How to help child grow tall
10 Simple Tips to Help Your Child Grow Taller
Most parents would love for their children to be tall and strong, as it has been widely regarded as a sign of good health. Parents usually go to great lengths to ensure that their children grow up healthily, and their height is treated as an indication of their overall health condition by most parts of the society.
Video: 10 Easy Ways to Increase Height In Children
Genes have the most say in determining the height of the child – however, it is not the only factor which influences it. Many external factors, like living conditions and a healthy diet, can influence the height of children quite a lot. Therefore, it is possible for parents to improve the chances of their children grow up to be tall and strong, through simple methods. Let us take a look at the top 10 ways to make your child grow taller.
How to Increase the Height of a Child
There are many ways a parent can influence the height of their child, and here’s a list of the top ten ways.
1. A Balanced Diet
The most important aspect of how to increase your kid’s height is to ensure that he gets proper nutrition. The food he consumes has to be healthy so that he grows up to be tall. A balanced diet has to include proteins, carbohydrates, fat and vitamins in the correct proportion – loading up on only one of these can have a detrimental effect. You must also ensure that the child keeps away from junk food most of the time – this includes food like burgers, aerated sweetened drinks and fried items in general. Lean proteins have to be had aplenty, along with leafy vegetables and items rich in minerals like calcium and potassium. Simple carbs like pizza and cakes have to be avoided for the most part. Zinc has been found to have a huge effect on the growth of the child, so zinc-rich foods like squash seeds and peanuts must also be added to their diet.
A balanced diet not only provides the right nutrients to increase your child’s height but it will also make him stronger in every sense.
2. Stretching Exercises
Stretching exercises, even if they are simple ones, can have a huge impact on the height of your child. Introducing your child to stretching exercises from a young age will facilitate the process of height growth. Stretching helps elongate the spine and also improves the posture of your child at all times. The exercises can be simple ones. Make him stand on his toes with his back against the wall and stretch the muscles in his leg while reaching up simultaneously. Another simple exercise for stretching involves the child sitting on the floor with his legs wide apart, and reaching to touch the toes of both legs with his arms.
3. Hanging
Hanging has been recommended for decades now, for parents who want their children to be taller. Hanging from bars also helps the spine elongate, which is an important part of becoming taller.
Apart from regular hanging, you can also encourage your child to do pull-ups and chin-ups. Both make the muscles of the arm and the back stronger and are great exercises to help him keep fit.
4. Yoga Poses
The age-old practice of yoga involves a lot of stretching and balance, so it is ideal for children to make them taller. Some yoga asanas are especially beneficial in helping your child grow tall. The ‘Surya Namaskar’ gets the entire body to work, stretching out the muscles of the arm, back, and even the legs in a single, fluid motion. Another beneficial asana is the Chakrasana, which involves your child lying on his back. Then, he has to make his back arch upwards and prop his body up using his arms and feet, to maintain a U-shape. Try keeping this shape for as long as possible, for it to be effective.
5. Skipping
There are few exercises like skipping which help work the entire body. Known for its awesome effects on the heart, it is also a great exercise to do if you want your child to become taller.
The body stretches entirely when a person skips, so it promotes vertical growth in the child. It is also an amazing cardio workout, and will definitely keep him fit and active.
6. Swimming
Swimming is another healthy habit, one which helps your child stay active and enjoy it, too. Swimming is a full-body exercise, meaning that it works all the muscles in the body to great effect. Swimming for a long time can help your child lose any extra fat present, making him healthier as a whole. The exercise involves a lot of stretching forward, which strengthens the spine and lays the groundwork for a tall, healthy body. Swimming is also a highly enjoyable activity- no child has ever said no to playing in the water!
7. Jogging
Jogging is an amazing exercise, not just for children- it has a range of benefits for grown-ups too. Jogging strengthens the bones in the leg and also increases the quantity of HGH, the growth hormone, which is required for any growth in the body.
To make it even more fun, you can maybe join in with your child and make jogging be an activity you do together!
8. Sleep
The importance of sleep can never be stressed upon enough, not just for children – for adults, too. Skipping sleep occasionally does not affect the growth of your child in the long term- however, you have to ensure that the child gets a good 8 hours of sleep on most nights, in order for him to be taller and stronger. This is because the growth hormone in children, HGH, is released only when the child sleeps. This plays a direct role in making your child taller, so skipping sleep constantly is definitely a bad idea.
