11 Highly Effective Height Increasing Tips For Teenagers

There’s not much time before your body stalls vertical growth; try these helpful tips soon.

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Written by , BE Jyotsana Rao BE linkedin_icon Experience: 4 years
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Teenage is the best time to work on your body to become fit and tall. Following these height increasing tips may promote growth spurts in your teenager and help him grow taller. While some of these are exercises, some are lifestyle changes. So, if you are a teenager and want to increase your height, this article is for you. Scroll down to know these tips and increase your height naturally.

Height Increasing Tips For Teenagers

Check out some of the best tips to increase height in teenagers.

1. Healthy Breakfast

A healthy breakfast can help increase height for teenagers
Image: Shutterstock

A healthy breakfast is recommended by all diet experts as part of a proper lifestyle. Skipping breakfast leads to gastric problems and ulcers, and increases the acid content in the stomach, causing its lining to erode away. A healthy breakfast boosts metabolism and helps in greater absorption of nutrients. This in turn helps in height gain in teenagers.

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Stress can alter the functional activity of the human growth hormone (9). Hence, stress management is one of the key factors to increase height by improving hormonal balance.

2. Proper Nutrition

Proper nutrition can help increase height for teenagers
Image: Getty

Proper nutrition determines the body’s growth pattern and also determines height gain. Hence, it is crucial to discover the best foods that help kids grow taller to support your child’s growth journey. Most children in India are malnourished. Malnutrition leads to stunted growth and these kids fail to reach their actual height by the time they hit puberty. Hence, a balanced diet is very necessary for adequate nutrition. A meal should be rich in zinc, manganese and phosphorus that aid growth (1), (2), (3). Apart from that, a diet rich in proteins helps aid height and growth as proteins are the building blocks of the body (4). Intake of calcium-rich foods may also contribute in this regard.

3. Having Adequate Sleep and Rest

Adequate sleep and rest can help increase height for teenagers
Image: Getty

Proper sleep patterns determine the body’s growth. It is only when we sleep that the body regenerates its tissues for growth and repair. Hence, rest is very important. A proper time is to be fixed for rest because rest is very important for the human growth hormone to be generated in the body. It is necessary to get eight to ten hours of sleep every day. Proper hormonal secretion is aided by rest and proper sleep timings; hence, adequate sleep helps in attaining height and growth (5).

4. Frequent, Smaller Meals

Frequent, smaller meals can help increase height for teenagers
Image: Shutterstock

Frequent, smaller meals help to keep the body recharged and high on energy. So it is better to have six meals a day rather than three in order to regulate the metabolism. Smaller meals are more frequent and help in quicker absorption of nutrients by the body. These nutrients ensure good hormonal regulation, which in turn, helps the growth hormone in the body to promote growth and attain a good height.

5. Exercise and Yoga Regime

An exercise and yoga regimen can help increase height for teenagers
Image: Shutterstock

Exercise plays a very important role in height attainment. Alongside a nutritious diet, you can consider various exercises to increase height, which can promote better posture and maximize growth spurts. Stretching exercises help stretch the limbs and body tissues, and some specific exercises like skipping or climbing provide muscle strength that may contribute to height gain (5). Strenuous physical activity, like resistance training, cardiovascular exercise, and high-intensity interval training, increases testosterone levels which might increase height, although there is no conclusive evidence for the same. Sports like basketball, swimming, tennis and football have been known to increase height. Apart from that, certain yoga asanas are very effective for height gain. Deep breathing exercises, like meditation, manage hormones and can help in increasing height.

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Mountain pose is the foundation of all standing poses and it helps improve posture, which may help make you appear taller.

6. Maintain Ideal Body Weight

Maintaining ideal body weight can help increase height for teenagers
Image: Shutterstock

Obesity has been known to cause stunted growth (6). In order to grow in height, it is crucial to maintain an ideal body weight.

7. Drink Plenty of Water

Drinking plenty of water can help increase height for teenagers
Image: Shutterstock

One of the simplest height increasing tips for teenagers. Water detoxifies the body and cleanses it. It aids in the absorption of nutrients that help in height gain.

8. Avoid Growth Inhibitors

Avoid growth inhibitors to increase height for teenagers
Image: Shutterstock

Growth inhibitors like smoking or drinking cause stunted growth. These must be avoided. Use of narcotics or even antibiotics acts as growth inhibitors and stunts the body’s growth.

9. Practice Good Posture

Practicing good posture can help increase height for teenagers
Image: Shutterstock

Good posture helps to align the body’s structure so that it grows taller (7). Slouching and slumping stunt height gain and hence, should be avoided.

10. Avoid Smoking and Drinking

Avoid smoking and drinking to increase height for teenagers
Image: Shutterstock

Smoking and drinking at an immature age stops the natural growth of the body and makes the body stunted (8). These must be avoided if one wants to grow taller.

11. Get Enough Sleep

Adequate sleep plays a crucial role in the growth and development of teenagers, including their height. Research suggests that peak growth hormone release is noticed in deep sleep (10). During deep sleep, the body releases growth hormones that are essential for the growth of bones and muscles. Teenagers require almost 8-10 hours of sleep each night for optimal growth.

