Height is always a top concern, especially for young people during their growth phase. Many people worry that going to the gym will affect their height and make them shorter. So, does going to the gym make you shorter? Are there any gym exercises that can effectively increase height? Let’s find out in this article.
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Does going to the gym make you shorter?
There is a rumor that if you go to the gym regularly, it can make you shorter due to the pressure on your spine during exercise. This information has made many people in the gym community worry and question: “Does doing leg exercises make you shorter?”, “Exercise, which inherently brings health, also hides the risk of “stunting” the body’s development potential?”
The answer to the question “Does going to the gym make you shorter?” is no. From a scientific perspective, each person’s height is partly dependent on genetic inheritance (accounting for 23%), while the remaining factors of nutrition and exercise account for about 73%.
Besides, our height increases thanks to the growth mechanism of the cartilage at the end of the bones. Therefore, if you exercise properly at the gym, it will help stimulate cartilage growth, effectively supporting height increase.
Does going to the gym at puberty make you shorter?
So, if a child is going to the gym during puberty, will they become shorter? The answer is still “No!”.
A study from the reputable Pubmed site shows that training with weights and exercise machines does not negatively affect the development of adolescents before and early puberty.
Going to the gym at puberty does not make you shorter. In fact, going to the gym at this age can have many benefits for your development and health, including improving muscle strength, increasing endurance, flexibility, and helping your body maintain a standard weight.
Parents should encourage their children to exercise regularly because the gym has many positive effects:
- Muscle development: Going to the gym helps to strengthen and develop muscles, which not only improves appearance but also helps children become more confident.
- Improves cardiovascular health: Physical activity like going to the gym helps improve cardiovascular health, reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, and improve blood circulation.
- Reduces stress: Going to the gym can help reduce stress, anxiety, and fatigue by stimulating the production of endorphins – a natural hormone of the body that is released to reduce stress symptoms.
- Supports mental development: Physical activity helps improve mental health and concentration, which is very beneficial for children’s daily learning.
- Builds healthy living habits: Starting to go to the gym from puberty helps build healthy living habits and a foundation of health education early on, helping you maintain a positive and balanced lifestyle.
Effective Gym Exercises to Increase Height Quickly
Pull-up
Pull-up is a popular and effective gym exercise for increasing height, especially for teenagers. This exercise directly affects the spine, helping to stretch the vertebrae.
How to do it:
Step 1: Use a pull-up bar that is at a suitable height for you. Grasp the pull-up bar with both hands, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Keep your arms straight and your palms facing forward.
Step 2: Use the force from your arm and shoulder muscles to pull yourself up until your chin is over the pull-up bar. Hold the position for 1-2 seconds.
Step 3: Slowly lower yourself back to the starting position, keeping your back straight.
Notes when doing Pull-up exercises:
Warm up thoroughly before exercising to avoid injury.
Perform the movement correctly for effective and safe training.
Exercise at a level appropriate for your health and ability.
You can train in a group or with the support of a trainer.
Roman Chair Leg Raise
Roman Chair Leg Raise is an exercise highly appreciated for its ability to support height increase, especially effective for the puberty stage. This exercise directly affects the spine, helping to stretch and stimulate the development of the intervertebral discs, thereby promoting height growth.
How to do it:
Step 1: Use a Roman Chair, exercise mat (if needed).
Step 2: Warm up the joints of your wrists, shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles.
Step 3: Sit on the machine, rest your back on the pad, and grasp the handrails on both sides. Keep your legs straight out in front, perpendicular to the floor.
Step 4: Tighten your abs, slowly raise your legs up until they are parallel to the floor. Hold the position for 2-3 seconds, then slowly lower your legs back to the starting position.
Step 5: Repeat the movement 10-15 times, doing 3 sets.
Notes:
Keep your back straight, do not bend your spine.
Keep your abs tight throughout the exercise.
Breathe evenly, do not hold your breath.
Exercise with a suitable weight, avoid overtraining.
Refer to the instructions of professionals to ensure safety.
Push-ups
Push-ups are a popular and simple exercise that not only helps strengthen muscles but also has the potential to stimulate height development. If you are still worried about whether going to the gym will make you shorter, try this exercise and observe the changes in your body.
How to do it:
Step 1: Lie face down on the floor, hands shoulder-width apart, legs straight back.
Step 2: Use the force of your arm, shoulder, and chest muscles to push yourself up until your arms are straight.
Step 3: Hold the position for 1-2 seconds, then slowly lower yourself down.
Important notes for push-ups:
Always warm up thoroughly before exercising to reduce injury.
Perform the movement correctly for effective and safe training.
To increase the effectiveness of training and optimize height development, you should combine push-ups with other exercises such as swimming, yoga, running, etc.
Superman Pose
The Superman Pose is a simple gym exercise that is highly effective in stimulating height development, especially suitable for children and adolescents during puberty.
How to do it:
Step 1: Lie face down on the floor, arms straight out in front, legs straight back.
Step 2: Simultaneously lift your arms and legs off the floor, keeping your body straight.
Step 3: Hold the position for 1-2 seconds, then slowly lower your arms and legs down.
Note: Always warm up thoroughly before exercising to avoid injury.
After learning about the impact of gym workouts on height, you can confidently conclude that exercising correctly not only does not have negative effects but also supports height growth. To enhance your understanding of health and fitness, refer to how to measure and calculate BMI, an important tool for assessing your weight and health, through the article here: How to Measure and Calculate BMI.
Tips for Effective Height-Increasing Gym Exercises
Going to the gym not only helps to improve health and develop muscles but also can support effective height increase, especially during puberty. Here are 6 gym exercise tips to help you maximize your height increase:
Choose the right exercises
Stretching exercises: Focus on spine-stretching exercises like plank, yoga, pull-ups, etc., to help stimulate the vertebrae to develop, increase flexibility, and improve posture.
Full-body exercises: Swimming, running, jumping rope, etc., are exercises that affect the whole body, promoting the production of growth hormone and supporting height development.
Strength training exercises: Squat, lunges, deadlift, etc., help strengthen muscles, especially the muscles in the lower body, to support the body better and create conditions for height development.
Exercise with the right technique
Perform the movement slowly and in a controlled manner to focus on muscle sensation to ensure safety and effectiveness. It is necessary to warm up thoroughly before exercising and stretch after exercising to reduce the risk of injury.
Exercise regularly
Maintain exercise for at least 30 minutes per day, 5 days per week.
It is recommended to divide the training time during the day to avoid overtraining.
You can exercise at home or at the gym with the guidance of a trainer.
Build a healthy diet
Supplement with all the nutrients essential for height development such as calcium, vitamin D, protein, etc.
Eat plenty of vegetables, fruits, and nutritious foods.
Limit eating unhealthy fast food.
Get enough sleep
Sleep enough 7-8 hours each night to give your body time to recover and develop. Avoid staying up late and using your phone before going to bed.
Track your progress
Record your training process, including exercises, number of repetitions, time spent exercising, etc., to track your own height changes and easily adjust your training program accordingly.
Exercise needs to go hand in hand with proper rest to give your body time to recover. By applying effective gym tips and combining them with a healthy diet and enough sleep, you can promote optimal height development.
This article has answered the questions about “Does going to the gym really make you shorter?”, and also introduced 4 effective exercises to help you “breakthrough” in height development. Hopefully after exploring this useful information, you are ready to start your journey to conquer your dream height with Gym!