9. Posture
To increase your child’s height, it is integral that he has a proper posture. Slumping or slouching can put unnecessary stress on the spine which can have many negative affects on the body. Additionally, poor posture can alter the shape of your child’s spine which can compromise his growth. Make sure that your child practices good posture not only to increase his height but also to prevent any long term health issues.
Remind him to sit and stand up straight every time you see him slouching.
10. Sunlight
Sunlight is a great source of Vitamin D. Vitamin D helps in muscle and bone growth which will help in increasing your child’s height. Vitamin D also helps your body absorb calcium from your diet and helps in strengthening your bones. So encourage your child to leave his video games and step out in the sun and play. Remember to keep your child indoors during the warmest hours of the day and make him wear sun screen to protect his skin from harmful UV rays of the sun. Other sources of Vitamin D include, fatty fish and seafood, mushrooms, and egg yolks.
There are many ways to make your child grow taller, but all of them work only when complemented by the other activities on the list. A good diet must be accompanied by regular exercise and sound sleep- else, you do not get what you want. Therefore, take care of your child the right way, and make him grow tall and strong.
Resources & References: WebMD, Healthline
Also Read: Physical Development in Children
Sneakz Organic » Three Tips to Help Your Child Grow Taller
IS the height of your child pre-ordained? Scientists have been arguing for years on nature vs.
nurture and how our genetics rule our lives. Can we grow taller? Get smarter? What should we do to help our child maximize their potential? Well, here are some simple tips and the secrets behind beating and improving our genetics.
In this Article:
- Can you beat your genetics?
- Nutrition is key – what foods are best?
- Exercises to help your kids grow taller?
- It’s all in the sleep
- And one last secret…
Can you beat your genetics?
Well, yes, to a point. You aren’t going to turn your child into a 7’ footer if both parents are average height. So, if you want your child to be an NBA’er or an WNBA’er put a basketball in their hands. You aren’t going to be able to shoot them up a foot by giving them a supplement or vitamin to increase their height. However, science shows, depending upon your ethnic background – genetics – accounts for only 60 – 80% of your child’s height.
That leaves us some wiggle room.
We’re talking about inches and sometimes centimeters of improvement.
Will it make a difference? Yes, studies show that future income is influenced by height in both men and women. An extra inch can equate to as much as $800 increase in annual salaries. That’s a huge difference over a lifetime. In addition, that added inch increases perceived attractiveness and even intelligence in all sexes. If you’re taller, people will automatically think you are smarter and better looking. It’s just human nature.
Let’s maximize but how?
Nutrition is key – what foods are best?
Nutrition is the biggest influence on height outside of genetics. Eat right to increase your height. Foods high in protein, vitamin D, and calcium are all key elements. There is no magic bullet, but eat these foods to help maximize your child’s height…
Plant-based protein – Protein is key for your child and has the biggest impact upon height. Nuts, nut-butters, beans and lentils, are all excellent sources of protein. A stalk of celery filled with healthy peanut butter or almond butter is like a turbo boost for height.
Quinoa is a complete plant protein that tastes great and can be added to many dishes. Flax seeds, hemp seeds, chickpeas can all be added to dishes to increase protein and variety in your child’s diet. Toss some walnuts or almonds into some yogurt. It’s easy to add protein if you make it a priority.
Whole Eggs and Dairy – Eggs have been in the diets of humans since the beginning. Eggs are nutritious whole foods and are rich in protein. The white of the egg is albumin and is 100% protein. However, we recommend using the whole egg. Whole eggs add healthy fats, Vitamin B12, and calcium. Eggs are also extremely versatile. Scrambled, fried, baked, hard-boiled; eggs can be cooked in many ways. I’m sure your child will have a favorite. Who doesn’t love a good egg burrito for breakfast?
And let’s not forget milk. Milk is high in protein, vitamin D, A, B, E and calcium. These are all critical in helping your child grow tall. Avoid milk that isn’t organic. Organic milk is free of rBGH and rBST, two growth hormones which can negatively impact your child’s growth, and antibiotics.
