Almost all children and adults want optimal height growth. Unfortunately, there is no fast way to increase height. If you are a child, you have to be patient; when you're an adult, you just have to hope your body won't start shrinking too fast! Learn easy ways to record your height and see if you're getting taller.
Step
Part 1 of 2: Recording Growth Tracks
Step 1. Look for signs of growth
Is your head starting to hit the short door frame in the basement? Has your height made it past the minimum height limit on a roller coaster ride? Slowly but surely, you will grow taller.
- Short pants are an easy way to tell that you're definitely getting taller. If jeans that once had to be rolled up are now making you look like you're ready for a flood, it may be time to get your height measured (and buy new jeans too).
- Foot growth is another sign of height growth. This is not surprising because the feet are the foundation of the body; just as plant roots extend to support growing tree trunks, there is a clear correlation between foot size and height in humans.
Step 2. Find the point of comparison
If you have siblings, you've probably stood back to back more than once to see who was taller. However, choosing something that doesn't grow taller the way you do is the best way to prove that you've grown taller.
- Almost any immovable object that doesn't increase in height-the bottom of the wall calendar, the roof of a tree house, measuring height by equating the back with the father-can serve as a point of reference. The closer your eyes are to level with the mark, the easier your head will touch the treehouse ceiling, or the closer your head is to dad's shoulders, the taller you are.
- Of course, traditionally a point of reference for a child is a wall, doorknob or the inside of a door frame where he can mark his height occasionally.
Step 3. Stand straight with your back against a wall
There are ways to get an accurate height measurement on a flat surface such as a wall. But the most important thing is consistency. If you previously measured your height with your bare feet, don't forget to take off your shoes each time you're going to measure your height to see how your body is growing.
- Take off your footwear and style your hair if necessary.
- Stand straight, back and heels flat against the wall. Keep both feet flat on the floor (don't tiptoe!).
- Looking straight ahead. Have someone mark the highest point of your head on the wall with a pencil. Another less accurate method that can be used when alone is holding a book overhead; pushing the book against the wall; turned around while holding the book in place; and mark the point with a pencil.
Step 4. Mark your progress
Parents love doing this activity so they can find out how much their baby is growing!
- Mark the lines on the wall with a pen or marker if you want your mark to last longer than a pencil. Add the date (along with the child's name and age, if desired).
- If you can't mark the wall, take a tape measure and record the distance from the floor to the mark. Keep a notebook containing the relevant information.
Step 5. Visit a doctor
Measuring height and weight is standard procedure in medical examinations, both for children and adults because unusual changes in these two measurements can indicate a health problem. Especially for children, healthy growth is a good sign of a healthy body. Your doctor will create a growth rate chart that is a record of the changes in your growth over time.
- The nurse or doctor will measure your body accurately as a record for them; ask for and record the measurement results for yourself if you wish.
- If you're over 40, don't be surprised if you start to get shorter every time you measure your height. At this age, you are far past the stage of growth and the effects of the earth's gravity begin to pull your body down, especially on the spine. However, rapid and unnatural loss of height can be a sign of problems such as osteoporosis (essentially bone fragility).
Step 6. Calculate how tall your body will be
Since genes play a major role in your final height result, looking at your parents' height will give you an idea of how tall you might end up being.
- The article on how to predict height describes several methods for estimating height, including some of those mentioned here. However, be aware that even the simplest method has a margin of error of approximately 10 cm. This means that your predicted height might be 170 cm, but you may end up with a height of 160 cm or 180 cm.
- Gray's simplified method involves adding your parents' heights (in inches or centimeters), dividing by two, then adding 10 cm for boys or subtracting 10 cm for girls.
- For young children, doubling a girl's height at 18 months or two years for a boy will give a fairly accurate estimate.
- More accurate methods of calculation (which are made easier with calculators on the internet), or X-rays of the hands to determine "bone age" are also available and are of particular value for older children.
Part 2 of 2: Increase Chances to Grow Taller
Step 1. Accept that the effort you can do is limited
The final result of human height is largely determined by genes (approximately 70%), while health, nutrition, and environmental factors determine the rest (about 30%).
Therefore, if you end up shorter or taller than expected, blame your genes. And don't bother practicing with a monkey bar to grow taller
Step 2. Ignore the fantastic "get taller" ads on the internet
Any internet search will turn up thousands of sites offering various "definitely effective" methods for increasing height. Most of these advertisements or statements are simply nonsense. "Special pills" won't make you taller, but they can make you sick and can definitely cost you money.
- Many of these sites describe exercises that will stretch your body so that you get taller. While stretching is a good exercise and may make you a little taller in the short term, you won't get long term results from it. Remember, Earth's gravity always wins.
- However, exercises that improve your posture so that you can stand taller can at least help you appear taller.
Step 3. Get enough sleep
The human body produces growth hormone during sleep so the more often you get deep, restful sleep, the better chance you have of maximizing the potential height of your genes.
For the sake of their physical, mental and emotional health, growing teens should aim to get eight to 10 hours of sleep each night, ideally on a consistent schedule to keep the body's biological clock in proper balance
Step 4. Eat healthy foods
There is no single superfood that can magically make you grow taller like a basketball athlete, but proper nutrition can only help your body grow.
- You know the rules of a healthy diet: lots of fruit, vegetables, low-fat protein; reduce the saturated fat and refined sugar. Lots of fresh food; reduce processed foods.
- Certain nutrients, such as calcium, which strengthens bones (and thus helps improve posture) are beneficial for making you look and feel taller.
- Other important nutrients such as niacin, vitamin D and zinc -all of which you will consume as part of a varied healthy diet - can also provide benefits for the body's growth.
Step 5. Do exercise regularly
Don't focus on exercise programs that are said to make you taller. Instead, focus on a healthy exercise program that includes aerobics and strength training. Good health gives your body more opportunities to grow.
- As mentioned earlier, stretching is good for the body, but stretching that is said to make you permanently taller will not produce long-term results. Keep your focus on health and wellness, and let growth happen naturally (as far as your genes allow).
- Exercising 60 minutes or more per day can help your teen feel happy and look fit, and both can help even if you're not growing taller. You can find recommended exercise programs on the internet.
Tips
- Pay attention to how well your clothes fit your body. The hem of pants that when they were freshly purchased hit the floor but now don't even reach your ankles is a sure sign that you're getting taller, although it could also mean that the clothes weren't washed properly and are shrinking.
- Don't obsess over your height. There's not much you can do to speed up the growth process. After all, some of us do grow little by little and then grow very tall in a short period of time.
- Ask someone else to mark your height if you can. That way, everything can be easier and more accurate.
- Try to measure your height at the same time each time you do it. The human spine stretches when lying down, and contracts as the day progresses. You can actually be taller in the morning than at night.
- Take out some old clothes from last year or even months ago to see how well they fit you now. Those too long pants fit now? That means you've grown taller!
- Measure carefully with the same body position every time. You may not notice any significant changes so careful measurement will ensure better accuracy of results.
- For greater accuracy, your height should be measured at the same health facility at intervals.
- Don't be discouraged if you don't see a sudden change. Enjoy life and friendships that have nothing to do with your height.
