8 Simple Ways To Increase Height In Kids

If you are here wondering about ways that help increase kids’ height, worry not, we got you covered! When it comes to defining proper physical growth and development in children, especially in their growing years, height and weight are considered essential parameters. While each child is different and may develop in their own time based on their genetic makeup and family history, many parents remain worried about their child’s height. Proper diet, nutrition, sports like basketball, volleyball, cycling, and plenty of outdoor activities play a crucial role in supporting your child’s growth, along with genes. Try out the exercises, tips, and tricks mentioned below to help your child grow taller and healthier. Read on to find out how!

Workout Blueprint: Exercises To Increase Height

• Frequency: Daily
• Benefits: Stretches and elongates your calf, back, and core muscles that may help increase your height.
• Equipment Needed: Exercise mat, jumping rope, and an ankle weight
• Space Required: Small area for yoga and stretching, but a large area for swimming and jogging.
• Assistance Required: Yes, for certain exercises.
• Who Should Avoid: Anyone with an existing injury or who has recently undergone surgery.

How To Increase Height In Children

There is no secret to increasing height overnight. You may have seen the advertisements in newspapers and on television that claim to speed up height but, most of them are bogus.. Conversely, eating such non-prescription drugs can lead to several physical complications.

Hence, you should never take those advertisements seriously. Here are some simple guidelines that truly work to support a child’s growth and development.

1. Balanced Diet For Overall Growth

The first step for acquiring height is eating a balanced diet. Strive for a plate containing all nutrients containing lean protein, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats. You can eat all the things in moderation. Examples of protein include poultry, meat, soy, fish, and dairy products. These proteins would help you build muscles, improve bone health and stimulate body growth. They also contain micronutrients which help stimulate muscle growth. Eat adequate amounts of Vitamin D, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and calcium too. Green leafy vegetables and dairy products are good sources of calcium (1). Studies have shown that zinc stimulates body growth effectively (2). So, try to add zinc-rich foods like wheat germ, squash seeds, peanuts, crab, and pumpkin into your daily food chart. Try to include every food to aid in height gain in kids.

Quick Tip

Aim to have your child eat the ‘rainbow’ every day by including a wide variety of colorful whole foods to get all kinds of nutrients.

2. Stretching Exercises

Stretching is one of the most effective ways to increase your child’s height. Simple exercises that involve stretching are a must. An exercise you can get your child to try is to stand against a wall with his back towards it. Ask him to raise his hands and stretch as far as he possibly can. The next step is to sit with his back against the wall on his toes and stretch the muscles in his leg. This can be repeated ten times every day. Stretching prior to engaging in activities like running, jumping, or pilates can help reduce the risk of injury.

Another fantastic stretching exercise is to get your child to sit on the floor with his legs apart as wide as possible. Let him bend his waist and stretch to touch his toes, about four times on each leg. This is a beneficial exercise as it helps in the elongation of his spine and improves his posture.

Staying consistent with these exercises improves flexibility and supports natural growth. So, encourage your child to do these stretching exercises regularly, ideally 4-5 times a week, to see noticeable results.

Fatemah, a lifestyle vlogger, tried a 21-day stretching exercise regimen to increase her height. She said, “I was really shocked as you can see I grew five centimeters or two inches taller in just 21 days. I went from 1 meter 60 to 1 meter 65 even though I’m 19 and my gross plates are closed (i)”.

3. Hanging Exercises

Does your kid love hanging from bars at the playground and at home? Well, that’s great! Hanging exercises are effective in elongating and straightening your child’s spine. Pull-ups are a fantastic way to promote growth, so encourage your child to practice this regularly.

Chin-ups are also awesome growth-enhancing exercises that your child will love. Make sure that he practices every day for about 10 minutes.

4. Yoga

Yoga asanas such as Surya Namaskar are ideal in helping kids grow tall. This pose allows the body to stretch completely, encouraging growth in height. Make sure your child does simple breathing exercises before beginning.

Chakrasana is another great yoga exercise that will get your child to stretch their entire body. This involves lying flat on their back with their legs apart. Get your child to bend his knees, touch his buttocks and bend his elbows so that his fingers touch his shoulders. The next step is to breathe in and push his body up to create a U, staying in this position for as long as they can.

5. Skipping

Skipping is an activity that many kids love and it can be used as an exercise to promote your child’s growth. As they skip, their body stretches and may help them in optimizing their growth.

6. Swimming

Swimming is another great workout to help your child grow taller. It also helps them exercise their entire body, giving them strength and supporting their health.

Trivia

Most children are ready for swimming lessons by their 4th or 5th birthday.

7. Ankle Weights

Ankle weights are another effective way to enhance your child’s height. This workout helps in stretching the lower part of the body. The cartilage between your child’s knees is stretched during this workout, which may make them taller. Make sure that small weights are used and increase them as your child grows older.

