The most common ways to increase human height. The most common ways to increase human height What to do to make height taller

You and I know that a person grows up to a certain age (girls - up to 18, guys - up to 24 years). After the growth stops. Is it possible to grow up after 25? To answer this question, you need to understand the process of growth.

Why are we growing

A person grows by increasing the length of the bones. And this process lasts until the complete closure of the bone growth zones - cartilage zones in the spine and at the ends of the tubular bones. As long as there is non-hardened tissue in these areas, a significant increase in body length is possible under the influence of growth hormones. When the cartilage zones become ossified with age, it will prevent further growth.

It turns out that it will no longer be possible to grow up due to bone lengthening after 25 years, except perhaps with the help of surgical intervention. But it is possible to “stretch” your body a few extra centimeters. And it's not too difficult.

How to increase height

This can be achieved by stretching the intervertebral discs. The thing is that the human spinal column consists of 24 vertebrae, the sacrum and the coccyx. Between the vertebrae are intervertebral discs, which perceive and absorb the load and provide flexibility to the spine due to the fact that they consist of cartilage-like tissue. And if it is cartilage, then it can be stretched, which will lead to an increase in the length of the body.

In fact, most people are 2-6 cm (and even more) below their maximum possible height. This is due to the spongy nature of the intervertebral discs, which are compressed under the influence of gravity and high pressure, which can be caused, for example, by poor posture, lifting weights above the head.

Therefore, even if you regularly engage in spinal stretching exercises, your height will not remain constant if you do not correct your posture, stop lifting weights above your head, and strengthen your core muscles.

How much can you add in growth

Let's count. There are 23 intervertebral discs in the spine. If you stretch each of them by only 3 mm, then in total you can add about 7 cm in height. Not bad, isn't it?

There is a known case when one circus performer could grow on stage by as much as 16 cm only due to spinal extension.

What exercises increase height

There are a large number of different exercises for stretching the spine, I will highlight only a few of the simplest and most effective. They will be enough to get you started.

1. Hang on the horizontal bar

Perhaps this is the simplest of all exercises. You only need to hang on the horizontal bar and stay in this position for 15-30 seconds. Gravity will do the rest of the work for you. It is recommended to practice 2-3 sets daily.

Here's what it looks like:

2. Lying spinal traction

To perform this exercise, you need to lie face down on your stomach and stretch your arms and legs so that a straight line is formed. Now raise your left arm and then your left leg. Hold this position for 20-30 seconds and then switch arms and legs. Do 2-3 sets.

3. Cat sips

4. Exercise "Cobra"

Conclusion

If you undertook to stretch the spine, then do not forget to strengthen the muscles of the torso, especially the press. After all, the stronger your muscles, the greater their resistance to pressure that falls on the torso due to gravity or poor posture.

And remember: stretching your torso a few centimeters is not difficult, just like losing these centimeters if you stop exercising regularly.

For adults, the average height is now considered to be 176 cm for men and 164 cm for women. As a rule, children reach these values ​​during puberty: girls - at about 12-16 years old, boys - at 13-17. At the same time, the most fruitful period for gaining growth is from 10 to 12 years for girls, from 13 to 16 for boys. It is during these years that it is worth emphasizing the “pulling” exercises. However, they can be started earlier - at 8-9 years old, and later.

In theory…

Do not think that growth training can be excessive and your child will become a two-meter "basketball player" by the age of 21. For such growth, the appropriate genes are needed in the first place. Look at your spouse and your parents with him: if there are at least two of them under two meters tall, then the child really has a chance to grow up to the “Kolomenskaya verst”. The rest, no matter how you practice, cannot become giants.

In addition to training, one must also take into account the laws of biology.

What contributes to intensive growth besides exercise?

The child needs to eat right. For growth, protein is needed (meat, eggs, dairy products, fish) - bones and cartilage are formed from it. With a lack of animal protein, the body simply has nothing to build height from. So before the age of 20-21, do not encourage vegetarianism in your child: in legumes and other plant sources, the protein is defective, it is not suitable for growth.

You need to sleep at least 8 hours and always in the dark. During sleep and without light, the body produces most of the hormones responsible for growth. And you can’t eat sweets 2-3 hours before bedtime: they reduce the production of growth hormone (somatotropin).

Until the age of 17-18, you can not do strength exercises that give a vertical load on the spine. In other words, you can not put weights on your shoulders and lift a lot of weight while standing or sitting.

…and in practice

All exercises should be done at a calm pace, without jerks and buildup.

1. Stand straight, feet shoulder width apart. Raise your arms above your head, interlock your fingers. Turn your palms up, stand on your toes, look at your palms and reach up. Get down on your heels and repeat 20 times.

