When you’re a kid, being short can be a bit of a wellness issue. As a parent, you might think that being short yourself means that your child’s well-being will be likewise afflicted, but you actually have some control over how tall your child becomes.
Growing children have bands of cartilage around long bones in the arms and legs, which can stretch and allow the bones to grow. This cartilage fuses shortly after puberty, but before your child reaches the age of 16, there are measures you can take to give him or her a little family wellness boost. For example, your child produces growth hormones when sleeping, as so you need to ensure he or she gets at least eight hours sleep every night. Also, you can encourage height in your child by improving their posture, and giving them a balanced diet rich in amino acids. There are also certain exercises which can help to lengthen your child:
1. Stretching exercises. Get your child to stand with the back against the wall, stretching the hands in the air as much as possible. Then, reach down to the toes, and repeat this process 10 times. Or, get your child to sit with their legs wide apart, and reach over to each foot with both hands three or four times.
2. Yoga. Child yoga is becoming more and more popular for a variety of reasons, one of which is its ability to increase height. Sign your child up for a class or look online for stretching poses such as the Surya Namaskar, the Adho Mukha Syanasana and the Chakrasana. Make sure your child does their yoga breathing first!
3. Hanging. Your kid probably loves hanging from bars anyway, but this can help straighten the spine and elongate the vertebrates. Doing pull-ups or chin-ups daily gives the best results.
4. High-Intensity Workouts. While lifting weights is damaging to under-16s, sports like basketball, tennis and badminton are all great ways to promote growth hormones in the body and help your child grow taller. If your child prefers to go solo, why not encourage running, swimming or cycling?