Does Skipping Lead To Height Gain?

A deeper look at some interesting facts that influence and impact your height.

Reviewed by David Rosales, NSCA-CPT
Written by Shirin Mehdi, BA
Edited by Arshiya Syeda, BA (Literature & Psychology), PG Diploma
Fact-checked by Moksha Gandhi, BPharm, Certified Health & Wellness Coach  • 

While you can gain or lose weight with a certain workout schedule, increasing your height as you wish may not be possible. That said, does skipping increase height? While it is a very good exercise to keep your heart beating strong, do vertical jumps and stretching help increase your height in any way at all?

Exercise, diet, and lifestyle changes can help us manage our weight, but our genes play a primary role in our height (followed by a few stretching and lengthening exercises that might just add on a few inches to your height).

While you may not see the results of skipping so soon, it does seem to boost health. There is nothing to lose, after all. Read on further to understand more about skipping and if it actually can help increase your height. David Rosales, NSCA-CPT, says, “skipping and all its numerous variations have tons of benefits for athleticism, cardio, mobility, and more. However, it will not lead to any growth in stature.”

What Are The Factors That Influence Height Growth?

Woman measuring her daughter’s height
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Image: Shutterstock

Before we aim at how skipping increases height, we should educate ourselves on the factors that affect our height growth. There are actually plenty of them, but these are the main ones (1):

  • Our hereditary aspects
  • Lifestyle and the environment
  • Other health conditions
  • Age and production of the human growth hormone

There are some positive factors that can increase our height growth (1):

  • A healthy diet
  • Proper exercise
  • Good body posture
protip_icon Quick Tip
Eating a diet rich in protein like fish, meat, nuts, dairy products, legumes, and eggs can help increase your height (1).

How Does Skipping Increase Height?

Skipping improves body posture
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  • Skipping is a heart pumping exercise. When you skip, you are alternating your legs by keeping it on and away from the ground. It is also a high speed activity. While skipping the entire muscles and ligaments in your body are stretching and contracting. This improves flexibility and causes them to be elastic and eventually they stretch (2).
  • When you are skipping, your body is completely erect, stretching the spine and the back muscles, which may help improve your posture and balance and benefit the musculoskeletal system (3), (4). Correct posture may make individuals appear taller. However, this is not actually gaining height, this is an improvement in posture. Additionally, the constant bending of the knee while skipping is thought to cause the calf muscles to expand vertically.
Skipping tones calf muscles and improves bone mass
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  • Skipping also adds to bone mass by making them longer. That is why skipping can help in gaining a few inches (5).
  • Another effect of skipping is that it may help you lose fat when part of a complete exercise program. A healthy weight range may help you look taller (6).
So, to answer the question, ‘Does skipping increase height?’, yes till a certain age, and then it helps improve your posture.

How Much Skipping Should I Do Every Day?

Woman skipping in her house
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If you have never skipped before, then start on a low key. 50 skips a day for the first couple of days is a good start up exercise. As you progress you can increase the number of skips to 75 and then 100.

Once you are comfortable with the heart rate and think you can handle it, start skipping 300 times a day at least. You can also break this up into several “sets.” For example, if 100 is a lot for you, you can start with 25, rest for 2-3 minutes, and do another 25. If this is easy for you, then include skipping in a comprehensive dynamic warm-up before exercising. Consistent skipping for about 3 to 6 months may start showing height increase in your body. However it is very important to keep your heart rate steady while skipping. The moment you feel out of breath, you should immediately stop the exercise. It is also very important to drink more water if you practice skipping as you can get dehydrated very quickly while skipping. However, keep in mind not to drink water right after or through the skipping process. It is very dangerous.

What Should I Do To Skip?

Close up of woman holding her skipping rope
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First of all get a good rope that suits the length of your body, not all skipping ropes are the same. The skipping rope should not be too long, you don’t want to trip and fall. It should not be too short because you will still trip and fall. The length of the rope should match your body length from head to toe. That is why try skipping a couple of times before you even buy the rope.

Invest in a rope that is made of soft material like foam or elastic rope, for example. While skipping, the jumping rope comes in contact with your body at times, and it is easy to get hurt.

