A child’s height is controlled by genetics. Children grow at different rates. Some begin their growth phases early, while others are late bloomers. Other factors that can affect your child’s growth are gender, nutrition, medical condition, and physical exercise. Now that you have an idea of what determines growth, let’s proceed to some useful tips to help your child grow taller.
Feed them the right food.
Diet is the core of a healthy, developing body. If your children eat the proper food they’ll have healthier bodies which is favorable for growth and development. Give them foods rich in carbohydrates for energy to sustain growth, lean meat, eggs, and nuts as protein sources for muscle-building, and dairy products and green veggies for calcium. Also ensure intake of vitamins A and D, and iron to further supplement growth. Make sure that they have a balanced diet, and are not eating too much of one thing.
Ensure that they sleep well.
Sleep is crucial for height development because when your child is asleep, his/her body produces growth hormones. Growth hormones are synthesized naturally by the body which encourages a range of building activities in the body (i.e., building new muscle tissues, creating new cells, or mineralizing bones). Tell your kids to skip watching late night shows or playing video games until midnight and encourage them to get at least eight hours of sleep. Sleep works like magic for children when it comes to getting taller.
Encourage them to exercise.
Exercise helps the bones and muscles become stronger, fights obesity, and develops a leaner body. It also improves endurance, flexibility, and strength. Hanging and stretching exercises are the two most practical exercises to grow taller. Flexibility exercises entail stretching the muscles and bones, specifically the spine and legs, which helps them lengthen thus increasing height. Luckily, kids don’t have to go to the gym or run laps every afternoon. Encourage your child to stay active by playing and engaging in sports such as swimming, running, soccer, basketball, etc. or enroll them in outdoor sports classes.
Practice good posture.
Slouching, spending too much time on the computer, and using hand-held gadgets tend to shorten your children’s spines, making them shorter than they should be. Since kids’ bone structure is still immature and soft, you can remedy this by encouraging them to exercise and engage in sports. Also, avoid giving them heavy objects to lift and make sure that they don’t sleep with more than one pillow to ensure that the spine is in the correct (straight) position. It is crucial to remind them to keep their shoulders back and chins up at all times.
Consult a doctor if your child is not getting taller at all and for supplements.
If you want to give supplements to your child, consider consulting the doctor first. He/she can prescribe the most effective and safest ones for your child. Do not purchase any supplements without a prescription as there are a lot of brands with false promises and side effects. Some have no basis for their claims, and some of the ingredients have not received thorough evaluation.
