While it is true that we have to take what we are born with in terms of DNA and genes, there are certain traits, that we can improve or help along.
Not all of us are happy with how we look, and therefore, seek to change or enhance our perceived less-than-perfect attributes.
Height is one of those characteristics that many individuals are not content to maintain the status quo. In fact, they choose to take remedial measures in order to effect their own desired outcome.
And this is definitely possible in instances where the problem is not hereditary, but rather, a result of bad habits or specific injuries and diseases.
Years of slouching over, eating processed foods, sedentary lifestyles, and inadequate sleep all contribute to a gradual reduction of growth in height.
Typically, the body is starved of essentials such as:
- protein and calcium found in balanced diets,
- the necessary hormones released during sleep,
- flexibility and stimulation provided by exercise,
- and responsible use of body parts to avoid injury and unnatural gaits.
Admittedly, we don’t always choose to live this way. Sometimes, circumstances such as poverty, location, and other factors are the reasons behind our poor choices. Nevertheless, the end result is the same. Growing shorter!
In order to rehabilitate the effects of negative lifelong behaviors, we need to look at improving the length of the legs and spine, as well as reinvigorating the flexibility of the hips. To do this, we are going to perform stretches that make you taller.
Stretches To Make Your Legs Taller
You might not think about this, but the fact is if you can make your legs look taller, then it follows, your total height will improve.
Taller legs have a slimming effect, and create the illusion of being lean and fit. If you ever look at a lady wearing high heels, you notice that the legs are elongated and slimming.
The muscle is expanded creating defined sleek lines that are appealing and curvy. Many women refuse to give up their heels specifically because they love how contoured and svelte their legs look.
When you mimic this same pose, in a healthy and safe way, you enhance the body’s height.
So one of the ways to accomplish this is to complete a daily routine of stretches that help you lose weight, and also encourage muscle toning. Added benefits are working off the flabby bits and preventing cramps in the legs while sleeping. Finally, proper stretching is much more advisable than walking in high heels.
Three examples of leg stretches to grow taller and slimmer are:
- The calf stretch using a wall as support for your hands to push against while you stretch out your leg muscles.
- Leg kicks are stretches that help with height, improve the strength of the knees and surrounding areas, as well as help with total body stability.
- Lunges are ideal for all parts of the body, but really work the legs and hips.
Focusing on the legs with stretches that make you taller will make a visible difference in appearance, and ultimately will make you happier with the new look.
Growing Taller With Spine Exercises
One of the best ways to get taller is with stretches to extend the spine. Good posture is the key to maintaining a linear back and spine.
Regardless of sitting or standing, keeping the spine straight means that you really are taller because you are not hunched over, thereby losing inches.
Sadly, you see many older people with hunched backs that are not necessarily attributed to medical conditions or diseases. They are like this simply because old habits die hard.
But they can change their habits by starting and reinforcing new ones.
For example, once they have done some stretches that make you taller for a few days, the next week should be easier to remember because now the stretches are part of the new routine.
Instead of a bad habit, you now have a positive activity going.
In addition to being able to stand up properly, the exercises help to keep the core muscles strong. Good posture also aids with discomfort in the shoulders.
Often when we hunch over while working at a desk or any other task, we scrunch our shoulders together. This causes pain in the bones, and eventually probably a headache or neck ache.
All of these aches and pains can be relieved with spine exercises to grow taller.
Three stretches to increase spinal flexibility are:
- Good old fashioned walking with a book or two on the head will do wonders to keeping your spine straight. I know many of us hated when the teacher at school made us do these exercises. Some thought it was funny more than a nuisance, but either way, stretching the back and spine with a book does help.
- Stretching to the sky is equally as simple and another taught by teachers at school. When everyone is getting restless, it is a good exercise to get the mind activated, pump some oxygen into the brain, and get the blood flowing. Finally, a good stretch upwards extends the spine creating a healthier environment for the essential organs in the body.
- The child’s pose recommended in Yoga is really simply, and can be managed by most individuals.
By strengthening and stretching the upper body, in particular the spine and back, you will find that others actually notice the difference in how you look.
Growing Taller With Hip Mobility Stretches
Unlike the spine and legs, the goal here is not to make the hips taller. The focus is on making them more flexible, so that they are not hampering other movements, making the whole body stiff and short.
The hips are the central movement mechanism between the upper and lower body. Anything that causes the hips to be out-of-sync is going to dramatically affect everything else the body is trying to do.
If you have ever suffered from a bout of bursitis, you know that the pain and crunching in the hips can cause limping. In turn, the body is lopsided which means you are much shorter than normal.
If this continues for a long period of time, even if the pain has subsided, you tend to carry on holding your body in the same fashion. To counteract this, your body craves stretches that make you taller again.
Stretching exercises increase range of mobility in the hips, and at the same time, strengthen the area to prevent injuries.
Three stretches for improved hip flexibility are:
- Sometimes called bridges, most kinds of pelvic tilts while lying on the back on the floor are great hip flexors.
- Hip rotator stretches are fundamental for all swinging movements. Recommended by orthopaedic experts and physical therapists, they are the go-to activities when hips are not working at peak performance.
- A hip bending stretch can be done on the floor or lying on your bed. All you need to do is pull your leg to your chest using your hands or a towel. The knee should be bent and pointed at the chest.
With mobile and flexible hips, you should be taller, since it allows the whole body to stand up straight.
Final Thoughts on Stretches That Make You Taller
It was always thought that once you reached adulthood, it was impossible to change your height. Also, if all your family members were short, you would be, too, and there was not a thing you could do about it.
Yet, as we understand more about how the body’s mechanism works, and more people strive to learn about the individual body parts, inside and out, we do find that it is possible to achieve an increased height with stretches that make you taller.
