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29 Years Old. Is It Possible To Increase Height Through Exercise, Stretching Or Diet?
Posted on
Fri, 1 Feb 2013
Medically reviewed by
Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team
Fri, 1 Feb 2013
Answered on
Mon, 18 Feb 2013
Last reviewed on
Question : I am 29 years old married and have a 3 year old child. My height is 5 feet. Is it now possible to increase my height through exercise, stretching or diet? I have heard that height can increase upto the age of 35 if the body produces HGH - high growth hormones which can develop from exercise and diet? Is this true? If I do skipping or swimming or say join a gym will my height increase? Please guide.
HI, thanks for using healthcare magic
At the end of the long bones in children (the arms and the bones in the lower limb) are epiphyseal cartilage which is turned into bone as the child grows.
At the end of puberty, usually about 17 to 18 , this cartilage is replace by what is called an epiphyseal line, it is basically sealed and no further bone can be added.
Growth hormone can influence the final height of a child because they still have have cartilage at the end of the long bones which can produce bone but it would not affect adults in this way.
This is the reason children who have excess growth hormone may become very tall but adults with excess growth hormone develop a condition called agromegaly,, they do get taller.
In agromegaly, excess growth hormone results in increase soft tissue (increase size of the nose, increase size of the fingers etc)
Exercises such as pilates and yoga can result in stretching and increase in core strength which may improve posture and the illusion of increased height.
The exercises you described will improve fitness and health but will not affect your height.
I hope this helps, feel free to ask any other questions
At the end of the long bones in children (the arms and the bones in the lower limb) are epiphyseal cartilage which is turned into bone as the child grows.
At the end of puberty, usually about 17 to 18 , this cartilage is replace by what is called an epiphyseal line, it is basically sealed and no further bone can be added.
Growth hormone can influence the final height of a child because they still have have cartilage at the end of the long bones which can produce bone but it would not affect adults in this way.
This is the reason children who have excess growth hormone may become very tall but adults with excess growth hormone develop a condition called agromegaly,, they do get taller.
In agromegaly, excess growth hormone results in increase soft tissue (increase size of the nose, increase size of the fingers etc)
Exercises such as pilates and yoga can result in stretching and increase in core strength which may improve posture and the illusion of increased height.
The exercises you described will improve fitness and health but will not affect your height.
I hope this helps, feel free to ask any other questions
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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