A cleaner diet will help maximize growth naturally. Milk is also high in Omega 3’s. Healthy fats are essential for proper nutrition
Veggies - I know. It’s hard to get your kids to eat vegetables. Check out this article for some simple, fun ways to get kids to eat more veggies . Kale and Spinach are packed full of essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
Bananas – An easy one because every kid loves Bananas. Bananas are rich in manganese, potassium, and calcium, the king of height.
Fruits – Oranges, apples, mangoes, nectarines, grapefruit; they all work great. Fruits high in vitamin C will help the body absorb and utilize calcium. Calcium is critical to growth.
So why not meat? - Well, lean meats and fish, especially those that are grass-fed, organic or wild caught are fine. They are high in protein and healthy fats. Just keep them to a minimum. Use them as a supplement to a plant-based diet. Variety is important in your diet.
Chicken works as well. Organic and free-range chickens free from any hormones or antibiotics are best.
Foods to avoid – Sodas and all aerated drinks are not only full of sugar or worse sweeteners of some type – often hidden – but they are also calcium inhibitors. That’s right, they actually often block the body’s ability to efficiently absorb calcium. And as we know, calcium is critical to growing taller. Carbohydrate rich foods – especially those that are highly processed – such as cereals, rice, breads, and pastas can negatively impact the bodies human growth hormones. If you’re going to eat these carbohydrate laden foods, try and stick to whole grains and natural foods, not the instant or processed versions. In general, stay away from highly processed foods. Fresh and natural is the way to go.
One last thing - Unless ordered by your doctor stay away from supplements, pills, and magic potions that claim to increase your child’s height. They don’t work.
You want whole foods. You want a balanced diet. You want vitamins that are not fortified or synthetic but vitamins from whole foods.
Exercises to help your kids grow taller?
Exercise helps. Exercises that focus on movement and that elongate the body help children grow taller. Exercise can help stretch and elongate the bands of cartilage and tendons around the arms and legs. This creates room allowing for better bone growth. Posture helps as well. Standing straight and tall helps make room for proper bone growth resulting in taller children. In addition, daily movement and exercise will help promote growth hormones within the body. Let your kid play in the back yard. Get some vitamin D. Go on a nature walk. Chase the dog. Move! Every day.
Try these great exercises to improve posture and help your child grow tall…
Yoga – Today we are lucky to have many, many types of yoga available. We can stream a class into our home. There are yoga’s that specialize in improving posture.
Really, any type of yoga is great for boosting height. Pick one you like and do it together as a family.
Stretching – Don’t like yoga? Try some stretching. Simple stretches that will elongate the spine and neck are the best. You are trying to free up your joints and loosen tendons and ligaments to give all of your bones the room and strength to grow. Anything that helps elongate your body creates room for growth. Create a daily stretching routine and join in with your kids. It’s fun, cheap, and will help your kids grow tall. You’ll feel energized.
Hanging – Did you know astronauts are 3 to 5% taller when they get back from space. Gravity is a constant force in our life and is compressing us every day. Do some hanging. Just ten minutes a day can make a difference. Pull-ups are great exercise but if your kid can’t do a pull-up – just let them hang. If you have a park nearby with a jungle gym – walk over with your kid and have them do some monkey swings.
They stretch the body, elongate the spine, and build strength.
Swimming – swimming may be the king of sports for making kids taller. Again, it elongates the spine, stretches the neck and core muscles, and it promotes growth hormones in the body. Most exercise and sports will promote growth hormones. Tennis, basketball, soccer (stay away from those headers though) are all great sports and will help promote growth hormone production in the body. However, swimming helps to elongate the body as well. It’s stretching and strength building in one fluid motion.
Exercise to avoid – Heavy weight-lifting can interfere with the natural human growth hormone in pre- and early teens. Stick to bodyweight exercise and sports to build strength. Disruption of growth hormone secretion can have a dramatic impact on height.
It’s all in the sleep
You’ve probably come down for breakfast and sworn that your child grew an inch overnight. And you’d be right.
Well, that’s because, even though your activities throughout the day help regulate growth hormones most of these body building, height making hormones are secreted at night while in deep sleep. You literally grow in your sleep. Children need 11-14 hours of sleep a night. Teens need 8 -11 hours of sleep a night. Lack of sleep also affects weight. Excessive weight can be a double whammy. It disturbs hormone levels, increases stress on the heart and cardiovascular system, reduces height, and often leads to obesity in adults. Get them to bed early and let them sleep.
