It does not matter how tall you are; it matters how high you reach in your career. This proverb implies that reaching your goals in life has more value, irrespective of your height. This means that whatever your height may be, you will have to work towards reaching your goals. However, height is an attractive factor for many people to show their personalities. Here, let's see if it is possible to increase the height after 18 and what the ways are.
How to Increase Height after 18?
In most cases, it is not possible to increase a person's height. However, in some cases, increasing height after 18 years of age is possible by putting in extra effort. After age 18, the development of the body slows down gradually. That's why increasing height to 18 is a tough process. It's well known that nutrition is more significant for growth and development and, most importantly, natural height gain. Though these methods could show a height increase in only a few people, you could follow them to increase height after 18 for better results.
1) Correct nutrition
Many people are unable to reach their maximum height of 18 as their bodies have inadequate nutrition. To maintain a healthy and disease-free body, you must have proper nutrition by following a balanced diet. The nutrients in a balanced diet help stimulate an increase in body height, both naturally and medically. Apart from these points, food items containing zinc, manganese, and phosphorus help increase your height naturally and medically.
2) Nutritious breakfast
To start a day well and also to increase height, it is a must to have breakfast rather than skipping it. These days, youngsters have the habit of skipping breakfast due to several reasons. This breakfast skipping is not good for your growth and height. So, eat a healthy breakfast, which helps increase your metabolism.
3) In between food
Eating five times helps increase your metabolism and height, even after age 18. Many of us have the habit of eating three times a day. However, the food you eat will determine the amount of growth hormone produced in the human body.
Therefore, it is important to ensure that whatever you eat contains the necessary vitamins, minerals, and protein to stimulate your growth hormones. Thus, eating healthy food five times might help you reach full height naturally.
4) Have adequate sleep and rest
For any disease except narcolepsy, proper sleep is needed to treat it. Even narcolepsy patients need enough sleep rather than sleeping too long. Also, enough sleep and rest are very important for growth and development. This is because the growth hormone in humans, which helps increase height, is synthesized during sleep. Then, the growth of the human body and the regeneration of tissues occurs during sleep. So, enough sleep and rest are a must for height gain. Teenagers at the age of 18 need a minimum of 8.5 to 10.5 hours of sleep per night.
5) Drink enough water
Water is considered a natural detoxifier, which helps remove toxins from your body. This will help with better digestion and metabolism. Having a good metabolism might help increase height. So, you could drink a minimum of 8 glasses of water daily for better health and growth.
6) Practice good posture
Many genetic factors might stop your growth in height and make you show dull and height-decreasing postures. To increase height even after age 18, practising proper and good posture can help in developing and increasing height.
Always try to Make sure that your head and neck are straight in posture. Bending and slouching while sitting and standing might result in suppressing your normal height by your spinal cord.
7) Exercise and yoga
Exercise is very important to increase height before the age of 18. However, even after age 18, you can practice simple exercises such as stretching, skipping, hanging from an overhead bar, and swimming, which might help increase height to a small extent. Sports like basketball and football help increase height.
Yogas like Trikonasana, Vrikshasana, etc, help increase height, and people can try them even after they are 18.
8) Have an ideal body weight
Obesity could also affect your height, in addition to other health conditions. So, maintain an ideal body weight, have a proper diet plan, and exercise.
9) Avoid growth inhibitors
Drugs, cigarettes, alcohol and Antibiotics inhibit act as growth, so avoid them from growing naturally after 18.
10) Avoid smoking and drinking
As mentioned above, cigarettes and alcohol suppresses your primary growth. So, quit smoking and drinking to safeguard your healthy growth.
What affects growth?
Many factors decide one's height. The factors which affect height and growth are given below:
Genetics
Research has found that genetics contributes to 80 percent of height. At the same time, factors like sleep, diet, and exercise habits decide the other 20 percent.
Gender
It may be hard to believe that gender impacts one's height. Generally, men are mostly taller than women.
Nutrition
Malnourished children usually experience stunted growth due to the lack of nutrients. Chronic malnutrition might result in stunted growth permanently.
Health status
Conditions impacting your bone growth in childhood, like achondroplasia (dwarfism), Down syndrome, hypopituitarism, delayed puberty, etc, could affect your height in adulthood.
Sleep
The amount and quality of sleep you get each day impacts your bone development and, thus, your growth. When you sleep, your pituitary gland releases hormones for growth. Growth hormone is necessary for connective tissue, muscle, and bone growth.
Yoga Asanas to Increase Height After 18
Yoga has been used in ancient traditional practices for its health benefits, such as height growth and reduction in back pain. Yoga involves stretching the spine and lengthening the back and leg muscles, which thus enhances posture. Though there is no evidence to prove that these Yoga Asanas increase height after 18, you can try all these yogas.
1) Vrikshasana
In Vrikshasana, the neck is bent upward, which triggers growth hormone in the pituitary gland. Thus, Vrikshasana helps one grow taller.
How to do Vrikshasana?
- Stand in a straight posture, spacing your feet two inches apart.
- Concentrate in front of you and breathe out.
- Now, bend your right leg and keep your right foot on your left thigh inside.
- Make sure your left leg is straight at this time.
- Take a deep breath, bring your hands together, and do the Namaskar Mudra between your chests.
- Upto ten to thirty seconds, continue this position and breathe normally.
- Leave out a breath and finish the Namaskar Mudra.
- Now, bring back your right leg to its original position on the floor.