8. Jogging

There is no end to the benefits of jogging, even for adults. To help your child grow taller, encourage him to jog every day and accompany them so that it is a more enjoyable experience.

It is also important to ensure that your child gets quality sleep each night as this is an important factor for growth and development. Also avoid environmental factors that can impair growth, such as smoking or poor air quality. In addition to following all this, ensure your child’s growth patterns are under your monitor regularly. You can keep track of their height increase on a percentile chart to ensure they are growing at a healthy rate. If you notice any concerns, consult a doctor to identify potential issues early on and provide timely treatment.

Now, take a look at this list of foods that help kids grow taller. They offer a nutrient boost essential for their growth and development. Keep reading!

Foods To Increase Height In Kids

An individual’s growth factor is majorly dependent on their genetic profile. However, some nutrients may support healthy physical growth in children as discussed earlier. Try to add the following nutrient-rich foods to their daily diet:

• Protein-Rich Meats: Lean meats, eggs, fish, poultry, dairy, legumes, soy.
• Fruits And Vegetables: Citrus fruits, berries, and bell peppers for vitamin C; carrots and sweet potatoes for vitamin A.
• Whole Grains: Brown rice, oatmeal, whole wheat bread.
• Leafy Greens: Spinach and kale.
• Legumes: Lentils, chickpeas, beans.
• Nuts And Seeds: Chia seeds and almonds.

You can ensure your child consumes all these healthy foods in their daily diet by following these tips:

• Involve your child in the cooking process to make meals fun and exciting. For example, you can ask them to bring veggies from the fridge while preparing them for cooking. Show the process while discussing these veggies’ health benefits. This way, they will feel included and may feel tempted to eat.
• To make the plate more appealing, add more colors. You can use different-colored fruits like bananas, apples, strawberries, etc., and vegetables such as capsicum, tomato, spinach, etc.
• Turn meals into fun shapes or designs. For instance, you can draw a smiley face on their sandwich.
• If your child does not like certain foods, consider adding them to smoothies to hide them.
• You can also puree vegetables and mix them into pasta sauces and soups.

Consult a pediatrician to check for any nutrient deficiencies in case they need to be on supplements. Ensure each meal is a good mix of foods from different nutrient groups, and experiment with creative recipes to encourage the kids to eat them all.

Infographic: Most Effective Ways To Increase Height

Want your kid to become taller? Encourage your child to practice yoga, jogging, swimming, and many other growth-enhancing activities, as discussed in the infographic below. Take a look, and teach these healthy habits to see your kid growing inch by inch.

Illustration: StyleCraze Design Team

Frequently Asked Questions

What causes a child to grow slowly?

Slow growth can be a result of malnutrition, genetic disorder, growth hormone deficiency, or health issues (3).

What age do boys stop growing?

Most boys stop growing around the age of 16 after reaching puberty.

Does Pediasure increase height?

No, there is currently no research that indicates that consuming Pediasure may increase height in children.

How do I know if my child has low vitamin D?

If your child experiences lethargy, frequent aches, pain, fractures, and delayed motor development, these are the symptoms of vitamin D deficiency (4). You can also get your child to take a Vitamin-D blood test to check for vitamin D deficiency.

Illustration: Simple Ways To Increase Height In Kids

Image: Stable Diffusion/StyleCraze Design Team

Elevate your child’s fitness with 15-minute exercises designed to increase height. This video presents fun and effective fitness routines for kids to support their growth and development.

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Reviewer Author Editor Fact Checker

Rohan AroraPersonal Trainer & Sports Nutritionist

   

Rohan is a Personal Trainer and Sports Nutritionist from ISSA and has been actively involved in fitness and nutrition for over 7 years. With this experience of helping countless people gain healthy weight and build lean muscle, he now leads a team of fitness specialists who help people around the world with personalized workout and nutrition plans, along with providing the right information on sports supplements.

Read full bio of Rohan Arora

Shirin MehdiHealth & Wellness Writer

 

Shirin is a health and wellness writer with three years of experience and specializes in writing articles on yoga and has extensive knowledge about the postures of the asanas. Prior to joining Stylecraze, she interned with an advertising firm as a copywriter and as an editorial intern for a luxury fashion magazine.

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Arshiya SyedaCo-Editor-in-Chief

Arshiya Syeda is the Co-Editor-in-Chief of StyleCraze with 8 years of experience. Prior to that, she was a content writer who combined her writing and research skills to write over 200 high-performing articles on hairstyles, hair care, and skin care.

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Himanshi MahajanHealth & Wellness Writer

Himanshi Mahajan is a Certified Health & Nutrition Life Coach. She has a bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences from Guru Nanak Dev University and two years of experience in writing SEO-based and research-backed content across health and lifestyle genres.

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