2. Spread your legs wider than your shoulders. Lean forward, put your fingers on the floor (if not, spread your legs wider) and stretch your chest and shoulders to the floor, as if holding on to it with your fingers. Straighten up and repeat 15 times.

3. Hang on the horizontal bar. Ideal - 10-15 times to pull up. If it doesn’t work out, then just hang, stretching one or the other leg to the floor 10-15 times.

4. Sit on the floor, connect your legs, pull your socks towards you. Reach out with your hands so as to grab your socks, while trying to touch your knees with your forehead. Straighten up and repeat 15 times.

5. Get on one knee, put the foot on the floor, stretch the other leg forward as far as possible and put it on the heel. Reach for the toe of the forward leg with your hands, chest to the knee of the same leg. Straighten up, sit on the heel and repeat 10 times, then switch legs and do 10 more times.

6. Lie on your stomach, arms along the body. Bend your legs, take them with your hands. Bend back, trying to straighten your legs, lifting your head, shoulders and pelvis off the floor. Relax, lie down on the floor and repeat 8 times.

7. Lie on your back, spread your arms to the sides and press to the floor. Raise the legs bent at the knees, move them to the right and straighten them, trying to put them on the floor. The right foot touches the floor, the left lies on it. In this case, the pelvis and part of the back are turned over to the side. Try not to tear off the left (opposite) arm, shoulder and shoulder blade from the floor! Bending, return the legs to the center and do the same on the other side. 10 times in each direction.

8. Lie on your back, bring your hands under your lower back. Raise your legs, lifting your pelvis off the floor and trying to touch the floor behind your head with your toes. Hands support the lower back and help lift the pelvis higher. At the extreme point, count to 15 and go down. Repeat 6 times.

9. Lying on your back, raise straight arms and legs up. Stretch your fingers up, straining your neck, pelvis and stomach, finely shake your limbs, counting up to 30.

Increasing actual body height through exercise is not an easy task. Unfortunately, in most cases, the problem of short stature can be solved more with a major surgical operation than with pulling exercises on the horizontal bar. Not to mention the futility of following a special diet that helps to stretch out in adulthood.

However, straightening the back by performing, developing the muscles of the press, as well as observing a number of simple rules in choosing the color of clothing can make any person visually taller. Exactly the opposite is true - weak muscles of the body and the press, a humpbacked spine and improper clothing will make even a man or girl with quite normal growth dwarfed.

In fact, only a teenager can grow 5 or even 10 cm, while his growth zones remain open - in which case eating foods rich in protein and calcium and regular exercise on the horizontal bar will really help increase growth. Adults can only straighten the spine (Berg's technique is based on this) - and become visually taller with a straight back.

What influences human growth?

Scientific studies show that genetic factors and belonging to a particular race play a major role in shaping a person's height. Behavioral factors (such as adequate protein intake and regular exercise) contribute no more than 15-20% of the result (1) . In other words, human growth is laid down by nature even before birth.

Statistics show that the average height of a Russian man is about 175-177 cm (2), which fits into the average figure for men in Europe and North America - 176 cm. At the same time, the average height of men in Latin America is 170 cm, and in Asian countries - only 165 cm. The average height of a Russian woman is defined as 169 cm.

How to grow 5 cm - the main rules

By following the rules below, you will be able to grow (or, more precisely, “stretch”) by 3-5 cm, even as an adult. You don't need expensive supplements or painful leg extension surgery to achieve this. It is enough just to reconsider your style of clothing and regularly engage in special physical exercises to straighten the spine.

1. Strengthen your press. Constant sitting in a sitting position (from working in the office to driving a car) leads to a weakening of the muscles of the body and the abdominal muscles of the abdomen. In turn, a strong abs will improve your posture and make you stand straighter. Read about scientific ranking.
2. Take up swimming. Swimming is deservedly considered one of the most important physical activities for building an athletic physique. However, to increase your height, you will have to learn how to swim at least 1-2 km per session, alternating crawl and butterfly styles, and not just splash in the pool for 10 minutes a week.
3. Straighten your shoulders. Maintaining proper posture with broadly splayed shoulders and a straight back is the easiest way to get a few inches taller. There are many effective posture exercises that can help you straighten your back - most of them are borrowed from yoga.
4. Do exercises on the horizontal bar. Developed upper back and shoulder muscles will not only make it easier to maintain correct posture every day, but also lay the foundation for an athletic physique. Recall that the best exercises for the development of the back are not - they will “straighten” your spine and help you grow.
5. Dress in the right colors. Clothing can make a person visually taller or shorter. The best combination for increasing height is a combination of "light bottom + dark top" - for example, white pants and a dark V-neck T-shirt. In contrast, wide jeans and a long, baggy top will make a person look shorter.
6. Change your hairstyle. Visually stretching a few centimeters in height will also help hair raised up with a styling gel. At the same time, forget about the effect of "wet hair" and use only matte styling products in small quantities.
7. Increase the amount of protein in your diet. Research shows that a lack of protein in a child's diet is a key problem hindering growth. Sports will be very useful if you decide to regularly practice any strength exercises to improve your posture and straighten your spine.

