How to increase your height and grow taller fast? Many short people, especially men, are disappointed with their height because height is something that one can also be proud of!
There are many things that tall people can do, such as reaching things on top of the cabinet, play basketball in leagues, and more! There are many advantages to being tall, and it can also enhance one’s confidence. It can also save women from using uncomfy high heels!
What else can you do to grow taller if your genes want you to be short? There is only a small percentage of short people who can actually grow taller. According to studies, the development of height stops by the mid-twenties, so if you have not reached mid-twenties yet, you still have a chance to add few more inches to your height! Some indications getting enough protein can help in increasing your height.
Before that, you need to know the factors that affect your height.
What are the Factors that Affect Your Height?
Many factors can affect your height, whether positive or negative way. These factors are categorized into genetic factors and non-genetic factors.
Genetic Factors
A big factor that determines your height is genetics. If your parents are both short, that does not mean that you will also have the same fate! Ranges of genes influence height, and if there are members in your family tree who are actually tall, you also have a chance to acquire that gene! Hormones such as testosterone in men also affect height.
Still, there is no way to determine how tall you can be until you are in your mid-twenties or full adulthood. But you can predict how tall you would be with this formula:
- For men in inches: (Height of mother + Height of father + 5) / 2
- For women: (Height of mother + Height of father-5) / 2
Non-Genetic Factors
Non-genetic factors include the environment you are living in as well as your experiences while growing up. The activities that you do can also affect your height. Some factors that affect your height are:
- Illness during puberty or childhood.
- Exposure to secondhand smoke during fetal development.
- Low birth weight.
- Quality of postnatal or parental care.
- Poor health during childhood.
11 Ways to Increase Your Height and Grow Taller Fast
Many factors affect your height without your control, but there are many things that you can do to grow taller than your current height. It can be done by including healthy habits into your lifestyle! Here are some ways to increase your height and grow taller!
#1 Drink Milk
Milk is essential to the growth and development of your bones. It is rich in calcium which also helps to boost height! Milk also contains protein and vitamin A which are important for your body’s overall health, including height.
To help your bones grow and add few inches in your height, drink two to three glasses of milk every day. You can also consume more dairy foods such as yogurt, cheese, and cream! Those are not only delicious but also healthy.
#2 Get Enough Sleep
When it comes to sleep, there is no question that this is one of the most significant factors for healthy growth. Are you aware of what happens to your body when you sleep? Yes, you feel rested and fresh when waking up. This is because your body repairs tissues and regenerate cells while you are sleeping. The Human Growth Hormone is accountable for increasing height produced by the body when you are getting proper sleep.
When the brain is relaxed during sleep, it releases additional growth hormones. A tired brain can only release low amounts of it. Now, you know the importance of getting an adequate amount of sleep during your growth stage. To achieve the maximum height, one must sleep at least eight up to eleven hours every night! Let your body produce more growth hormones! You will definitely enjoy it in the future.
#3 Sunlight
Sunlight is our natural source of vitamin D, which is one of the nutrients we need for complete growth, including getting our maximum height! If the body does not have enough vitamins that it needs for growth, such as vitamin D deficiency, it can lead to weaker bones which means lesser height.
- Make sure that you are getting enough amount of vitamin D every day. You can spend twenty up to thirty minutes under the sun. It is best to enjoy the sunlight in the morning when the sun is not painful to the skin yet. It can also minimize the skin’s exposure to dangerous UV rays.
- Aside from sunlight, you can also include eggs, cheese, milk, oily fish, and other foods that are rich in vitamin D. Aside from being delicious, those are also healthy and can promote additional inches to your height!
#4 Daily Exercise and Sports
Daily exercise and sports help in stimulating growth hormones which are beneficial to your height. To achieve your maximum height, you have to exercise every day and join sports activities.
- Jumping and Skipping – Exercises can help to increase your height, especially when the exercise requires you to jump a lot! Do jumping or skipping exercises for half an hour every day. You can do rope jumping. It may not be fun, but it helps a lot to gain height!
- Hanging exercises – You can also go to the nearest playground and hold on to horizontal bars. This lets your spine stretch out and can help you in achieving more height! Stay hanging for at least ten seconds and repeat it at least five times every day.
- Basketball and tennis – Games such as basketball and tennis also require you to jump a lot. This can benefit your height and lets you enjoy your time with your friends! Do you know that exercises and sports promote the stimulation of happy hormones? This makes you stay happy and positive in life!
- Swimming and cycling – You can also take part in swimming activities and cycling, which offer decent height and a toned body. Swimming can elongate your muscles, especially if you start at an early age. It helps a lot in reaching your maximum height.
