While there is nothing wrong with being short, it may still be a source of insecurity for some. However, there are sets of height exercises that could help to remove decompressions in the vertebrae and improve posture.
One’s height is influenced by genes, hormones, the environment, and nutrition. It may be challenging to fight against these conditions, but it is possible with some height increase exercises.
Height Increase Exercises
Have you been looking for exercises for growing taller? Of course, there are tons of height gain exercises. However, these are the best exercise to increase height:
1. Pelvic Rise
Sitting for long hours often leads to backache and poor posture. Prolonged periods of sitting can lead to a change in the shape of the spine and muscle imbalances. You can counter this by practising the pelvic tilt exercise. It will help to lengthen your spine, increase height, and even soothe your back pain. This is because it increases the curvature of your upper and lower spine, which makes you look taller.
Procedure:
- Lie down on a mat, with your shoulders and back flat on the floor.
- Keep your arms on either side of you with the palms facing down.
- Bend your knees and place your feet near your buttocks.
- Push your stomach towards the ceiling so that your back arches and lifts your pelvis.
- Hold this position for 30 seconds while your legs and shoulders support your weight.
- Repeat this several times.
2. Hanging
Using your hands as support to hang your body can help stretch out your muscles. You can use a bar at home, the gym or even a tree branch. You can even do a few pull-ups if possible. Ensure the bar you are using can support your total weight.
Procedure:
- Either use a stool or jump up and catch the bar.
- Keep your arms long and spine straight.
- Hold this position for 30 seconds.
- Repeat this exercise every day.
3. Single-Leg Hopping
Strengthening your abdominal muscles can help ease back pain and make it easier for you to maintain good postures. You can easily do this by hopping exercises. Not only are they fun, but it works the entire body.
Procedure:
- Do 10 hops on the left leg and then the right leg.
- Your hands should reach out towards the sky.
4. Puppy Pose
This is an excellent exercise for increasing height as it flexes your spine and leg muscles, making your bones grow longer.
Procedure:
- Position yourself on all fours, that is, hands and knees, on the mat.
- Your hips and knees should be aligned, as should your shoulders and hands.
- Flex your feet for support and walk your hands forward.
- Now push your hips towards the back so that you feel a stretch in your spine.
- Hold this position for 60 seconds.
5. Side Stretch
A good side stretch helps to grow and elongate your muscles. More specifically, this exercise stretches and strengthens the intercostal muscles. While doing this stretch, you should feel the muscles pulling right from the lower back to your shoulder.
Procedure:
- Stand up with your feet together.
- Raise and clasp your hands above your head.
- Bend your upper torso towards the right.
- Hold the position for 20 seconds and come back to the base position.
- Repeat on the other side. You can do this a couple of times on both sides.
6. Low Lunge Arch
It is easier to focus on the lower body than the upper body. However, the low lunge exercise can strengthen and stretch your back. This exercise will also lengthen your legs and shoulders.
Procedure:
- Place one foot forward and place the knee of the other leg behind you.
- As you push your pelvis towards the floor, stretch your arms over your head.
- Hold this position for 30 seconds before switching to the other side.
7. Cobra Stretch
The cobra pose is one of the best stretches for your shoulders, chest, and abdominals. It also elongates your spine.
Procedure:
- Lie face down on the mat.
- Place your palms under your shoulders.
- Lift your head and upper chest off the floor, arching it upward.
- Stay in the position for 30 seconds.
- Repeat this exercise 5-6 times.
8. Jogging
Not many people know this, but jogging can help you in so many ways. It can boost your stamina, make you lose weight, and even increase your height. Jogging strengthens and elongates your leg bones. This is one of the easiest exercises you could do.
9. Jumping And Skipping
Exercising may seem daunting. However, you can make it fun by skipping rope or jumping. These two activities help to strengthen the legs. You could even use a trampoline to make things more exciting. Ensure both your feet lift off the floor and land at the same time. Also, ensure you keep your knees softly bent to avoid getting injured.
10. Vertical Bends
Vertical bends will lengthen your calf muscles and help expand them in the vertical direction.
Procedure:
- Stand up straight and keep your feet a little apart.
- Bend forward and touch the floor without bending your knees.
11. Standing Stretch
Similar to vertical bends, this exercise will lengthen out the muscles in your calves and hamstrings. However, this time keep your feet together. Bend down and try to touch your toes. Like the vertical bend, try to keep your knees straight.
12. Side Bends
Side bends will not only stretch your waist muscles but will sculpt them too. This exercise will help you strengthen the side abs and the core while improving your posture and stimulating your height. You can even use resistance bands or dumbbells to make it a little harder.
Procedure:
- Stand up with a little gap between your feet.
- Bend your upper body sideways, without your shoulder dropping forward.
- Hold this position for 30 seconds. Repeat the exercise on the other side.
