining vitality is also important because it enhances muscle and bone and may promote the release of human growth hormone (HGH). Not surprisingly, hGH plays an important role in physical development. It starts growth in childhood and promotes cell repair (you know, this process keeps us young and healthy).

Will weightlifting and gymnastics make you shorter?

Many myths believe that shorter height is related to activities such as weight lifting, gymnastics, ballet, long-distance running, and wrestling. There is not enough research to support the claim that weight lifting makes people shorter.

Compared with other sports, it is more complex. Research shows that this is not the exercise itself, but the intensity of training. If athletes are not properly nourished, their height may also be affected.

No smoking (in or outside the womb)

As we all know, smoking is not conducive to health, but it may also affect height.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, smoking during pregnancy can damage fetal development. Studies have shown that low bone mass and bone mineral density in children or adolescents may be related to maternal smoking during pregnancy.

Marijuana use may also have an impact on height. Although more research is needed, a 2015 study found that heavy use of marijuana can lead boys to early puberty and may hinder their growth.

What can you do about your height right now?

Once puberty is over, your height is almost over. From now on, even if you do all the cross fitness or yoga in the world, you can’t grow taller.

However, your height may change very slightly during the day (don’t get too excited – we don’t say more than half an inch). This is due to the slight compression of the vertebral disc caused by the impact of daily activities on the spinal cartilage and body fluids. In addition, if you sit at your desk all day, it may not be good for your posture.

What’s the good news? There are few things You can do to make yourself look taller.

Practicing good posture

Your posture has a great influence on your height. If you’re always slumped over, you can look a few inches shorter than you really are. Sitting up or standing tall will add a few inches to your body in an instant (guys, it’s a complete illusion). So raise your head!

If you can’t make yourself un-slouch and you are really committed to improving your posture, you can try a posture correction device.

Good standing and sitting posture not only making people look taller but also help prevent headaches and back pain that often accompany slouching.

Practice yoga

You may have heard a popular myth that yoga can make you tall. In fact, regular yoga practice helps to strengthen muscles to support better posture.

Yoga can also teach you how to focus on breathing, which helps maintain posture. In other words, yoga may make you look taller, but it doesn’t actually make you grow.

Build and strengthen your muscles

A quick search on the Internet for exercises that can make you tall may produce some seemingly promising results, but the fact is that once you reach your maximum height, no exercise can make you tall.

A strong midsection can help a person maintain a good posture and look taller. The core muscles are the muscles around the abdomen and spine.

These muscles help support the spine. When these muscles are too weak, the spine is not properly supported and may be squeezed. This can also lead to lethargy.

Increasing muscle mass and strengthening muscles can support better posture. Exercising your muscles will also make you feel more confident, which will affect the way you exercise.

Use fashion to your advantage

Even though we know wearing high heels and platform shoes make some people experience pain, but they will really give you a boost. Changing clothes will also give you the illusion of longer legs and a longer trunk.

Other fashion tips to try:

• High waist pants and skirts
• A fitting, tailored dress
• Wear only one color
• Shorter shorts or skirts
• Ankle boots instead of high boots

Accept what your mother gave you

This may not be what you want to hear, but at some point, you just need to accept your height and rock what you have.

Your height does not limit your lifetime achievements. Some of the biggest game-changers in history are smaller (Napoleon Bonaparte leads the French army at 5 feet 2 inches).

The bottom line

Genes play the biggest role in your height, which means you can’t change your height (except thank your parents). Environmental factors such as nutrition and exercise also play a role in your growth and development.

Once you reach the age of 18, your height is basically fixed. During adolescence, you can maximize healthy growth by eating a balanced diet, staying active, and getting enough sleep every night.

If you have passed your last growth peak, you can make yourself look taller by practicing better posture and strengthening your muscles.

We would love to hear about your ideas, suggestions, and questions regarding the topic How to Increase Your Height before it’s too late? So feel free to contact us.