Although you might not like your height, you can do nothing about it after 18 years. The small height variations you may observe from time to time in the course of the day are caused by changes in the spinal fluids but have nothing to do with permanent height change since they are reversed as fast as they came.
Many people are not comfortable with their height, which is normal. In fact, many want to increase their height, at least by a few centimeters, even after 18 years. However, as sad as it may sound, you can do nothing about your height once you attain adulthood. Shortly before puberty ends, the growth plates that open and allow bone lengthening for height increment close, preventing any possible vertical growth. What influences height? Can working out increase your height after 18 years or reduce your vertical growth before adulthood? Keep peering into this article to have these questions answered.
What influences changes in height?
Before exploring whether it is possible to increase your height after 18 years, we need to review what influences height variations. The primary factor in a person’s genetic makeup, but this isn’t it all. Genetics may mean that your filial offspring will also be tall when you are tall. This is confirmed by a study of twins from the same parents and end up having almost the same height characteristics as the parents.
Notably, genetics only influences 60%-80% of height variations, meaning that it isn’t all that’s involved in determining a person’s height. Studies show that the other 20%-40% is taken by other factors, probably environmental factors. For instance, one study established that human beings had become taller in 1996 than they were in 1896. This observation is closely liked to several environmental factors, including people’s diet. Of course, the human diet has significantly changed over the last century, following the popularization of the Western diet.
Your height will less likely increase after 18 years
Exploring different growth curves, you will undoubtedly notice no growth after 18 years in the vertical dimensions. In fact, the curves show that in the years leading end of puberty, height increment stagnates, and the trend continues even after hitting adulthood. As such, females may experience height increment as long as they are under 16 years, after which the trend ceases. For males, height increment may continue as long as one is below 14-17 years.
Bones and how they relate to height variations
Height variations are influenced by genetics and environmental conditions, but the actual increment is observed due to the lengthening of bone, especially the ends, also called the growth of epiphyseal plates. Growth hormones are active before puberty and slightly into it, causing these cartilage ends to open. This leads to bone lengthening, resulting in height increment observable before and during adolescence. However, toward the end of puberty, the growth hormones change action, hardening these cartilage ends. Consequently, the growth plates close (or harden), resulting in nor bone lengthening nor height increment.
Slight variations in height are normal from day to day and in the course of the day
Studies show that some people have recorded slight height variations (including increment) in the course of the day and from day to day, even in individuals past 18 years. Thus, you might be left wondering how you can explain since growth plates don’t open to cause bone lengthening after 18. Well, these observations are not far-fetched, and many people can confirm having made them.
The primary reason behind such daily height variations is changes in the spinal fluid and discs. The spine is lined with discs whose spaces are filled with spinal fluid. As one engages in daily activities, the fluid herein compresses or expands, resulting in the minor height changes. Note that these height variations are only temporary and reversed as fast as they came. As such, the daily height variations will not significantly impact your ultimate height. The daily height variations are typically 1.5 cm, but having them temporarily barely does anything to your actual height. What’s more, in a few exceptional cases, spinal fluid and disc expansion has continued long into adulthood but has resulted in no substantial height changes.
Can I work out to increase my height after 18 years?
Many people have wondered if they can work out to boost their height after adulthood. This is because there is a great hype behind clinging, hanging, and climbing exercises as an approach to increase one’s height after 18 years. As sad as it may sound, these are only myths, and no scientific studies back up these misconceptions. As such, as you keep swimming, climbing, or working out using that inversion table, remember that you cannot expect any height increment with the exercise. Admittedly, you might realize slight height variations in the course of the day, but these are merely the result of the disc and spinal fluid decompression or compression following which activities you engaged in. however, the body reverses them as fast as it produced them, meaning that you cannot experience permanent height increment with them.
Will I impair my height increment by working out?
Most adolescents and children are concerned about negatively affecting their height growth by engaging in some forms of workouts. For instance, they might be worried that lifting weights may decelerate their height development. This is a genuine concern since the cartilages in the growth plates of children and adolescents are weaker than they get after adulthood. As such, they may be easily damaged. However, studies show that workouts, including weight lifting, are safe as long as you do it well and after the supervision of a professional. Besides, research also shows that workouts can be quite paying and will actually promote growth if done in the right way.
Conclusion
Many people don’t like their heights and wonder whether they can do anything about them after 18 years. Some go as far as working out to gain height, but the results prove futile. This is because height variations are determined by genetics and environmental factors but are observed due to bone lengthening when epiphyseal plates open. However, after 18 years, the growth plates harden and close, resulting in no further height increment. You might experience slight daily height variations, but these are merely due to spinal fluid and disc compression and decompression. Besides, they are only temporary and will not result in permanent height change.
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