13. Swimming
Swimming is one of the best activities that work your entire body simultaneously. It will strengthen and lengthen your legs, spine, and arms. If you know how to swim, there is no better exercise to beat a hot summer day and work out simultaneously. Try the breaststroke as it is an ideal swimming style to increase your height.
14. Calf Raises
Stand on your feet and slowly raise yourself up on the balls of your feet. Slowly lower yourself back down. You can hold onto something for support or even practice against a wall. Once you get the hang of it, reach your hands up to the ceiling. It is a great exercise for increasing your height.
15. Land Swimming
If swimming is not for you, that’s fine. You can try land swimming or dryland training. This exercise can help you to increase your height and strengthen the rest of your body. To make the exercise a little more challenging, you can add a stability ball under your stomach.
Procedure:
- Lay down on your stomach and try to lift your legs one by one.
- Stretch your hands out in front of you. If you pick up the left leg, raise the right hand and vice versa.
16. Boat pose
Any exercises involving strengthening your legs can help in improving your height. This exercise calls for a full extension of the entire body. This will help to lengthen out all your muscles.
Procedure:
- Lie down with your stomach touching the floor.
- Put your hands on the sides of your chest.
- Keeping your legs together, try to raise them as high as possible. Do not bend your knees.
- You can use your hands to support your back.
- Hold this position for 30-60 seconds and repeat it a few times.
17. Alternate Leg Kicks
Inspired by Tae Kwon Do, a Korean martial art, these leg kicks can help you increase your height. It extends your body, specifically your legs, despite being a defensive move.
Procedure:
- Stand straight up with your legs slightly apart.
- Keep your hands in front of you as fists.
- Kick your right leg up and bring it back down.
- Repeat on the left side.
18. Wake Up Stretching
You can do wonders for your height just by stretching when you wake up in the morning. Stretching exercises in the morning promote a free-flowing of the fluid in the intervertebral discs of the spinal cord. If you sit for prolonged periods, these discs become compressed. The space between your vertebrae can shrink down, making you seem shorter. This exercise will help to expand the space between your disks, making you look taller.
Procedure:
- Lay down on your back with. Keep your legs straight. Extend your arms over your head. Reach out with both your legs and arms simultaneously.
- You should feel the stretch in your spine during this exercise. Hold it for 30 seconds and repeat.
19. Glutes And Hip Bridge
The glutes bridge exercise can help to improve the flexibility of your back. You will also stretch your hip flexors which help to elongate your lower back and hamstrings.
Procedure:
- Lie on your back and hold your ankles with your hands.
- Push your pelvis towards the ceiling so that your back is arched.
- Lift your hips up and tuck your buttocks.
- Hold this position for 30 seconds and come back down.
- Repeat this exercise 4-5 times.
20. Forward Spine Stretch
This exercise is perfect for stretching your back, hamstrings, and abdominals.
Procedure:
- Sit on a mat with your legs in front of you.
- Keep your legs wider than the width of your hips.
- Lift up from your lower spine so that your entire back is straight.
- Reach your hands up and over to touch your toes.
- This will engage your leg muscles while stretching your spine. Hold this for 30-60 seconds and repeat a few times.
21. Cat Camel Backstretch
If you feel stiff in the back, the cat and camel stretch is perfect for loosening up those muscles. Moreover, it will give your spine some length.
Procedure:
- Place your knees and hands on the mat in a tabletop position.
- Slowly arch your back, making your upper and lower back go towards the ceiling and your middle back towards the floor.
- Then reverse the movement and take the upper and lower back towards the floor and the middle back to the ceiling.
- Do this slowly and gently.
- Hold the positions for 3-5 seconds and repeat the stretch five or six times.
22. Mermaid Stretch
This exercise will stretch and engage your intercostal and shoulder muscles. It works wonders for your posture. This stretch will help you walk straight and look taller.
Procedure:
- Sit down with your legs bent towards one direction.
- Hold on to your ankles with a closed hand.
- Raise the other arm and stretch it over your head.
- Hold for 20 -30 seconds. Repeat on the other side.
23. Cycling
It is never too late to start cycling. However, it is better to start when you are younger as it is more likely to help you increase your height as you are still growing. Your teenage years are generally when you have the most growth. Cycling will help you stretch your legs and gain a few inches.
24. Jump Squats
Jump squats are helpful in conditioning the muscles and joints of the lower body. Consequently, it helps to improve your height.
Procedure:
- Stand on a mat with your feet more than a hips-width apart.
- Squat down by pushing your hips down and behind.
- Ensure your knees are on top of your toes.
- Push yourself into a jump as you come out of the squat.
25. Cobra Stretch
The cobra stretch is an easy stretch that anyone can do. It not only stretches your spine but your abdominals as well.
Procedure:
- Lie down on your stomach. Keep your palms facing down, under your shoulders.
- Using your hands as support, lift your head and chest up. Use your hands to push yourself up.