So safe skipping and happy growing!

protip_icon Quick Tip
Wear shoes that offer good ankle and arch support. Additionally, they should have sufficient cushioning in the middle to avoid injuries while skipping.

Apart from increasing your height and improving your posture, skipping offers various health benefits. Check out the next section to know more.

Health Benefits Of Skipping

Skipping offers the following health benefits (7), (8):

1. It elevates heart rate and aerobic capacity, which may improve cardiovascular health.

2. It is a high-intensity workout that burns calories, which may aid in weight loss and body fat reduction.

3. It improves hand-eye-foot coordination, agility, upper body strength, flexibility, and balance.

4. It engages multiple muscle groups and tones the legs, arms, and core, promoting a lean and sculpted physique.

5. It may increase bone density, which may improve overall bone health.

6. It boosts endorphin levels, which may reduce stress and anxiety.

7. It enhances stamina, boosting performance in other physical activities.

A blogger recounted his experience of skipping rope for 30 days and how it benefited him. He wrote, “I was vastly attached to the rope this time for various reasons but mainly because it kept my mood boosted, made me want to be more productive on all levels, and built stamina (i).”

Infographic: How Does Skipping Increase Height?

Skipping is known as a good exercise for endurance training and maintaining your weight. While it may also assist you in gaining a few inches in height, it depends on your body shape and lifestyle to a great extent. Check out the infographic below to know how skipping might add a few inches to your height.

how does skipping increase height (infographic)

Illustration: StyleCraze Design Team

Get the high-quality PDF version of this infographic.

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It is quite clear that your height largely depends on your genes, hormones, nutrition, lifestyle, and health conditions. However, skipping can increase your height, although not significantly. It may help improve physical fitness, increase bone mass and make them longer. It also aids in posture correction by stretching the spine and muscles to make you appear taller. Also, skipping is an intense physical activity that helps you lose some pounds. The slimmer you are, the taller you look. Once you have crossed the beginner level, do at least 300 skips a day, and you may start seeing results in three to six months.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if I skip every day?

Skipping every day can tighten your core, tone calves, build stamina, improve lung capacity, and help with resistance training.

Is skipping better than running?

It depends on your fitness goal. While skipping can help burn more calories in less time, running builds stamina and is better for fitness training.

Is skipping good for girls?

Yes. Skipping is an aerobic activity that helps tone your body and improves bone development and heart health, along with other benefits.

Key Takeaways

  • Skipping can be a good exercise to help promote muscle growth and improve bone density.
  • Regular skipping has been shown to improve posture making you look taller.
  • You can try skipping to build muscle and lose weight which may help you get lean and toned legs.
  • It improves blood circulation and cardiovascular health which is essential for your body’s healthy growth.
does skipping increase height

Image: Dall·E/StyleCraze Design Team

Learn how jumping rope can help you increase your height just by watching the video below! Discover the amazing benefits of skipping and get some cool tips to achieve the best results.

Personal Experience: Source

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. The role of nutrition and genetics as key determinants of the positive height trend
    https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1570677X14000665
  2. The Effect of Skipping rope Exercise on Physical and Cardiovascular fitness among Collegiate Males
    https://www.researchgate.net/publication/337469492_The_Effect_of_Skipping_rope_Exercise_on_Physical_and_Cardiovascular_fitness_among_Collegiate_Males
  3. Jumping improves hip and lumbar spine bone mass in prepubescent children: a randomized controlled trial
    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11149479/
  4. Changes in rounded shoulder posture and forward head posture according to exercise methods
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC5684019/
  5. Rope skipping increases bone mineral density at calcanei of pubertal girls in Hong Kong: A quasi-experimental investigation
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC5722366/
  6. The effects of a 12-week jump rope exercise program on body composition insulin sensitivity and academic self-efficacy in obese adolescent girls
    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31812946/
  7. Jumping Rope Improves the Physical Fitness of Preadolescents Aged 10-12 Years: A Meta-Analysis https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10244986/
  8. Rope skipping increases bone mineral density at calcanei of pubertal girls in Hong Kong: A quasi-experimental investigation https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5722366/
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