Quality sleep may also help stimulate repair and regeneration of tissues, promoting overall health and height gain. Combined with a balanced diet and regular exercise, sufficient sleep significantly contributes to maximizing a teenager’s potential to gain height. However, more research is required in this regard.

Note: Although these suggestions may be helpful, it is important to remember that genetics has a big influence on height. Knowing your family history might help you make sense of your growth potential. Apart from that, you may also understand and manage your expectations better by educating yourself about the growth stages as mentioned below.

Understanding Growth Stages

Early life (0–2 years) is a time of rapid growth, with a 50% increase in height by the end of the first year, which emphasizes the need for nutrition. Early childhood (ages 2–6) and middle childhood (ages 6–12) see slower growth, averaging 2–3 inches and 2 inches per year, respectively. Significant growth spurts occur during adolescence (12–18 years), which results in adult height by early adulthood (18–25 years). In adults (25+ years), height remains steady, but posture may bring in a slight difference.

The body undergoes various development phases during adolescence, which are often identified by noticeable growth spikes. Setting reasonable expectations for height requires an understanding of these stages. During puberty, most teenagers grow significantly, and several factors, including diet, exercise, and general health, have a substantial impact on how they grow. Teens and their guardians can more effectively encourage healthy development through suitable lifestyle choices if they are aware of the many stages of growth.

Infographic: Easy Height-Increasing Tips To Follow For Teenagers

Teenage years are the best time to become fit and increase height with some exercises, lifestyle changes, and proper diet. As discussed in the article, there are some tips for teenagers to increase height, but to know about the easiest height increasing tips to follow, check out the infographic below!

easy height|increasing tips to follow for teenagers (infographic)

Illustration: StyleCraze Design Team

Height-increasing tips for teenagers is probably one of the most talked-about subjects by the parents and their children themselves. Although an individual’s height mostly depends on their genetics, proper nutrition, regular exercise, and a few other lifestyle changes can play a significant role in helping them grow a few inches. Always try to have a healthy breakfast, keep your body hydrated, and get sufficient sleep. Eat foods rich in zinc, phosphorus, manganese, and protein, which aid growth. The chances of stunted growth are high among those who are obese or overweight. So, try to maintain an ideal body weight. Also, drinking, smoking, and narcotics, which are considered growth inhibitors, must be done away with at any cost for effective results.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 5.7 a good height for a 17 year old?

Yes, it is an average height for a 17 year old. However, it depends on the genetics and overall physique of the child as well.

Does milk make you taller?

Milk consumption is not a factor that determines if someone is tall or short. However, it is rich in calcium and other important minerals and vitamins (vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin C, folate, and vitamin B12) that promote bone health and aid proper muscular growth and overall development.

Can you still grow taller after your first period?

Yes, peak growth is usually within 1-2 yrs of reaching puberty.

How to grow taller at 14 years of age?

Eat a balanced diet, exercise, stretch, and most importantly, sleep adequately to increase height naturally during your teenage years.

Key Takeaways

  • A nutritious breakfast increases nutrient absorption and speeds up metabolism.
  • A balanced diet is crucial for getting essential nutrients since they promote growth.
  • Have a healthy sleep pattern to ensure the body’s growth and development.
  • Exercises, yoga, and sports are important as they stimulate the production of growth hormones
  • Avoid smoking and drinking as they increase health problems and may affect the body’s growth.

Illustration: Highly Effective Height Increasing Tips For Teenagers

height increasing tips for teenagers

Image: Dall·E/StyleCraze Design Team

References

Articles on StyleCraze are backed by verified information from peer-reviewed and academic research papers, reputed organizations, research institutions, and medical associations to ensure accuracy and relevance. Read our editorial policy to learn more.

  1. Efficacy of zinc supplementation on improvement of weight and height growth of healthy 9-18 year children
    https://www.researchgate.net/publication/285910277_Efficacy_of_zinc_supplementation_on_improvement_of_weight_and_height_growth_of_healthy_9-18_year_children
  2. Phosphorus
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4642415/
  3. Essentiality of Manganese for Bone Health: An Overview and Update
    https://www.researchgate.net/publication/351796844_Essentiality_of_Manganese_for_Bone_Health_An_Overview_and_Update
  4. Dietary protein intake and human health
    https://www.researchgate.net/publication/290213882_Dietary_protein_intake_and_human_health
  5. Sleep and Wellbeing Now and in the Future
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7216147/
  6. Stunting Is Associated with Overweight in Children of Four Nations That Are Undergoing the Nutrition Transition
    https://www.researchgate.net/publication/14207783_Stunting_Is_Associated_with_Overweight_in_Children_of_Four_Nations_That_Are_Undergoing_the_Nutrition_Transition
  7. What Has Neuroimaging Taught Us on the Neurobiology of Yoga? A Review
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7362763/
  8. Prevalence and socio-demographic correlates of stunting and thinness among Pakistani primary school children
    https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2458-11-790
  9. Stress and hormones
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3079864/
  10. Growth hormone secretion during sleep
    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/5675428/
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Reda Elmardi
Reda Elmardi is a registered dietician, certified nutritionist, and certified strength and conditioning specialist trainer. He has more than 10 years of experience and has been an NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist Trainer since 2015.

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