- The arch as much as possible while relaxing your shoulders.
- Hold this position for 30 seconds, and slowly come back down.
26. Downward Facing Dog
The downward dog pose resembles a mountain. This exercise will stretch your spine and the back of your legs. It will also strengthen your arm muscles.
Procedure:
- Get on all fours, and tuck your toes into the mat.
- Ensure that your hips and knees are aligned. Your hands should be under your shoulder.
- Push your hips up the ceiling, straightening your legs and your hands.
- Your entire foot should remain on the floor, as should the entire palm of your hand.
- You will feel a stretch in your arms, shoulders, spine, hamstrings, and calves.
27. Bird Dog
The bird dog is a core exercise to improve lower back strength and balance. It also provides a great stretch from head to thighs.
Procedure:
- Get on the floor on all fours.
- Reach one leg up and out. You can think about reaching the back wall with your toe.
- At the same time, lift up the opposite arm off the floor. Extend it in front of you as if you need to touch the front wall.
- Hold for a few seconds, and then do it on the other side.
28. Inversion Table Exercise
Inversions are a great way to gain height, as they shift the body’s gravity. This stretch will also stretch and loosen your back muscles.
Procedure:
- You will need an inversion table. Lock your feet at the base of the table.
- Raise your arms up and move your body into an upside-down position.
- Hold this position for 15-20 seconds before you come back up.
29. Surya Namaskara
Sun Salutation or Surya Namaskar consists of 12 yoga poses. Each pose stretches a different part of your body, like your legs and your back. This contributes to increasing your height.
30. Side Planks
Side planks will strengthen your abdominals, back, arms, and legs. This will consequently help make you look taller.
Procedure:
- Get into a plank position. Slowly shift all your weight to your right hand and right leg.
- Depending on your skill level, you can keep the left leg placed on the floor in front of the right leg or directly on top of the right leg.
- You can keep your left hand on your side or raise it to the ceiling.
- Stay like this for 30 seconds and shift to the other side.
Also Read: How to Increase Height after 18 Years? Is It Even Possible?
Yoga Exercises to Increase Height
Here are some yoga exercises to increase height:
1. Tadasana (Mountain Pose)
Tadasana (Mountain pose) stretches every muscle in the body. It will elongate the entire body, facilitating the formation of growth hormones in the body.
2. Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose)
Bhujangasana (Cobra pose) lengthens out the lower back, upper back, sternum, and stomach. This will improve the posture of your spine.
3. Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend)
Paschimottanasana (seated forward bend) helps your entire body. You should do this in the morning, preferably on an empty stomach. If you do the stretch later in the day, ensure you have not eaten anything within the last 5-6 hours. This pose stretches your hamstring and spine and stimulates your liver and kidney. It is great for increasing your height, reducing headaches, improving digestion, increasing appetite, and tackling insomnia and high blood pressure.
4. Vriksh asana (Tree Pose)
The Vriksha asana (Tree pose) activates the pituitary gland, leading to the growth hormone production.
5. Trikonasana (Triangle Pose)
Trikonasana (Triangle pose) will strengthen your ankles, knees, arms, legs, and chest. It also opens up the chest and the hips. It stretches the spine, calf muscles, and hamstrings.
Also Read: How to Increase Height After 21? Is It Even Possible - What Does Science Say?
Height Increase Food That You Should Eat
Mostly, height depends on genetics. However, it is essential to have a balanced diet. Eating the right nutrients is important so that you can have proper growth and development.
These 11 height increase food items can help you see that change:
- Beans
- Chicken
- Almonds
- Leafy Greens
- Yoghurt
- Sweet Potatoes
- Quinoa
- Eggs
- Berries
- Almonds
- Milk
Height Increase Tips
Our tips for improving your height are simple. They include:
- Eat a balanced diet
- Get enough sleep
- Use supplements according to professional advice
- Stay active
- Practice Yoga
- Improve your posture
Summing Up on Height Increase Exercises
It may be difficult to gain height after your teen years. However, you can use height growth exercise sets to fix your posture and improve your height. You can overcome the odds with persistence.
FAQs
Can Exercise Make You Taller?
Yes, exercises can make you taller. It helps to strengthen your body and stretch out your muscles and joints. These exercises help improve your posture, which makes you look taller.
Can Stretching Make You Taller?
Your height will vary throughout the day according to the compression and decompression of the cartilage discs in your spine. So yes, stretching can help to make you look taller.
References
Jeffrey A Quon, Francis W Smith, April 2010; Magnetic resonance imaging and stadiometric assessment of the lumbar discs after sitting and chair-care decompression exercise: a pilot study - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20189463/
Dana S Hardin, December 2008; Treatment of short stature and growth hormone deficiency in children with somatotropin (rDNA origin) - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2727887/
Samantha C. W. Chan, Stephen J. Ferguson, November 2011; The effects of dynamic loading on the intervertebral disc - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3207351/
