Can Yoga Increase Height? Interesting Findings

Yoga

Can-Yoga-Increase-Height

If you are worried about your height and wondering "can yoga Increase height?" then you are on the right page. In this article we will discuss if yoga can increase height? and if yes, what are the ways to gain height through yoga. Stay tuned. 


Worried about your height? Want to grow taller? Then you are not the only one who wishes for that. You are on the right page.

Height is such an aspect of the body that you have no control over it. It is said that you stop growing taller after 18 years of age. But actually, your height increases till you hit puberty. Girls are believed to grow in height till 14 years whereas a boy reaches his full growth by about 16 years in general. 


As you near the end of puberty, your long bones undergo their final formation, and the cartilage in the growth plates (at the end of your bones) turns to bone or ossifies. A small variation in height occurs with compression and decompression of spinal cord discs.


Can Yoga Increase Height?


Scientists believe about 80% of your height is determined by your genes.

It is said that more than 700 gene variants determine our height making it difficult to predict how tall someone will be ultimate. Not only that, but genes also contribute to your health condition that, in turn, affect your height. 20–40% of the growth depends upon environmental factors like nutrition and lifestyle.

There is a common myth that certain exercises or stretching techniques can make you grow taller. Activities like hanging, climbing, inversion exercises and swimming are said to contribute to increasing your height. But there is no such evidence to support these claims.


Despite genetics, there are some external factors that contribute to your height and make you look taller. Apart from a well-balanced diet, one of the major contributing factors is Yoga.

Does Yoga Increase Height? No. 
Can Yoga Make Me Look Taller? Yes.

Besides living a healthy lifestyle and eating a balanced diet every day, Yoga helps you increase your height to a certain extent.

Though height doesn’t determine anything in the final analysis as it doesn’t take away even an iota of your inherent qualities, neither does it dictate your personality or your achievements. Yet often people with below-average height long to grow taller. Our society too finds longer bodies more appealing.

Yoga may not make you taller after puberty because the average age for people to stop growing in height is about 16-18 years of age, it has the potential to make you appear taller almost by 1-2 inches. Practicing yoga improves your postures, stretches your spine and back muscles. 


Also, it detoxifies your body and reduces stress, tension and releases growth hormones which lead to a natural increase in height. You can particularly feel this extension in your upper body, while your lower body still plays a part.

Why Does Practicing Yoga Make You look  Taller?


Unlike most sports and exercises, yoga positions encourage your body to stretch and lengthen.

Once you start practicing yoga, you will realize that there are many muscles in your body that have become weak because of the way you lead your life. Most of the time, we spent our day sitting, either while we eat, or drive a car, or at our desks in the workplace.


You need to train certain muscles to maintain your posture, otherwise, your body gets weaker and your back tends to bent. Lesser use of muscle, than what's normally required, results in muscles getting shorter. On the contrary, if your body is active, it will adapt to whatever intensity you put it through. 


The main muscles that need to be trained in order to have good posture are your core, back, and shoulders. Strengthening these muscles will reduce the urge to slouch and naturally make you sit upright and that will automatically make you look taller.

Top 7 Yoga Exercises to Look Taller

01 Surya Namaskar or Sun Salutation

It is one of the most popular yoga exercises which consist of 12 different yoga poses. A daily practice of Surya Namaskar for 15 minutes helps stretching your back, shoulders, and legs and brings flexibility, and strengthens muscle joints. It improves the circulation of blood in your body and helps the nerves to function properly. It reduces stress and anxiety.


Steps to Follow


  • Stand straight, facing the sun.
  • Keep your palms closed in a namaskar posture and lift your arms up while inhaling.
  • Breathe out and bend forward and touch the ground. Do not bend your knees.
  • Raise your head while pushing your left leg forward, followed by the right leg until you lay flat on the ground.
  • Exhale, and repeat the same steps on the other side.


02 Trikonasana or Triangle Pose

It engages multiple parts of your body simultaneously. It engages the core, stretches your leg muscles around the knee, ankle joints, groin muscles, hamstrings, calves, shoulders, chest, spine, and opens up your hips. It stimulates the functions of the abdominal organs.


Steps to Follow


  • Stand straight on the floor with your feet joined, hands at the sides of your body, and head straight.
  • While breathing in deeply, spread your legs three-four feet apart.
  • Stretch your arms to the sides and bring them in line with your shoulders and bend on your side so that your hands are parallel to the ground with the palms facing downwards.
  • Stretch your right foot outward while turning the left foot slightly inward. Keep your knees straight.
  • Bend the torso to the right side slowly and steadily without going in the forward direction. Touch the right ankle with your right hand while keeping your palm rested on the floor.
  • Move your head up and stretch the left hand vertically. Look straight.
  • Hold the posture and wait for 30 seconds.
  • Come back to the upright position slowly and stand straight all over again.