- Toe touching exercises – This allows your body to stretch. When you reach for your toes, it can elongate your spine. Whether sitting or standing, this exercise is one of the great ways to warm up before doing more intense workouts!
#5 Eat Healthy
We have mentioned before that lack of vitamins, and other nutrients can lead to weaker bones. Not just that, it can also lead to a weak body. These are some of the causes of not reaching your full height. You cannot part take in sports well if you have weak knees. It is important to eat a balanced diet to get proper nutrition.
- What are the nutrients that can help in increasing height? You can enjoy foods that are rich in vitamin C, zinc, protein, manganese, calcium, and phosphorus. Make sure that you are also consuming leafy vegetables, low-fat dairy products, and whole grains.
- You can also create a good eating schedule. As a rule, you need to have three balanced meals a day. Healthy snacks in between can also increase the rate of your metabolism, which promotes healthier growth.
#6 Yoga
Yoga can also help in increasing your height. Certain yoga exercises can stimulate the release of growth hormones in the body. Aside from that, it is also a great activity for releasing stress and tension, which is beneficial to achieve full growth.
Read: Calories Burned with Bikram Yoga(26 Poses Step by Step Guide)
#7 Practice Good Posture
Many people have a terrible posture, which occurs from poor habits, especially when sitting down in front of the computer. These bad habits can cause the spinal cord to bed, and the slouched part of the upper body can stop your height growth.
Good posture aligns your head with your neck. It also keeps your spine straight, which can bring out your height. If you are suffering already from a bad posture, do not worry. Various stretching exercises can help you correct the damage caused by bad sitting habits. The exercises may depend on the type of curve you have formed.
To prevent damaging your spine, keep in mind to practice good posture. It may take time to master, but there are many ways to include it in your routine.
- Keep your shoulders back. Always keep your chin up when walking.
- If you always use a computer or other gadgets like smartphones, take regular breaks. Exhaustion will make you sit in bad positions that can put pressure on your spine.
#8 Keep Yourself from Factors that Stop Growth
Some factors can stop you from achieving your maximum height, and it is important to avoid them. What are those factors?
- Alcohol and drugs are two of the most common factors that can stop your growth. This two should be avoided since the substances it contains can affect your normal growth.
- Steroids are also found to interfere with growth when taken during the growing stage. If you are still a teenager, stay away from steroids to stop bone development by closing the growth plates.
- Caffeine can also affect growth, especially for young ones. It does not stop growth directly, but it makes you from getting enough sleep. When your body is tired, coffee is not the answer. You need to let your body recharge. As we mentioned before, a relaxed brain can produce more growth hormones, while a tired brain only produces low amounts.
#9 Keep Immune System Strong
The immune system of the body plays a significant role in developing your height. Diseases will not slow down the progress of a developing body with a strong immune system. It is essential to combat possible diseases and infections while you are still in the developing stage. Some illnesses can hamper growth during puberty or childhood.
There are many ways to boost your immune system. Instead of eating processed food, enjoy yourself with healthy meals.
- Expand your diet with low-fat dairy products, whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and proteins.
- Consume citrus fruits such as lemons, oranges, and grapes. These are rich in antioxidants that can combat the damaging effects of free radicals and keep your body free from any diseases.
- Include fish, nuts, cod liver oil, and salmon in your diet, which are rich in omega 3 fatty acids. These are great for boosting the immune system!
#10 Drink Plenty of Water
Drinking water is often forgotten when it comes to increasing height. Drinking plenty of water won’t transform you into Goliath, but the body has to stay hydrated all the time to reach its maximum growth!
- Water can flush out toxins from the body.
- Water can improve digestion and metabolism!
You must drink at least eight glasses of water daily to keep yourself healthy. You can also include water-based fruits and veggies in your diets, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, and watermelons.
#11 Supplements
When you are search online for more information and tips on how to grow taller, you will probably encounter supplements that are promising to work effectively. In some cases, these supplements are a combination of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that your body needs to improve growth. However, do not rush taking these supplements without checking what they really contain. Some may have serious side effects, and some fail to work.
You can get height growth supplements that contain 100% natural ingredients, such as Ashwagandha. This is Indian ginseng which features many minerals that can improve the bones. Taking it can also improve your height if you are still in your growth stage. Mix two tablespoons of Ashwagandha with milk before going to bed for best results!
As much as possible, avoid eating fast foods and avoid drinking alcohol. If you are smoking, you better quit as it can stop the development of your height. Make sure that you also maintain an ideal weight. Being overweight can affect your height.
These natural solutions are the best to improve your height and grow taller! If you have found more solutions, do not hesitate to share them with us!
