Children start to grow at a rate of 2.5 inches every year after the age of 2. However, once a person hits puberty, a person is unlikely to grow taller. Stunted growth can be a serious concern among many individuals, and they would want to know how to increase height. 

Although genetics has a pivotal role in determining your height, there are several other factors, focusing on which you can optimise your growth.  The sections below highlight all the factors that can stop you from growing or hinder your growth rate, and thus emphasis is given to the measures that must be taken to attain height naturally. 

How to Increase Height Naturally?

Here are some of the important ways, by following which you can optimise the growth potential: 

1. Maintain a balanced diet

Follow a properly balanced diet to support your body during the growing phase. It is common to see how the majority of teenagers avoid food with high nutritional value and consume junk food. Inadequate nutrition will not allow the body to reach its natural and potential height. 

Hence, you must ensure to include adequate vitamin D and calcium in your diet besides incorporating protein and zinc sources. Include:

• Whole grains
• High-protein foods like chicken and soy 
• Fresh fruits
• Dairy products like milk and cheese
• Vitamin D-rich foods such as cod liver oil, tuna and salmon 
• Healthy fats found in olive oil, flaxseeds, sunflower oil, almonds & walnuts

2. Follow a healthy sleeping pattern

Making lifestyle changes also helps in strengthening the metabolism. For instance, getting sufficient sleep will also help you gain weight. Studies reveal that human bodies tend to grow taller when they sleep. The growth hormone is released when the body is at complete rest. Disrupted sleeping patterns will hinder the release of the hormone, which will impact the body’s growth negatively. 

3. Use nutritional supplements (with caution)

Consuming supplements is a great way to make up for the deficiency of any nutrition in the body such as calcium and vitamin D. In case the release of HGH (human growth hormone) is affected during the growing stages, doctors recommend supplements that are rich in synthetic HGH.

Though many supplements are available, you need to be aware of the fact that as you hit puberty, the growth plates harden and fuse together. No supplements can help you to increase your height after that. 

4. Staying active

You have to stay active for your complete physical development and growth. Regular exercise improves and strengthens the muscles and bone tissues. In addition, it helps in reducing weight and aids the production of HGH. 

As maximum height can be gained in the formative years, it is extremely important that, as an individual, you should engage in strength-building exercises, aerobic activities, & flexibility exercises for one hour every day. 

It must be noted it is unlikely for an adult to increase height post-puberty despite exercising.

5. Practice yoga

Yoga comes with immense mental and physical benefits. Some of the popular and effective yoga poses that will help in increasing height are the mountain pose, child’s pose, and triangle pose. Though not all yoga poses will increase your skeletal height, doing them regularly will help in developing body awareness, gaining strength, and developing a good posture. 

Regular yoga practice also increases flexibility, stretches and elongates the spine, and facilitates the release of growth hormones. All these benefits together will enable you to stand taller and will keep your spine in alignment. 

6. Practise good posture 

A poor body posture can also affect your appearance and body structure. Slouching and slumping, over a period of time, affects the actual height. Therefore, it is very important to be mindful of your posture. For instance, rest your back against the back of the chair and keep your feet on the ground. You can also take the assistance of a doctor.

Other Factors Affecting Height

As mentioned above, genetics play a significant role in determining your height. There are more than 700 unique genetic variants that are responsible for your natural growth. Even the DNA contributes towards 80% of your height (approximately). 

Hormones like growth hormones, thyroid hormones, & sex hormones also are integral to one’s growth. The pituitary gland, present in the brain, is responsible for the release of growth hormones. This hormone not only supports your growth but also helps in building muscles and bones. 

Your overall health and genetic condition also influence your height. Besides this, staying active & maintaining a balanced diet are imperative parameters as well. 

If you are wondering how to increase your height in 1 week, then it is important to note that your height cannot magically increase, especially once you have passed your teenage years. 

Factors that Result in Stunted Growth

There are numerous factors that can hinder your growth process. Some of these factors include:

1. Nutrient deficiency

This is perhaps one of the major reasons that results in stunted growth of an individual. Lack of enough macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, fats) and micronutrients (vitamins, minerals and fibre) adversely affects children’s growth. 

2. Environmental conditions

As per studies, tremendous exposure to pollutants like cadmium, lead, PCB (Polychlorinated biphenyl), etc., can be linked to stunted growth of a child. 

3. Stress

Chronic stress also hampers the production and function of the growth hormone, thus affecting the height of the person. 

4. Heredity

Heredity is one of the key reasons that results in stunted growth. In case a family holds a history of delayed growth, children are most likely to inherit that.

5. Health condition

Health conditions that affect your height include:

• Growth hormone deficiency
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Anaemia
• Juvenile idiopathic arthritis
• Fibrosis
• Genetic conditions like Down syndrome, achondroplasia, & Turner syndrome 

In some cases, maternal malnutrition can also be a reason why a person could not attain their natural height. 

Takeaway

Following a balanced diet, exercising regularly, and taking adequate rest helps the body to attain its full potential. However, you cannot alter your height once growth plates have fused. You attain the peak height by the time you hit puberty. Hence, during the teenage years, it is essential to indulge in exercises like skipping, stretching, following a balanced diet, etc., which helps you gain height naturally and quickly.

To ensure your body is loaded with enough nutrients, Explore Nutritional Supplements

FAQs

Q. How to boost growth hormone naturally?

Here are some of the effective ways by which you can increase the HGH (Human Growth Hormone) levels:

• Reduce sugar intake
• Lose body fat
• Consume melatonin and GABA supplements
• Eat sufficient protein

You must consult a doctor before taking any supplements.  

Q. Is it safe to have supplements to gain height?

You should avoid consuming random supplements that promise you increased height instantly. You must know that once the growth plates get fused together, you can increase your height regardless of the supplements you are taking. Also, without proper knowledge, it can have an adverse impact on one’s overall health. 

Q. How is the release of sex hormones related to one's growth and height?

There is an increase in the production of oestrogens and testosterone hormones when children hit their adolescent period. The release of sex  & growth hormones together contribute to the increase in height. Less production of these sex hormones delays puberty and a delayed growth spurt.

Q. What are the vitamin D and calcium-rich foods that help to increase height?

Some of the calcium-rich foods are soybeans, yoghurt, broccoli, sardines, & oranges, while vitamin D is present in cheese, egg yolks, soy & milk. Including these options will help in the overall growth and development of an individual. 

Q. What is the average height that one can attain based on age and sex?

Females generally have a growth spurt after their menstruation starts, which on average, is apparent at the age of 12 to 13. On the other hand, the first physical changes in boys happen between 10 and 16 years. 

Q. How to increase heights for girls? 

There are no separate measures to increase height in girls. Hence, irrespective of gender, one can follow a balanced diet, practise exercises or yoga, & follow healthy sleeping patterns to ensure optimal growth.

Medically reviewed by Dr Sonia Bhatt.