Top 10 Ways to Increase Height in Children

 Top 10 Ways to Increase Height in Children

Genes largely determine your height. You may get taller by eating a balanced diet, getting enough sleep, staying active, and having good posture, but there is no guarantee.

Several factors contribute to your overall height. It’s thought that genetic factors account for about 80% of your final height. Certain environmental factors, such as nutrition and exercise, typically account for the remaining percentage.

After age 2, most children grow at a steady rate of around 2.5 inches every year. Once puberty hits, you may grow even faster. However, everyone grows at a different pace.

For girls, this growth spurt typically begins by the beginning of the teenage years. Boys may not experience this sudden increase in height until a couple years into their teens.

You generally stop growing taller after you go through puberty. This means that as an adult, you are unlikely to increase your height.

However, there are certain things that you can do throughout adolescence to ensure that you’re maximizing your potential for growth. You should continue these as an adult to promote overall well-being and retain your height.

How to Increase the Height of a Child

There are many ways a parent can influence the height of their child, and here’s a list of the top ten ways.

1. A Balanced Diet

The most important aspect of how to increase your kid’s height is to ensure that he gets proper nutrition. The food he consumes has to be healthy so that he grows up to be tall. A balanced diet has to include proteins, carbohydrates, fat and vitamins in the correct proportion – loading up on only one of these can have a detrimental effect. You must also ensure that the child keeps away from junk food most of the time – this includes food like burgers, aerated sweetened drinks and fried items in general. Lean proteins have to be had aplenty, along with leafy vegetables and items rich in minerals like calcium and potassium. Simple carbs like pizza and cakes have to be avoided for the most part. Zinc has been found to have a huge effect on the growth of the child, so zinc-rich foods like squash seeds and peanuts must also be added to their diet. A balanced diet not only provides the right nutrients to increase your child’s height but it will also make him stronger in every sense.

2. Stretching Exercises

Stretching exercises, even if they are simple ones, can have a huge impact on the height of your child. Introducing your child to stretching exercises from a young age will facilitate the process of height growth. Stretching helps elongate the spine and also improves the posture of your child at all times. The exercises can be simple ones. Make him stand on his toes with his back against the wall and stretch the muscles in his leg while reaching up simultaneously. Another simple exercise for stretching involves the child sitting on the floor with his legs wide apart, and reaching to touch the toes of both legs with his arms.

3. Hanging

Hanging has been recommended for decades now, for parents who want their children to be taller. Hanging from bars also helps the spine elongate, which is an important part of becoming taller. Apart from regular hanging, you can also encourage your child to do pull-ups and chin-ups. Both make the muscles of the arm and the back stronger and are great exercises to help him keep fit.

4. Yoga Poses

The age-old practice of yoga involves a lot of stretching and balance, so it is ideal for children to make them taller. Some yoga asanas are especially beneficial in helping your child grow tall. The ‘

Surya Namaskar’ gets the entire body to work, stretching out the muscles of the arm, back, and even the legs in a single, fluid motion. Another beneficial asana is the Chakrasana, which involves your child lying on his back. Then, he has to make his back arch upwards and prop his body up using his arms and feet, to maintain a U-shape. Try keeping this shape for as long as possible, for it to be effective.

5. Skipping

There are few exercises like skipping which help work the entire body. Known for its awesome effects on the heart, it is also a great exercise to do if you want your child to become taller. The body stretches entirely when a person skips, so it promotes vertical growth in the child. It is also an amazing cardio workout, and will definitely keep him fit and active.

6. Swimming

Swimming is another healthy habit, one which helps your child stay active and enjoy it, too. Swimming is a full-body exercise, meaning that it works all the muscles in the body to great effect. Swimming for a long time can help your child lose any extra fat present, making him healthier as a whole. The exercise involves a lot of stretching forward, which strengthens the spine and lays the groundwork for a tall, healthy body. Swimming is also a highly enjoyable activity- no child has ever said no to playing in the water!

7. Jogging

Jogging is an amazing exercise, not just for children- it has a range of benefits for grown-ups too. Jogging strengthens the bones in the leg and also increases the quantity of HGH, the growth hormone, which is required for any growth in the body. To make it even more fun, you can maybe join in with your child and make jogging be an activity you do together!

8. Sleep

The importance of sleep can never be stressed upon enough, not just for children – for adults, too. Skipping sleep occasionally does not affect the growth of your child in the long term- however, you have to ensure that the child gets a good 8 hours of sleep on most nights, in order for him to be taller and stronger. This is because the growth hormone in children, HGH, is released only when the child sleeps. This plays a direct role in making your child taller, so skipping sleep constantly is definitely a bad idea.

9. Posture

To increase your child’s height, it is integral that he has a proper posture. Slumping or slouching can put unnecessary stress on the spine which can have many negative affects on the body. Additionally, poor posture can alter the shape of your child’s spine which can compromise his growth. Make sure that your child practices good posture not only to increase his height but also to prevent any long term health issues. Remind him to sit and stand up straight every time you see him slouching.

10. Sunlight

Sunlight is a great source of Vitamin D. Vitamin D helps in muscle and bone growth which will help in increasing your child’s height. Vitamin D also helps your body absorb calcium from your diet and helps in strengthening your bones. So encourage your child to leave his video games and step out in the sun and play. Remember to keep your child indoors during the warmest hours of the day and make him wear sun screen to protect his skin from harmful UV rays of the sun. Other sources of Vitamin D include, fatty fish and seafood, mushrooms, and egg yolks.