Your height is largely determined by both your genetics as well as environmental factors. Even though several factors that determine your height are out of your control, there are a few things such as your height stays the same. Once your growth plates have closed, your height remains the same. However, before that window has closed, you can use the following techniques and exercises to reach your full potential. What you do when you are young will likely affect how big and tall you grow to be. While none of these steps can ensure you grow tall, having a healthy, low-stress lifestyle will increase the odds you reach your maximum potential height.
1
Understand that most of your height will be determined by the genetics of your family. Height is a polygenic trait, meaning it is influenced by several different genes. Having two short parents doesn't necessarily mean that you will be short, just as having two tall parents will not make you a towering giant. However, if most of the people on both sides of your family are short, then odds are that you will be short as well. Do not be discouraged though. The truth is that you cannot know how tall you will be until you reach full physical adulthood in your mid-twenties.
Calculate your projected height. Working in inches or centimeters, you can try to predict your height based on the height of your parents.
Add up your parents' heights (in inches or cm).
Add 5 inches (13 cm) if you are a boy; subtract 5 inches (13 cm) if you are a girl.
Divide by 2.
The answer is your predicted height, give or take 4 inches (10 cm). Note that this is not an absolute calculation, but it should be pretty close.
#2
Avoid growth-stunting factors. There might not be a lot you can do to increase your height, but you can take several steps to make sure your natural height is not shortened by environmental influences. Drugs and alcohol are both thought to contribute to stunted growth if they are ingested while you are young, and malnutrition can keep you from reaching your full height as well.
Does caffeine really stunt your growth? Scientific study shows that caffeine does not stunt growth.[2] Caffeine does, however, have a higher chance of keeping you from sleeping soundly and regularly. Kids and adolescents need about around 9 1/2 hours of sleep, and caffeine may hurt your ability to get that much sleep.
Does smoking really stunt your growth? The effects of smoking and second-hand smoke on body mass index (BMI) are inconclusive, however, according to Columbia University's Internet Health Resource: "the available research suggests that children who smoke, or who are exposed to second-hand smoke are shorter than those who do not smoke or are children of non-smokers."[3]
Do steroids really stunt your growth? Absolutely. Anabolic steroids inhibit bone growth in young children and teens, along with lowering sperm count, decreasing breast size, elevating blood pressure and putting you at higher risk of heart attack.[4] Children and teenagers who suffer from asthma and use inhalers that dispense small doses of the steroid budesonide are, on average, half an inch shorter than those not treated with steroids.
#3
Get plenty of sleep. Research suggests that growing teenagers and pre-teenagers need between 8.5 and 11 hours of sleep every night. Most of your growing takes place while sleeping. This is because your body grows and regenerates tissue while you are at rest. Make your sleeping environment as calm as possible and try to eliminate loud noises and unnecessary light. If you have trouble falling asleep, try taking a warm bath or drinking a hot cup of chamomile tea before bed. Not getting enough hours of sleep will stunt your growth.
The human growth hormone (HGH) is produced naturally in our bodies, especially during deep or slow wave sleep. Getting good, sound sleep will encourage the production of HGH, which is created in the pituitary gland.
As a hormone, HGH is sometimes injected into the bloodstream under the supervision of a licensed doctor. HGH creams, powders, pills or non-prescription injections are medically suspect and can have serious side effects.[6] Talk with your doctor before starting any course of HGH treatment.
Keep your body as straight as possible while sleeping. Your spine must be straight as possible. Lay on your back with your arms and legs stretched toward the foot of the bed. Do not exert any effort or pressure to stretch your limbs. Allow your body to be completely relaxed. You may let your head turn to the right or left and bend your arms if it is more comfortable to you. The important thing is to keep your body (torso and legs) as straight as possible. This position may prove to be uncomfortable for the first few nights, but your body will soon become accustomed to this manner of sleeping and before long you will discover not only extra inches but also a more comfortable sleep.