Try these steps for better sleep…
Create a nighttime routine - We all have morning routines. Create a nighttime routine for your children. Turn off all electronics at least an hour before bedtime. Brush your teeth. Put on PJ’s. Climb in bed and say goodnight. Say a prayer together. Give thanks for your day. Your routine can take any shape or fashion but stick to it. It’s a signal to the body to start preparing for sleep.
Don’t eat too late – Help your body stick to the natural sleep cycles. As it gets dark the body signals itself to start slowing down. Your body is preparing for sleep. A late meal creates work for the body via digestion. This can cause sleep disruption and overall poor sleep.
Exercise – Exercise during the day – movement – helps sleep during the night. But not too late. Exercise and move throughout the day. Don’t disrupt the evening with intense workouts. A gentle stretching routine at least an hour before bed may help but gentle is the keyword. Build your child’s evening around preparing for sleep.
Dark and cold is good – Deep sleep is easy and more likely to be undisturbed in a dark room. Remove any light source. Turn off computers. Shut off phones. No TV. No music. If your child needs some sound try some gentle, low volume “pink” noise. Pink noise is the sound of wind, or the ocean, or a heartbeat. Whales singing.
Keep the room between 65 and 70 degrees for kids.
Your body temperature decreases while you are lying in bed trying to sleep. This helps initiate sleep and helps foster deeper, undisturbed sleep. Keeping the room below 70 will help the body ease into sleep.
And one last secret…
The power to have an impact on your child’s height doesn’t last forever. Most children have reached their maximum height by the time they have finished puberty. It’s important to start these steps today. Help your child reach their full height and potential.
That’s it. Eat right. Exercise right. Sleep right. Beat your genetics.
Thanks.
How to speed up a child's growth: three sure ways
Health
- Photo
- Shutterstock/Fotodom.ru
In general, a child's growth range is laid from birth. This is the factor that is inherited. There are several formulas by which you can calculate the estimated height of the child.
If you notice that your baby is far behind the norm, you should consult a doctor and identify the cause.
The pediatrician clarifies that it is impossible to radically change the growth of a child, since genes play a big role, but it is quite possible to achieve the maximum possible height. For this, it is important to consider a number of factors that affect the physical development of a growing organism.
Read also: “5 ways to find out how tall your child will be”
Sports
It is very important that the child goes in for those sports that literally pull his joints, make muscles more elastic. As trite as it sounds, pulling up and just hanging on the bar is really useful for accelerating growth. Needless to say, this is important even for adults whose growth in the morning is higher than in the evening, when they stoop and “bend” under the weight of worries.
If there are no initial problems with growth hormone (responsible for the growth of bones, cartilage and soft tissues - approx.
ed. ), everything is produced normally, then such types of physical activity as yoga, aerobics, basketball, volleyball, swimming and jumping will be effective. Anything that strengthens the body and improves posture is suitable, including classes in a dance studio.
Please note that heavy physical activity, heavy lifting, on the contrary, are contraindicated.
Read also: "Children's sport: how it actually affects health"
- Photo , forgetting that at night up to 90% of growth hormone is produced in the pituitary gland.
Children need to go to bed at 23:00, it is advisable to go to bed an hour before. Then there is a full release of somatotropic hormone.
The Institute of Endocrinology conducted a study on the hormonal levels of children and came to the conclusion that late bedtime slows down their growth. So parents of "owls" should think about whether to encourage the same regimen in children.
Also, for the production of melatonin, which, in fact, affects the production of growth hormone, it is important to sleep in the dark. Many children are afraid to fall asleep in total darkness. Then you can leave the night light or background light on (for example, the light from the corridor or at the baseboard level), and turn it off after falling asleep, since it is healthier when the child sleeps in complete darkness - in this case, melatonin necessary for sleep is more fully produced.
See also: “Daytime sleep: why it is so important and how to put your child to sleep without whims” the right level of vitamins from fruits and vegetables, fats, especially the beneficial omega-3s. Excess sweets and simple carbohydrates negatively affect growth.
So if you want your child to grow better, regularly include nuts, fish (including fatty varieties), chicken eggs (up to two per day), lean meat and poultry, cereals (oatmeal, buckwheat, lentils, millet, barley).