Berg's technique

Height Increase Supplements

The most important dietary supplements for increasing growth are vitamin D and micromineral magnesium. Research suggests that getting enough of these minerals through the diet or intake is especially critical during the growth period of adolescents. However, unfortunately, the intake of these substances in supplements or natural products is in no way able to increase the growth of adults.

As far as calcium is concerned, the relationship between a person's height and the intake of foods containing calcium has not been confirmed by the latest scientific studies. In addition, science is increasingly showing that calcium supplementation does not improve bone health in adults either (4) . In other words, regular milk is completely incapable of helping you grow taller.

***

After leaving adolescence and closing the growth zones, exercises are not able to make a person physically taller. However, regular exercise to improve posture (including the Berg technique), pumping the abdominal muscles and yoga can straighten your back and visually help grow. At the same time, the correct selection of clothes and hair styling with a gel can also add 3-5 cm to height.

Scientific sources:

1. Child growth: Can you predict adult height?, Jay L. Hoecker, M.D.,
2. average height around the world,
3. North Korea after Kim Jong Il, The Economist,

Hello dear readers! In this article, we will consider in as much detail as possible the most common ways to increase a person’s height, as well as the question: is it possible to increase growth at will, and if so, how. Well, all the keywords are in place, now you can move on to the essence of the issue =).

The subheadings of today's article will be as follows.

Factors affecting human growth.

There are three main factors influencing human growth most actively.

1. Heredity. Tall people, as a rule, have the same tall children.
2. Diseases. Diseases of the kidneys, liver, lungs, endocrine system, and so on can significantly slow down a person’s growth.
3. Lifestyle. A rational balanced diet, an active lifestyle, good recovery contribute to the fact that the genetic inclinations will be realized to the maximum extent.

It is generally accepted that approximately 80% of growth is determined by heredity and 20% by lifestyle, as well as external factors. The difference in height between both sexes is due to the high activity of one of the genes that affects bone formation. The more pronounced his work, the lower the person's height. Since this gene is contained on the X chromosome, which is more in women, it is most active in the fair sex. Therefore, women's height is usually 10-12 cm lower than men's.

A whole section of our site is devoted to this topic. Here I want to recall some of the main points.

Very often people forget about posture. But learning to control your posture is the first thing a person who wants to appear taller needs to do. Stooped shoulders and a lowered head are reduced by several centimeters at once. It is very useful to walk around the room with a book on the top of your head, remembering how to hold your head, back and body. Straightened shoulders and a straight back will not only make you taller, but also relieve excessive tension from the muscles and prevent their rapid fatigue. In addition, good posture creates conditions for the normal functioning of internal organs. What else will help you look taller?

• Hairstyle. Visually acquiring a few extra centimeters of growth will help bouffant or high hair. It can be a ponytail gathered at the crown, a “shell” or a high bun. A man can also lift his hair and fix it with hairspray.
• Clothing. If you ask any stylist if you can increase your height with clothes, you will be surprised how many different techniques exist for this. Vertical stripes, drawings, stripes, rows of buttons running along the body, freely flowing scarves, long beads, V-shaped necklines and so on visually stretch the silhouette. Do not divide the body into parts with transverse lines or color contrasts. It is also better not to wear cropped trousers, as well as clothes with a low waist.
• Shoes. To visually increase height, you can use special shoe insoles. You can buy them, or you can. Such insoles can make you taller by 2-4 cm or more. There are also special shoes on sale, in which insoles for growth are already built in. All this is sometimes very helpful and adds confidence. As for women, they are well aware of how to increase their height and give elegance to their image. It is enough to wear high heels. The higher it is, the better. But it is important not to forget that too high heels increase the load on the feet and spine.

Paying enough attention to your appearance, always keeping your back straight and carefully choosing your wardrobe, you will give the right presentability to your image.

Exercises to increase height.

If you want to know if it is actually possible to increase height, and not just visually, then the "Form" section is for you. For this purpose, special programs have been developed and already tested by many, allowing a person to literally grow up. The most well-known growth techniques are listed below.