Kick the "pillow habit". This is a very common mistake made by most of us because we are led to believe that a pillow allows for a more comfortable night's sleep so, through habit, we become attached and generally accept this as the most comfortable way to sleep. However, nothing could be further from the truth. The use of a pillow is an incorrect form of sleeping and should be avoided. While laying on your back with your head resting on a pillow, your neck is bent forward in a very unnatural position. In this position, your head is being pushed forward and your back is arched, also a very unnatural position. If you suffer from frequent neck or back pains, in the majority of cases, you can probably blame it on your pillow or mattress.
Make sure your mattress is firm and capable of giving your body full support. This is aid to in keeping your spine as straight as possible while sleeping. A soft or sagging mattress will tend to bend the spine and curve the torso in a sinking effect, which must be avoided. A good mattress will support the whole body, which will keep in a straight posture setting - a must for obtaining greater height.
#4
Nutrition. Ensuring you are getting all the vitamins and minerals that your body requires will help you grow to your full height. Include all of the following substances in your meals. Take a supplement targeted at your age group with breakfast each morning and try to incorporate certain foods into your diet. Here are some specific suggestions:
Make sure to take in an abundance of carbohydrates and calories for that is where the body gains its energy to grow.
Get plenty of calcium (found in dairy products and green vegetables). Calcium promotes bone growth and can help prevent osteoporosis.
Taking 500 mg of niacin has shown to significantly increase growth hormone levels only when taken on an empty stomach.
Get sufficient vitamin D (which can be obtained through eating fish, alfalfa, or mushrooms, or spending enough time in the sun). Vitamin D promotes bone and muscle growth in children,[7] and a deficiency has been shown to stunt growth and cause weight gain in teenage girls. If you do not like fish, consider a purified fish oil supplement (purifying removes mercury).
Take in a lots of lean protein (from meat, cheese, eggs, beans, tofu, seeds, or legumes). Proteins provide an essential building block your body needs in order to grow. At least one (preferably two) of your meals each day should include a high-quality protein.
If you think the amount of protein in your diet is low, then take protein powder once or twice a day.
Up your zinc intake (oysters, chocolate, peanuts, eggs, peas, asparagus, and supplements). A zinc deficiency can cause stunted growth in children .[8] The best way to make sure you meet your body's daily need is by taking a vitamin or supplement that includes zinc.
Eat on a regular schedule. You should be eating 3 meals a day, with small snacks between breakfast and lunch, and lunch and dinner. Try to schedule these events at roughly the same time each day. 4-5 hours is the time needed for insulin to disappear from your bloodstream so that growth hormone can work on building your tissue. This is the period of time that you should wait between meals. Proteins, which are absorbed slowly, should keep you from becoming hungry. Your last meal should be 3-4 hours before you go to sleep. Small amount of protein shake are allowed right before your bedtime.
Eat a steady amount of food. That is why dieting is not recommended, as long as you are still growing. Not eating a good quantity of food will deprive your body of the substances detailed above, therefore stunting your growth. If you want to lose weight, decrease the amount of fats, sugar, and carbohydrates from your alimentation, but eat the rest of the foods in good, moderate amounts. Also, try to lose weight through sports. After all, you can still lose weight later, but you must take the most out of your adolescence if you want to grow taller
#5
Exercise your body. Sadly, if your growth plates have closed as due to your age, exercising will not affect your growth rate.[9] But if you enjoy swimming, biking, running, or yoga, among other sports and you have not stopped growing, exercise combined with the right diet and proper sleep should help you grow.
Doing stretches has some beneficial effects. Stretching is the most effective form of exercising when it comes to height increase. Doing intense stretching exercises can add a few extra inches to your height, even shortly after growth has stopped. For best results, you should do these exercise two times a day, after you wake up and before you go to bed. Start with easy exercises, then gradually move on to the more difficult ones.
Swimming has also been claimed to help by elongating muscles in a way similar to stretching. A few laps may help your effort.
Tickle Massage. This works best if somebody else does it for you: Massage your knee for 5-10 minutes. This should be very ticklish to some others. Massaging your knees with your hands allows your knees to release growth chemicals that helps you grow your bones.