Sweets should be a rare treat on your table, it is better to replace them with fruits and berries. Studies have shown that children with diabetes have reduced bone mineralization and decreased growth due to hyperglycemia. In healthy children who abuse sweets, growth also slows down.
See also: "The 10 Healthiest Foods for Kids"
- Photo
- Africa Studio/Shutterstock/Fotodom.ru
- Swedish wall;
- ropes;
- rings;
- ladder;
- horizontal bar or other sports equipment
Important: Keep track of risk factors
negatively affecting its growth.
Often, growth retardation with proper nutrition is associated with impaired intestinal absorption, insufficient production of pancreatic enzymes and other disorders of the gastrointestinal tract.
It is necessary to pay attention to the child's well-being, growth rate, condition of the skin, hair and nails - they are often indicators of a lack of some trace elements.
You need to be attentive to changes in the child's appetite, complaints of pain and discomfort in the abdomen.
If necessary, you should consult a doctor and undergo a full examination. He may prescribe a blood or hair test for trace elements. Be sure to donate blood to the level of hormones, especially if someone in the family has problems with the thyroid gland.
Abdominal ultrasound and coprogram can indicate problems in the digestive system. The program is very informative. By analyzing the child's feces, a specialist can determine the presence of opportunistic pathogens - viruses, bacteria, parasites, check the absorption of certain elements. The uniqueness of the analysis is that already on the basis of it, the doctor can draw general conclusions about the work of the gallbladder and biliary tract, stomach, pancreas, liver and intestines.
Read also: 7 advantages of family lunches and dinners that you might not know about
Anastasia Koshelkina
Useful tips to increase the height of a child
Many parents observe the growth process of their child from early childhood, almost from the cradle, especially when they themselves are undersized.
Children are born with a height of about 48-54 cm, and in the first year of life they grow to 75 cm. In the second year they gain no more than 10 cm. The third jump occurs from 4 to 7 years. During these periods, it is not yet clear how the baby will grow. Therefore, special attention should be paid to the growth of the child during puberty (from 10 to 13 years), when one of the growth spurts occurs. In total, children grow up to 20 years. Predicting growth is very difficult, because it directly depends on many factors. These are genetic (short children are usually born to short parents) and intrauterine (during pregnancy, the child grows intensively). If for a certain period the child grew at the right pace, and then growth slowed down, it is worth taking him to the doctor, who will say if the child has health problems, or if such a pace is normal for him.
A little about the child's growth factors.
The bones of children grow at the expense of cartilage plates placed at their ends.
As the child grows, cartilage cells divide and new ones form. Cartilage cells are a source of "building material" for bones. When they are destroyed, they form bone tissue. During puberty, all growth zones are influenced by the teenage hormonal system. Due to the joint action of hormones, normal processes of development and growth are carried out. Some chronic diseases also affect a child's growth. These are lung diseases, heart disease, anemia, liver and kidney diseases, congenital syndromes of the skeletal system. When identifying obvious signs of dwarfism (dwarfism), it is necessary to investigate the somatotropic function of the pituitary gland - a rather expensive analysis. Or regularly conduct a diagnosis of the growth of the child.
If an insufficient amount of hormones that have an effect on bone growth is detected, hormone therapy is indicated. But do not rush to take the drugs, conduct a thorough examination by an endocrinologist, only he can prescribe the appropriate appointment.
With a great desire to grow, you need to try many of the recommended techniques. A lot of articles have been written on increasing the growth of a child.
By reading the materials and getting to know the exercises, you will learn how you can grow up through physical and mental exercises. Their daily implementation will not take much time. A good effect is given by special physical exercises, dosed loads on the musculoskeletal system using special devices and simulators. From childhood it is necessary to teach children to sports games such as basketball, volleyball, as well as hardening, thermal procedures. Heavy physical activity is contraindicated at the age when the body is growing. It is necessary to ensure that the child does not secretly smoke or drink alcohol. Note that good nutrition favorably affects the increase in growth.
Let's take a closer look at physical exercises.
So that the results are not long in coming, get your child something from this list:
After a light warm-up run (5-7 minutes), set aside 15-20 minutes for stretching and flexibility exercises.
