Formulated milk and supplements to enhance growth aside, a lot of people can enjoy few inches added to their height by doing simple exercises and stretching routines.
How Stretching Helps
Experts suggest that stretching exercises mimic the conditions and strains induced by other resistance workouts such as weight lifting. The only difference with height-enhancing exercises is that the spine and abdominal muscles are targeted.
To put it simply, stronger muscles result to having compressed invertebral discs responsible for thickening the cartilages in the spinal columns, thereby lengthening the spine and naturally increasing your height.
A good program incorporates varied routines that put the body in plethora of motion. This can be advantageous in that the body becomes more flexible, and makes the bone and cartilage more receptive to growth. In fact, a successfully carried out series of exercises can give additional 2-3 inches on your stature.
Grow Taller Stretches for Beginners
Monkey Bar Technique
Centered on the concept that gravity inhibits growth. Spending a day in an upright vertical position can make the spine and joints compressed – a reason why the cartilages are squeezed and you appear shorter.
To counteract this effect, practice a simple hanging exercise to focus the weight on the lower torso, and stretch out the spine.
This technique also reduces the tension between the vertebrae.
Steps:
- 1. Look for a horizontal bar with ample altitude. If the bars are too low, bend the knees slightly to hang free.
- 2. Grasp the bar with your palms facing away from you. Your thumbs should be closer to each other.
- 3. While hanging, keep the arms, hips and shoulders relaxed to allow gravity to pull the body even more.
- 4. Hang for about 20 seconds and let go. Repeat the process three times a day. For best results, wear ankle weights while hanging to achieve better stretch.
Waterless Swimming
This is also known as the alternate leg kick, and concentrates the stretch on the lower back.
Steps:
- 1. Sprawl down flat on your stomach and aim to fully extend the body.
- 2. Reach the arms out in front with the palms facing floor.
- 3. Raise your left arm simultaneously with the raising of straightened right leg. Hold this pose for four to twenty seconds.
- 4. Slowly shift to having the left leg and right arm lifted. Repeat the process for half an hour everyday. To achieve higher resistance, you can wear wrist and ankle weights to further tone your lower back.
Pelvic Shift
Probably the easiest but most effective height-enhancing stretch, the pelvic shift is extremely helpful when trying to get taller. The resistance is concentrated on the lower part of the spine and the hips.
Steps:
1. Lie down flat on your back with the shoulders and arms placed firmly against the floor.
2. Bend your knees and position the feet as close to the buttocks as possible.
3. Arch your back and thrust your pelvis upward.
4. Hold the pose for 20 to 30 seconds and repeat the process.
Other than these exercises, yoga and advanced grow taller stretches can be incorporated in the routine to gain better results.
Before plunging in to these regimens, however, it is best have yourself checked by your trusted doctor to gauge whether your body is sound enough to be subjected to high-level strains and resistance.