How to Grow Taller After Puberty | Practical Tips to Increase Height

There are many claims out there regarding adding height that it is sometimes difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff. The most common among them is that growing taller after hitting puberty is an impossible feat. Well, it is impossible if you are not willing to try.

I was able to achieve the supposedly impossible by adding a few inches more to my height – and that was after hitting puberty. But how did I do it? Was surgery in the mix?

The following is a step by step explanation on how can add a few inches to your height, and enjoy the fun of being a shoulder above the rest.

What does Science Say about Growing Taller after Puberty?

Before we can jump right into the heart of the matter, it is a good idea to understand what makes it possible for an individual to grow taller.

It is a fact that your growth plates fuse together, following puberty. Your body ceases growing tall, and it reaches the farthest height it can manage based on specific factors like genes. But there is an exception.

Your spine has a certain level of malleability and can grow taller after puberty, but with the right kind of exercises. The thing is, if your spine accepts to grow taller, your entire body grows taller, as well.

Sounds confusing? No worries! Let’s go a little deeper with the explanations – that’s why you are here.

The Difference between the Spine and Other Bones in your Body

Unlike other bones in your body that are solid, the spine is itself a series of bones. In other words, your spine consists of 33 vertebral bones, interlinked with each other. Between these bones, there’s a small space that enhances its flexibility.

The intervertebral disks, or in other words, the small spaces between the bones are mainly thick collagen fibers. By increasing the height of the intervertebral discs by only a fraction of an inch, you become taller.

The following are ways through which you achieve that goal – it is not hard!

Ways on how you lengthen the Spine

To increase the length of your spine, you first fix any possible misalignment that happens as a result of adopting wrong postures. A curvature on your spine makes you shorter, and you can no longer walk tall like before.

The idea is to remove this curve so that you can grow a little taller. Furthermore, misaligned vertebral discs inhibit their growth. You are eating well, but you are not moving an inch, vertically. Sounds familiar?

Fixing the misalignment is only part of the job. You must maintain the new structure, or your efforts will amount to naught. There are a few easy exercises that you can incorporate into your life and support the new length.

By fixing and maintaining the length provides the perfect condition for the growth of your intervertebral discs, and you know what that happens to your height. The last phase, which is spine growth, is the easiest, and the most important.

Correcting the Posture

Adopting a poor posture is an almost impossibility, especially in the current age of technology. Hunched backs as a result of leaning over our computers as we work are now quite common.

You can adopt the following exercises, and it may do the trick of having the right posture for a positive spine growth.

One simple way of correcting the posture is by leaning against the wall, with heels and back, also touching the wall. Tuck your chin in, and reach the wall with the back of your head – it shouldn’t be too complicated.

Extend your arms at your side with palms facing downwards. And at 45 degrees, flap them like wings, up and down for up to ten times.

The next step is to extend your arm upwards, and with your palm facing forward, pull on an imaginary lever and bring it downwards. Repeat the exercise with your other hand.

Ideally, you should repeat this whole exercise at least twice a week to fix your posture. If you do this exercise right, then you’ll be on your way to a better height.

Maintaining the Posture

I said that correcting the posture is only the start. You will need to maintain the posture if height increase is the ultimate goal. It’s no surprise for your height to go back to its original size if you grow lax. But how do you maintain the height?

Well, maintaining a good posture is all about the way you conduct your tasks. In other words, learn the habits that help keep the right straight posture, and avoid those that produce an unhealthy curvature on your back.

You can maintain the right posture by strengthening your back muscles. The following are some of the exercise suggestions to improve your back and support the proper posture.

• Seated Cable Row: the exercise is ideal for strengthening the upper back muscles, below your neck. The exercise stretches your chest and squeezes your back, making your back muscles flexible and strong.
• Bent-Over Raise: focuses on your shoulder muscles. The bent-over raise helps keep your shoulders in place, preventing the rounded-shoulders syndrome, characteristic of people often slouched over the desk throughout the week. You can purchase a pair of dumbbells for this exercise if you don’t have a gym membership.
• Shrugs: it strengthens the muscles responsible for keeping your neck in proper alignment. However, you must do this exercise in the right way.Ideally, keep the shoulder blades squeezed and your chin tucked inwards. And to prevent spine compression, choose light weights.

How you avoid a Poor Posture

Among the most significant factors that contribute to poor posture include sitting for extended periods. However, this is something that we still can’t avoid. The following are some of the suggested strategies to minimize sitting time, and chances of a poor posture.

• Sitting correctly: you should keep your chin tucked inwards, and your shoulder blades squeezed together. Straighten your lower back and keep shifting your sitting position every thirty minutes.
• Using a Standing Desk: while many people do not like the idea of a standing desk, it can help maintain the right posture, and chances of spine compression. The goal here is to make it easier for you to maintain the newly improved posture.

Making your Spine Longer

As mentioned earlier, the key to height increase lies in the intervertebral discs. That means your focus should be on increasing the height of these spinal bones.

Having the right posture decompresses the intervertebral discs, allowing them sufficient space to grow in height. However, there are still other things you can do to hasten the process.

1. Spine exercises: you should install a monkey bar, a few inches taller than your fully extended height. Jump and grab the bar, and proceed to swing back and forth, as necessary.Alternatively, you can stand on your feet, and your arms extended upwards, transition to tippy toes. Make sure to stretch your body to the maximum height.Keep away from any exercises that would compress the spine such as weight lifting, handstand pushups, and squats. Also, avoid carrying heavy objects.
2. The right diet: intervertebral discs are mainly collagen fibers, made of amino acids and proteins. To have them growing in the right way, you will need to include adequate amounts of proteins in your diet.Vitamin D, calcium and other essential nutrients will keep the small bones that form the spine, in good health and growing as they should. And if you are the kind of person that feels maintaining the right diet to grow taller is too slow, then you can choose the height growth supplements you will find on the market.Maintaining the right diet also keeps bone diseases at bay. You see, you can prevent most of the bone diseases such as osteoporosis and disc degeneration by merely eating the right nutrient-rich foods.Good bone growth also requires proper hydration. Essentially, drinking at least two liters a day is enough to help in the process of bone and muscle repair, as well as, bone growth.
3. Sleep enough: having a sufficient sleep allow your bones to decompress. It allows them time to repair and grow at a decent height.