Once your bones stop growing, there's a limit to what you can do to increase your height. Girls experience their peak height growth at 11.5 years and boys at 13.5 years. Boys tend to grow taller than girls due to having two years longer to grow before bone closure, Dr. Lawrence S. Neinstein says on the University of Southern California's website. Increasing height in adults involves the idea that stretching can reduce compression in the spine. Stretching can improve your posture and increase your range of motion, according to the American Council on Exercise.
Step 1
Practice tadasana, the mountain pose. As you stand, focus on lengthening your spine, feeling your feet on the floor and keeping your chest open. Learn to stand with your shoulders relaxed and balanced -- not thrown back or hunched forward. Keep your leg muscles strong and avoid tensing your face or jaw. This stance teaches you to lengthen and support your spine, according to the "Yoga Journal" website. Standing tall helps you to resist the influence of gravity and increase your height after age 30. If you've tended to slouch, stretching can make a noticeable difference.
Step 2
Perform bhujanga, the cobra. Stretch out face down on the floor. Spread your fingers below your shoulders and tuck your elbows to your sides. Press your lower body firmly against the floor. Inhale and raise your upper body by straightening your arms, keeping your lower body in contact with the floor. Raise up only as far as you're comfortable. Keep your buttocks firm without tensing. Feel your spine lengthening. Hold the pose for a slow count of 15. Lower your upper body on an exhalation. Repeating the pose regularly helps you to increase your height by teaching you to maintain a longer spine as you stand, sit and move.
Step 3
Stretch every day after your shower while your muscles are warm. Walk in place for five minutes and then gently shake each arm and each leg to loosen up and release tension. Reach for the sky with one hand at a time. Stretch the entire side of your body from fingertips through your shoulder and hip all the way to your toes. Alternate sides, repeating the sequence three to five times.
Step 4
Take a class or work with a home exercise video in a form of exercise that stretches the entire body, such as yoga or Pilates. Practicing yoga or Pilates regularly helps make good posture a habit and strengthens the muscles that keep your spine and limbs in proper alignment. Stretching regularly may reduce compression in the spine to help you increase your height after age 30, although there is no scientific evidence of this.
Tips and Warnings
* Seek out a qualified yoga instructor to learn correct form for yoga poses. Many fitness centers, yoga centers and community colleges provide yoga instruction. Take time to research products that claim to increase height. There's no scientific evidence that taking supplements, hanging from chin-up bars or using inversion equipment can cause a permanent height increase in an adult.
* Perform stretches on a carpet or nonslip mat. Wearing socks or performing stretches on a surface that can slip, such as a rug, could result in a serious injury. If you have difficulty balancing, stand near a strong surface you can hold onto, such as a counter. Never use a towel rack or other item that could pull out from the wall as support.
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