Can You Actually Make Yourself Look Taller?

Do you ever feel like you’re shrinking? It’s not an Alice in Wonderland illusion, you probably are getting shorter, albeit very slowly. Us girls stop growing at around the age of 16.

Research from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging shows that, once we hit our 30s, we gradually start to lose height. That loss might be less than a centimetre over a decade if you’re healthy, but lifestyle and dietary choices can make a big difference.

More height, more money

There’s lots of research showing why being tall is useful, too. One study in the Journal of Evolutionary Biology found that tall and long-armed women were deemed most attractive almost anywhere in the world, regardless of the country or culture. Taller people tend to earn more money than their shorter counterparts, too. Tall leaders are deemed as more intelligent and even healthier, according to research in SAGE journals. Another study, in the British Medical Journal, found that taller people were more successful overall, having higher quality education and standards of living.

Think about it… Being taller makes clothes shopping so much easier, as almost everything is designed for tall models. Not to mention that we’d all like to have longer-looking legs. So, whether you want to be taller, stay tall or simply be healthy, there are good reasons to look after your height.

Weaker bones

Losing height as you age is a result of compression of your spine. The gel-like discs between your vertebrae begin to dehydrate, wear down and get thinner, meaning a shorter spine overall. The bone itself also loses density, making it weaker. This is not good news. It can result in back pain, cause your spine to curve, and, if you’re suffering with a loss of bone density, it can even cause your vertebrae to collapse.

With a weak spine, other parts of your body suffer, too, with hip fractures being more frequent for women with spine problems. In fact, with a spinal cord injury, damage that can result in of loss of mobility or feeling can also bring on osteoporosis, which further weakening your bones. You’re at greater risk of a spinal cord injury if you endure a sports injury or a fall and you’ve already got a weakened spine. Even assuming you avoid a spinal injury, combine your weakened spine with a lack of core muscle strength and you can end up looking like a human humpback camel.

To avoid this you need to put less pressure on your spine, which means standing tall. The bonus is that you’ll look taller as a result. When you stand or walk, hold your head straight with your chin in (don’t lead with your chin as you walk). Your earlobes should be in-line with the middle of your shoulders. Rather than thinking of pulling your shoulder-blades back, which can lead to you simply pulling your upper arms back, think of it as pushing your nipples forward – it works! Now stretch your head towards the ceiling to elongate your neck (remember, don’t lift your chin) and tuck your stomach in. Perfect!

– RELATED: Why Dancing And Fitness Will Lead To A Better Mind And Better Body –

Eat to grow

Exercise is just as important as diet. You can eat all the calcium you like but, unless you strengthen the muscles that support your bones, they won’t be much use to you. An Israeli study published in Gerontology found those who did even moderate aerobic exercise shrank around half the amount compared to those who had sedentary lifestyles or who stopped exercising after the age of 40. When you put your bones under healthy stress, by lifting weights, running, jumping, for example, your body works hard to strengthen them. New cells are generated, giving you stronger bones overall.

To boost bone strength where you really need it, focus on doing squats, step-ups and lunges at least twice each week. These three exercises are particularly good at giving you a strong spine and hips, essential for keeping you standing tall. But any load-bearing exercise is going to put pressure your bones and, with that, give you stronger bones and muscle. If you haven’t already, add a lifting element to your regular workout regime. Ideally, alternate your exercise days by focusing on cardiovascular exercise one day, then building strong muscles and bones the next. Not only will you build stronger bones, but with stronger muscles you’ll stand taller naturally, too.

If you are older, the need to exercise and eat for your bones is even more important. You’re at greater risk of weak bones than ever before, so pay attention. Estrogen levels fall dramatically pre and during menopause and that can trigger the loss of bone mass. That means not only weaker bones, but also more pressure on your muscles to hold everything together. Once you’ve been through menopause, the breakdown of bone becomes more rapid than the building of new bone.

You can fight back, however, with calcium and vitamin D, as well as exercise. At 18 years old it’s recommended you get 800mg of calcium a day, according to the Department of Health. In your 20s, 30s and 40s, you need 700mg. While you can take a supplement, dietary sources of calcium aren’t hard to come by, so that’s the best way to get your bone-strengthening daily dose.

The best food sources of calcium are dairy, nuts, dark leafy greens and tofu. For vitamin D, the sun is your best friend, but you can also get dietary amounts from oily fish and eggs. Don’t think that exercise won’t give you the same benefits as it would for someone younger – now, more than ever, you need to keep pushing.

Reach high with reps

Unlike younger woman, however, lifting heavy weights may not be possible or desirable. For you, resistance workouts with high reps are ideal. Research published in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness found that high reps using light weights was ideal for changing bone density. For the study, women were even given a low-load/ high-rep resistance-training routine (using weights at around 20% of the maximum they could lift, with around 100 reps for each exercise) to follow or assigned classes that involved noweight core strength exercises. The two groups followed the routine for 27 weeks. Both groups lost weight and became stronger, but only the lowload high-rep group showed increases in bone density of between 4% to 8%.

If you sit in a chair all day long or drive a lot, it’s essential you adjust the way you sit to minimize spine compression, too. While sitting for long periods is a killer for your height, smoking and high alcohol intake also have huge potential shrinking effects. This isn’t just because smoking makes you less fit overall, it’s also because it directly damages your bones.

With weaker bones, your spine is going to compress sooner than it would otherwise. Alcohol, while fine in moderation, can make it difficult for your body to metabolise calcium, which also can lead to weak bones.

A foot above the rest

Next up, your feet can also be to blame. Check the arch of your foot – if it’s off the ground right now (as it should be), you could potentially lose that much height if you suffer with fallen arches. The key is to avoid injuries to your tendons, by wearing supportive footwear, especially when exercising, as well as stretching your feet and ankle muscles regularly.

Still, some of us are born short and, regardless of how much you weigh, what exercise you do, how you stand or sit, you’re still left staring upwards.

“It’s all about where you draw the eye,” explains style commentator, David Waters. “Rather than encouraging viewers to look you up and down, you want to focus their attention on one part of you. So, perhaps counter intuitively, an all-in-one suit or long dress actually makes you look shorter, not taller, because the eye takes in your entire height in one glance.

“Instead, break it up by choosing high-waisted trousers that give the illusion of long legs, and draw the eye to your face by wearing V-necks, too. And go nude and pointy when it comes to shoes – this style will automatically lengthen your legs.”

Finally, always remember this advice – while there is unfortunately no magic Alice in Wonderland ‘Eat Me’ cake that will make you grow taller, if you focus your efforts on a dedicated routine of building strength for a collection of powerful muscles and solid bones instead, you’ll automatically reward yourself with a better posture, leaner physique and a lot less shrinking!

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