03 Tadasana or Tree Pose

It works wonders in increasing height. When the leg is folded and put over the other thigh, the entire weight is held by the second leg. This helps in strengthening your muscles. Further, when the neck is flexed upwards, the pituitary gland that is responsible for producing the growth hormone gets activated. It straightens and lengthens the spine, improves posture and balance making you flexible and stable, breathing steady. The tree pose also improves neuromuscular coordination.


Steps to Follow


  • Stand straight with feet together on the floor. Breathe normally while keeping your hands at the side.
  • Stand up firmly on the left leg and fold the right leg at your knees. Bring the right foot on the inner thighs.
  • Balance on the left foot and raise both arms over the head, elbows unbent, and join your palms together.
  • Hold this posture with the entire body stretched for a few seconds while breathing gently.
  • Follow similar steps on the opposite side.


04 Bhujangasana or Cobra Pose

This pose helps in flexing your chest and shoulders and opening them up. It strengthens back muscles, stretches the muscles in the shoulders, chest, and abdominal region, adds flexibility to the spine. It reduces stress and helps you in achieving good posture.


Steps to Follow


  • Lie down facing the floor so that your stomach touches the ground. Keep your feet together and hands under your shoulder.
  • Raise your upper body off the floor by keeping your lower body securely on the floor.. Lift your upper body with help of your arms.
  • Tilt your head backward to engage your neck muscles. Try to be in this position for about 30 seconds. Come back gently to the original position.


05 Marjariasana or the Cat and Cow Pose

This is one of the best warmings up exercise that you can start your day with. Not only is it going to get your spine and body warmed up and flexible but it helps strengthen your core to make you appear taller. It massages and stimulates the digestive organs and tones the abdomen, thereby removing excess fat. It also helps in the proper circulation of blood and oxygen in the body. Regular practice of this asana flushes out your strain.


Steps to Follow


  • Place your hands and knees in a table pose with a neutral spine. While breathing in lift your sit bones upward, bring your chest forward, and let your belly sink. This is a cow pose.
  • Lift your head up, relax your shoulders away from your ears, and look forward.
  • Round your spine outward while exhaling out, tucking in your tailbone, and pressing your pubic bone forward. Now you are in a cat pose.
  • Bend your head toward the floor but don’t force your chin to your chest. Relax.


06 Paschimottanasana or Seated Forward Bend

This pose exerts pressure on the back thigh muscles and neck region. It increases height because it stretches and strengthens your back and spine completely. Doing this pose regularly is really going to improve your flexibility in these areas and release all of the tightness. But this exercise should not be practiced by people suffering from slip disc or sciatica.


Steps to Follow


  • Bring your arms up over your head and stretch them towards the ceiling.
  • Exhale and come forward, hinging at your hips.
  • On each inhale, lengthen your spine bend forward so that your belly rests on your thighs.
  • Keep the neck parallel to your spine.
  • Hold either your ankles or shins (whichever you can reach comfortably).
  • Come back to the original position gently.


07 Uttanasana or Hastapdasana or Standing Forward Bend

Standing Forward bend helps in reducing tension in the neck and shoulders while stretching the spine. It also stretches your back muscles, hips, hamstrings, and calves and eliminates stress and depression. The pose helps to strengthen your thighs and knees and keeps your spine strong and flexible. It activates the abdominal muscles.


Steps to Follow


  • Start off with your feet together, standing straight.
  • Bend forward towards the feet and hold that pose. Breathe slowly.
  • Exhale and return back to the first position again.
  • Repeat the steps again.

PRO TIP: Make sure you maintain your posture and movement patterns throughout the day even when you are seated or going about your daily activities, and everything in between

Also, read our post on Yoga For Anxiety And Depression

Can Yoga Increase Height? Concluding Thoughts

Though it is true that certain yoga postures improve blood circulation, stimulate the growth hormone and make the spine stress free helping in increasing your height but they alone cannot guarantee significant results.

Yoga along with a diet rich in proteins and carbohydrates like milk, eggs, dairy products like milk, yogurt, and cheese, during the formative years can be of greater help. Having proper sleep is always a prerequisite for good health. Avoiding tea, coffee, alcohol makes you fitter.

It is always recommended to practice yoga asanas under the guidance of a trained yoga teacher initially. That will ensure learning proper postures for each asana or pose.

You do not need to go out for practicing yoga, rather you can always exercise in the comfort of your own home. The beauty of Yoga is whether you are young or old, overweight or fit, yoga has the power to calm the mind and strengthen the body. Yoga is for everyone.

Also, read our posts on  Will Yoga Make Me Fit ? and How To Open Blocked Fallopian Tube Through Yoga.