Being tall does have its advantages. Apart from being able to reach higher, being tall makes you look leaner, more muscular and naturally more confident. However, unlike increasing / decreasing weight, increasing your height is a little more complicated or you can say it has more details to it.
Ideally, a growth rate would be 2 inches per year from age 1 till puberty. During pubescence the growth rate can increase to 4 inches per year. The exact age varies on multiple factors. For girls, the growth spurt begins early and stops early around age 16 whereas boys see a sudden hike in height at the end of their teens. The most important factor that contributes to a person’s height is their genetic structure. In this blog we’re going to be talking about the main factors that affect one’s height.
Factors That Affect One’s Height
#1 – DNA
Studies show that genetics control 80% of growing in terms of height. While some genes affect your growth spurt, some have an effect on your growth hormones. There’s an involvement of about 700 gene variants that determine the height of a person. People from various ethnicities have different average heights due to their DNA. Conditions like gigantism & dwarfism are results of genetic makeup too.
#2 – Sleep
Your rest / sleep cycle is extremely important to maximize your height potential. The pituitary glands secrete growth hormones at night. These hormones help to lengthen and thicken the bones. Constant sleep deprivation can disrupt the release of these hormones thus causing things like stunted growth.
#3 – Diet
Having a good diet is absolutely necessary in order to grow. The key to this is to ensure that you have a balanced diet with all the nutrients in order to maximize your growth potential. For example foods that are rich in calcium, magnesium and Vitamin D which help to grow and strengthen bones are to be added in your diet on a daily basis.
#4 – Exercise
Exercise in general is necessary for a good and healthy lifestyle. Apart from this, exercise increases growth hormone production which means it can aid growth over a period of time.
Exercise could also improve your posture, make you lean and fit which can give others the illusion of growth as well.
Importance Of Posture
The way we sit, stand and sleep has a drastic effect on your height. The spine has natural curves which after constant slouching and slumping gets altered over periods of time. This can affect your height in a negative manner. So, it’s important to make sure that you practice good posture on a daily basis to ensure that your bone structure remains in tact and you appear as tall as you actually are.
Effect Of Puberty On Height
This varies in the cases of girls and boys. Girls grow quickly during their childhood. They attain puberty earlier than boys. During this time their height also increases drastically. Puberty occurs between age 8 to 13 and the growth spurt occurs anytime in between. In most cases, menstruation occurs after they achieve their peak height. At the age of 14 – 16, the growth becomes stagnant for most girls. They reach their adult height at this age.
Boys tend to hit puberty from ages 12 – 15 ideally. It does not affect the actual attainable height of a boy. The ones who mature later grow at faster rates to compensate for lost time. Boys grow 3 inches per year during puberty on average and in most cases, they reach their adult height at the end of their adolescence.
A person’s height is mostly predetermined by their genetic structure. There are no magic growth pills or supplements that will increase one’s height. However, there are some things we can do to ensure that we reach our full potential height. Following a good nutritious diet and a regular exercise routine could be keys to enhancing growth. However, there is no conclusive evidence that suggests that height actually increases by performing these.
Bottom line is there is no secret to suddenly increasing height. Maintaining a good posture and a good lifestyle will help you look your best self without compromises.