• The Tranquillitati Method. Exercises from this technique were originally intended to alleviate the condition of people experiencing pain in the neck and various parts of the spine. But as it turned out, people who practiced according to the Tranquillitati method not only recovered, but also noticed an increase in their own height.
• . This system includes exercises that improve posture, build cartilage between the vertebrae, as well as exercises that stimulate the growth of leg bones. The author of the technique assures that with its help it is possible to increase growth by 2–10 cm.
• . Performing exercises 1 hour in the morning and 1 hour in the evening, you can grow a few centimeters. It is also necessary to play basketball and train in the pool.
• . The fact that a person can increase his height only up to 20 years was one of the first to question A. Berg. He argued that even at the age of 30 it is quite possible to become taller. The fact is that every person has reserves of growth and Berg's technique is designed to awaken them. It includes not only physical exercises using a rug with spikes and exercise equipment, but also auto-training. You need to do it before bed and immediately after getting up in the morning.
• . There are some similarities with the Norbekov method. Evminov's exercises are performed on a special board. According to the author, his technique helps to grow at least 3-5 cm at any age. This happens due to the restoration and strengthening of the elements of the osteo-cartilaginous system of the spinal column.
• . The meaning of this technique is that the training takes place in an inverted body position. Hard work leads to amazing results. These exercises, in addition to increasing height, are also very useful for the spine. They help to get rid of various problems, such as intervertebral hernia, sciatica, and poor posture.
• . Cycling is one of the most effective ways to lengthen your legs. It is necessary to raise the saddle so that the legs have to reach for the pedals with the toes of the feet while riding. For training, your regular bike will do.
• . The best swimming style for growth is the breaststroke. If you swim this style regularly, the body will be subjected to constant stretching in alternation with relaxation. To grow 2 cm or more, you need to train intensively - at least 3 times a week for an hour a day.

In order to grow, in addition to regular physical training, proper nutrition, a mood for success and sleep are important.

The role of nutrition in increasing growth.

Without the right amount of building material and energy, the body will be deprived of the resources for growth. Therefore, if you are seriously thinking about how you can increase your height, pay increased attention to your own nutrition.

You can increase the production of growth hormone by the body with a diet that contains a small amount of foods with a high glycemic index. Limit or eliminate refined sweets, flour products, very sweet fruits from the diet. Nutritionists also advise to pay close attention to dinner. On the table in the evening should be foods containing more protein and less carbohydrates, such as eggs, fish, seafood, cheese, herbs, nuts, seeds, legumes. It will not harm the daily intake of nutritional supplements. They must contain zinc. This trace element well stimulates the production of growth hormone.

Radical ways to increase growth.

There are more radical ways to increase growth. These are operations to lengthen the lower limbs. Today, three types of such operations are mainly used.

1. Ilizarov method. The operation using the Ilizarov apparatus allows you to make the lower legs (maximum 6 cm) or thighs (maximum 10 cm) longer. Since it is impossible to quickly lengthen the bone without prompt action on it, a dissection of its upper layer is performed. Usually this is the upper third of the thigh or lower leg. Since there are two bones in the lower leg, both are broken. For the entire lengthening period, the Ilizarov apparatus is installed on the limb, the nuts of which must be tightened several times a day. In this way, about 1 mm of growth is added per day. It is advisable not to accelerate the pace in order to avoid complications.
2. It is more traumatic, therefore less common. The operation in this case is performed only on the femur, into which a special distraction device is implanted through a small incision. Each such apparatus is equipped with a ratchet mechanism, the operation of which the patient controls independently.
3. Another way to increase growth was invented by the Saratov surgeon A. N. Reshetnikov. He performs bone lengthening using the Ilizarov apparatus and special rods located inside the bone tissue. Within a month, in this way, it is possible to obtain an elongation of the operated area by 3-4 cm. Then the devices are removed, and the rods are left inside the bone. Rehabilitation takes only a few weeks, after which a person can walk and even drive. The rods are removed 1.5–2 years after the operation, when the bone fragments are completely fused.

Questions about growth. Top 5.

In conclusion, let's look at questions frequently asked by those who aspire to become taller.

1. Can a person grow after the growth zones are closed?

Maybe if the growth zones can be awakened in some way. It is known that the constant mechanical impact on the bones causes them to grow in order to adapt to external conditions. For some professional massage therapists who constantly work with their fingers, the bones in their hands lengthen over time. In basketball and volleyball players, the leading arm is often longer than the non-leading one. Fighters who kick a lot have lengthened legs even as adults. Logically, nature provides for elongation and thickening of the limbs at any age, if there is a vital need for this.