2) Shirshasana
The headstand triggers the functioning of the hypothalamus-pituitary and endocrine glands. Triggering the hypothalamus-pituitary glands helps increase height.
How to do Shirshasana?
- Arrange a yoga mat on the floor.
- Now, tie your hand around your head with your fingers behind your head.
- Slowly raise both your legs straight upward and your head to the ground.
- Now, keep your legs close to this body in line, from head to toe.
- Maintain this pose for a few seconds and slowly return to the original position.
3) Tadasana (Mountain pose)
Tadasana improves your posture and strengthens your legs. It improves your posture.
How to do Tadasana?
- Stand straight with your legs, waist, and head in a straight line.
- Place your feet together and hands beside you.
- Inhale and lift your arms upwards parallel to each other while inhaling.
- Raise your heels and safely balance on your toes.
- Stretch your body upside down, keeping your arms and legs straight. Stay in this position for 30 seconds as much as you can. Then, relax.
4) Surya Namaskar
Surya Namaskar stimulates a person's hormones, improves spinal flexibility, and loosens up joints and muscles. So Surya Namaskar helps gain height.
How to do Surya Namaskar?
Here are the 12 steps of Surya Namaskar you could follow:
- Stand straight and make feet comfortably apart.
- Come to prayer or Pranamasana pose by putting your palms at your heart centre.
- Now, raise your arms upwards and slightly bend the head, arms, and upper trunk on your backside. So that, reach raised Arms Pose or Utthana Hastasana pose.
- Next, follow the standing Forward Bend or Pada Hastasana Pose.
- For that, bend forward from the hip and touch the floor with your palms or fingers on either side of the feet. Bring the forehead as close to the knees as possible for you.
- Next, come to Lunge Pose or Ashwa Sanchalana. For that, sit down, bending your knees and palms straight on the floor.
- Then, move your right leg backside, bend the left knee and raise your head.
- Relax and practice the Plank or Dandasana pose next.
- For that, take your left leg backside and balance your body weight on the palms and toes. But your head, waist, and foot should be on one line. Then, see ahead.
- Practice the eight-limbed or Ashtanga Namaskara Pose. Keep your knees, chest, and chin on the floor, then slowly bend your elbows.
- Next, do Cobra or Bhujangasana Pose.
- Just lift your body above the waist and slightly bend it backwards. See forward.
- Now, do Parvatasana pose. For that, place your foot on the floor, raise your waist towards the ceiling, and stretch your hands. Then, place both of your hands on the floor.
- Practice the Lunge or Ashwa sanchalana Posey. Place your right foot in front and then bend your left knee.
- Now, lift your head.
- Do a Standing Forward Bend or Pada Hastasana Pose. For that, stand straight with your legs. Now, bend your hip forward in an inverted U shape. Then, touch the floor with your fingers on each leg.
- Perform raised Arms or Hasta Utthanasana Pose. Just stretch your arms upwards and bend the head, arms, and upper trunk slightly backward.
- Finally, finish the Surya Namaskar with the Prayer or Pranamasana Pose. Just place your palms in the heart centre, just like the first step.
5) Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend)
Paschimottanasana increases height, apart from relieving headaches, enhancing digestion, boosting appetite, lowering obesity,and treating high blood pressure.
How to do Paschimottanasana?
- Sit straight, stretch both your legs in front of you and point your toes towards you.
- Now, deeply take air in (inhale) and raise both your arms over your head.
- Stretch your arms as far as you can, and then exhale slowly. Now, bend your hips forward and aim your toes.
- On bending, get as close as you can to your toes.
- On bending, get as close as you can to your toes. Now, inhale again and raise your head to bring back your spine so you can touch the toes with your fingers.
- Continue exhaling by bringing your belly button towards your knees till your head rests on your knees.
- Stay in this pose until you can; then, slowly return to your starting position before repeating the pose.
6) Trikonasana (Triangle Pose)
Trikonasana strengthens your arms, legs, and chest muscles. It improves the spine's alignment and gets the hormones working, which can increase height. This yoga is effective for height gain up to the age of 25.
How to do Trikonasana?
- Stand straight with the feet wide apart.
- Move your right foot outside at a 90-degree angle.
- Now, inhale for a few seconds. Then, exhale and flex your body towards the right side.
- Now, touch your right toe slowly with the right hand.
- Then, take your left hand towards up.
- You could be in this pose for a minimum of 30 seconds.
- Repeat this procedure on your left side.
- Make sure that you do not squat backwards or forward, and keep your feet strong on the ground.
7) Padahasthasana
Padahastasana increases the circulation of blood circulation, thus helping increase height.
How to do Padahasthasana?
- Stand straight and keep your feet close together.
- Now, inhale slowly and deeply.
- Next, raise and stretch both of your arms above your head.
- Keep your body straight, like elongating it.
- Now, bend your hip downwards in the front.
- Now, to touch your feet, stretch your arms down.
- During this time, exhale and maintain your knees in a straight position.
- Also, make sure your head reaches close to your knees. Maintain breathing for a few seconds.
- Finally, to come out, bend your knees slowly a little. Then, keep your hands on your waist and just stand up.
Conclusion
In general, it is only the least possible to increase your height after you reach 18. This is because most of the growth takes place before 18. However, in a few cases, it is possible to increase height even after 18 by following important habits or methods that are given above. Certain important factors which influence growth rate in every human being like genetics sleep and food are also mentioned above.
