There’s hardly anyone who doesn’t want good height. Perhaps our first impressions of the term ‘personality’ were also linked to tall and beautiful people. Countless advertisements for height-boosting drinks, pills, and whatnot along with the presence of hanging bars in almost every household supported such impressions. Well, the height factor is not a hyped one. It does make your persona more noteworthy. As the desire of being tall is so widespread, it’s natural that the market is gutted with products that claim to do the trick for you ‘easy and quick.’ But, it’s best to stay natural and avoid such products that are full of side effects and are expensive too. Height increase exercises and a routine diet can help you achieve your height goals more effectively, and safely!
Height increase exercises boost the growth hormones present in your body. At the same time, the diet nourishes your body by repairing muscle tears and keeping the hormones active. Height gain through natural methods ensures that your muscles become toned and strong.
What about genetic factors of height gain?
Genetic factors influence vertical body height, but not in every case. Physical factors like exercise and diet are also potent in increasing the height of an individual. You must have seen many people becoming hopeless with their height increase goals nearing puberty. That’s because it’s widely known that the maximum growth happens up till puberty and rarely after that as the growth plates get fused. It’s partly true but not a reason enough to lose all hope. For some people, height gain happens even till the age of 25. Thus, you must keep exercising regularly to add a few more inches to your height!
What are the best height increase exercises?
Here is a list of the 20 best height increase exercises that have proven to be highly effective if practiced regularly!
1. Bar Hanging
Bar hanging is perhaps the easiest and most popular height increase exercise. All you need is a strong bar to hold and hang from. It strengthens the upper body muscles and stretches the lower body and spine. Steps: Fix a strong bar 7 feet above the ground. Stand straight with your arms upward and palms facing outward. Grasp the bar tightly and let your body hang freely. Do this for 20 seconds. Repeat 2-3 times a day for best results.
2. Pelvic Shift
This simple and relaxing stretch helps you combat the negative effects of long sitting hours. It gives your back body a much-needed charge-up and strengthens it in the process. Steps: First, lay down flat on your back. Firmly place your shoulders and arms on the floor and bend your knees. Pull your feet close to your hips, and in this position, slowly lift your pelvic area upwards. After holding this position for 20 seconds, lower your hips to the ground. Repeat this thrice.
3. Cobra Stretch
Also known as ‘Bhujangasana’ in yoga, this stretch works on the cartilage present between the vertebrae which affects an increase in height. Your spine becomes flexible too. Steps: First, lay flat on your stomach. Place your palms under your shoulders and as you inhale, lift your spine. Make sure that only your chest and abdomen are lifted from the floor. Feel the stretch in your spine. Let your palms take your body weight. Hold this for 20-30 seconds and repeat 3-4 times.
4. Super Cobra Stretch
An extension of the cobra pose, the super cobra pose should be done in the following way. Steps: Lay flat on your stomach. Place your arms perpendicular to the floor and lift your upper body along with the pelvic area too. Form a V-shaped position. Hold this for 20-30 seconds and repeat 2-3 rounds.
5. Dry Land Swim
It is not the best way to swim but works wonders as a height increase exercise. Dry Land swim uses alternate leg-arm, pair movements, just like in swim strokes, to stretch your thigh and lower back muscles.
Steps: Lay flat on your stomach. Extend your arms with your palms facing downwards. Raise your right hand in the air and then your left leg. Hold this position for 5 seconds and repeat with the other leg and arm. Do this exercise for 20 seconds, each alternate pair in the air for about 5 seconds.
6. Hopping with one leg
Hopping is always fun. You might as well put on your favorite T.V show during this exercise or even do it on the beats of your music playlist. Hopping exercise is great for cognitive development, leg muscles, and overall body growth.
Steps: Stand straight. Hop on each leg 8 times with your arms stretched upwards. You can also modify this exercise to make it a cool dance move and use your hands in it if you want!
7. Pilates Roll Over
Pilates rollover is all about hardcore stretching. It aims at elongating your upper body and stretching your spine and neck vertebrae to the maximum potential.
Steps: Lay flat on your back with your arms straight by your side. First, bring your legs together and lift them straight up, towards the ceiling. Try to make an L-shape this way. Do not bend your knees. Once your body is in an L-shape or nearly in it, bend your legs backward, aiming to touch your toes to the floor. Lift your lower back to push the legs further back. Keep it slow and be careful. It takes some practice before your feet can touch the floor properly.
8. Forward Spine Stretch
In this simple-to-do exercise all you have to do is sit up straight on your mat with your legs extended and spine straight. Raise your arms straight in the air and give your spine a good vertical stretch. The more your stretch it, the further you’ll be able to bend. Once you have stretched to your maximum potential, bend forward and try to touch your palms to your toes. Hold this position for 20 seconds and repeat 2-3 times.
Image: Pexels
9. Cat and Camel pose
If you have keenly observed the body postures of cats and camels, this pose should be a cakewalk for you. You must do this height increase exercise for improved blood circulation too. Steps: Place your keens and palms on the floor so that you make an inverted U shape with your body. As you inhale, arch your spine downwards, with your face and chin elevated. This posture is the cat pose/stretch. After holding this for 3-4 seconds, exhale and arch your spine upwards. This will make your back look hump-like and your posture like that of a camel. Keep alternating between these two stretches, holding for 3-4 seconds in each round.
10. Forward Bend
Stand straight, raise your hands in the air and stretch your spine as much as you can. Without bending your knees, bend forward and touch your feet with your fingertips. You will feel the pressure in your knees if you are a beginner but with regular practice, you’ll get there! Do 2-3 rounds with each round lasting for about 8-10 seconds.
11. Bow Down
Ever imagined that a simple gesture of courtesy could be an effective height increase exercise?! Well, the world is full of surprises! In this one, you just need to place your hands on your pelvis and bow down with your head leading. Do not bend your knees and keep your chin away from your chest. Hold this position for 5-8 seconds and repeat 2-3 times.
12. Spot Jump
Raise your hands, stand on your toes, and keep jumping on the spot for 2 minutes!
13. Hands-on-Head Bow Down
The name says it all! First, place your hands at the back of your head. Stand straight and simply bend forward as much as you can. Keep your knees straight. Do this exercise for 8-10 seconds.
14. Standing Vertical Stretch
Stand straight on your toes with your feet apart. Stretch upwards as much as you can with your body weight on your toes. This exercise is beneficial for your calf muscles.
15. Super Stretch
This exercise is just the inversive form of bow down. You have to place your hands at the back of your head/ neck and bend backward by arching your spine as much as you can. Do this for 10-15 seconds.
16. Wall Stretch
Stand straight against a wall and stretch your hands upwards as much as possible. You can stand on your toes if you like to push yourself for more. Remember to keep your spine flat against the wall. Hold this position for 5-6 seconds. Repeat 2-3 times.
17. Straight Legs Up
First, lie flat on your stomach. Place your hands behind your neck and lift one of your legs as high as possible without bending your knees. Now, repeat the same with the other leg. Each round should last for 3 to 5 seconds.
18. Two Straight legs up
In this height increase exercise, you have to raise both your legs at the same while lying on your back. You can take support of your hands to support your pelvic area and raise the legs higher. Each round should last for 3 seconds.
19. The Table
For this exercise, you will need an inversion table mostly found in gyms. Simply hand upside down from it for some torso training.
20. Downhill
All you have to do is imitate a hill. Stand straight with your feet firmly placed on the floor. Stretch your body with your arms upward. Bend down from your waist and touch your palms flat to the floor as your body makes an inverted V shape.
So, to work up those extra inches, grab your mat now and get going with these amazing height increase exercises!