2. How does bodybuilding affect height?

Positive with a reasonable approach to training.

3. Do body proportions change with increasing height through exercise?

The human body tends to maintain its proportions.

4. If the desired result has already been achieved, is it necessary to train further so as not to lose the gain received?

Usually, when building up more than 5 cm, the resulting growth is preserved and remains with you. If you managed to grow by 1-2 cm, then this achievement may be temporary, and it is better to continue training.

5. What effect does sleep have on growth?

Prolonged sound sleep is a very important condition for the natural growth of the body. It is during sleep that the main amount of the somatotropin hormone is produced. If a person constantly lacks sleep, then even regular exercise to increase growth will not help him much.

Just because you're short doesn't mean you'll live your whole life with it. You can always use the methodology that suits you, taking into account the above recommendations on lifestyle, style and nutrition. Perseverance, patience and faith in success will sooner or later lead you to your desired goal.

I really hope that this material was useful to you and you have fewer questions about whether it is possible to increase growth, and how. Good luck!

Sincerely, Vadim Dmitriev

The question of finding an effective technique for increasing growth worries a huge number of people. This is especially true for the use of various additives containing calcium, hanging on such a sports equipment as a horizontal bar.

The formation of growth, according to scientists, by 80-85% depends on such genetic indicators as gender and race, and external factors, that is, an adequate level of nutrition and exercise, affect this process only by 15-20%. If we summarize these data, it becomes clear what exactly nature dictates how tall a person will be.

Adults can radically change their height only through complex surgical intervention. Neither a special diet nor hanging on the horizontal bar will help here. There are some exercises, mainly from yoga, a certain approach to the selection of wardrobe items that allow you to visually appear somewhat taller.

How is a child's height calculated?

The formula involves summing the height in centimeters of both parents and dividing by two. The number "13" is added to the value obtained if the calculation is for a boy, or subtracted when the calculation is made for a girl. The result will be the height of the child when he grows up, with an accuracy of 80% and an error of 5 cm up or down.

There are statistics on the average height for men by geographic location. On the territory of Russia, it is 175-177, Europe - 176, Latin America - 170, China and a number of Asian countries - 167, India - 164 cm.

How to become 10 cm taller?

This question is relevant for adolescents when puberty has not yet ended, that is, the growth zones have not yet closed. If during this period you start stretching, hanging on a horizontal bar or swimming regularly, which is especially effective, you can achieve an increase in growth.

Strength training, in contrast to the listed physical activity, has the opposite effect. Vertical load, characteristic of exercises with dumbbells or a barbell, significantly inhibits bone growth. Not the last role is played by testosterone, the increased production of which contributes to the fact that growth zones close earlier.

Diet to increase height

Factors such as insufficient caloric intake and protein deficiency can slow down the processes of natural growth in childhood. Men from South Korea are about 7 centimeters taller than North Koreans. The reason for this, as you might guess, was the lack of vitamins and constant malnutrition in the latter.

Only a balanced diet can realize the potential for growth inherent in the child. The diet should include vegetables, cereals rich in minerals, cereals - buckwheat, lentils, oatmeal. It is important that the menu must include sea fish, which is a source of iodine, omega-3 fatty acids.

Dependence of growth on special additives

There are components whose consumption is critical for the growth of every child in the first years of life. This is zinc with vitamin D. However, the use of these substances with food or as supplements does not have a similar effect on the adult body.

The role of calcium, which has long been considered an essential element for a growing organism, has not been confirmed. Recent studies have shown that it does not improve bone health in adults.

How can you get taller as an adult?

Injectable growth hormones are prescribed only in adolescence. They are appointed by a specialist, act on the bones, contributing to their stretching. This technique is not suitable for adults, since the growth zones are closed. The only thing left is surgery to pull the bones.

This is a rather painful operation, when staples with knitting needles are inserted into the upper bone layer on each leg. Pulling is carried out by means of a threaded rod, moved apart by 0.25 mm four times a day. As a result, a person becomes 6-7 cm taller, but this is achieved only in a year, most of which has to be walked on crutches.

If the horizontal bar and swimming cannot help an adult become taller, then straightening the spine and improving posture from doing some yoga exercises allow you to stretch 5 cm.

When you have to put up with growth, it is important to choose the right wardrobe. A dark bottom with a light top, V-neck, gel-up hairstyle is a look that allows you to appear taller.

Conclusion

Proper nutrition and non-strength sports help the child and teenager to become taller. For an adult, they are replaced by yoga and some tricks in the selection of clothing items, a competent combination of shades.

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