Methodology for increasing growth in Kyiv. Increases height in children and adolescents.

Experts

Tatyana Garats , pediatrician, department of diagnostics and rehabilitation treatment of the Federal State Budgetary Institution “SCCHD” of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences
Maria Petrovskaya , pediatrician, department of diagnostics and rehabilitation treatment of the Federal State Budgetary Institution “SCCHD” of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences
Elena Roslavtseva , Candidate of Medical Sciences, pediatrician of the highest category, highly qualified pediatric gastroenterologist and nutritionist, senior researcher, Federal State Budgetary Institution "SCCHD" RAMS
Irina Shirokova , Candidate of Medical Sciences, endocrinologist of the highest qualification category, Federal State Budgetary Institution "SCHD" RAMS

If you want to know the height of a child, look at his mom and dad. In most cases, it is their genes that determine how tall a person will be. However, a number of factors can influence the genetically determined growth program. As a result, about 5% of children grow poorly, frightening their parents and forcing them to consult doctors.

Babies grow most noticeably in the first year of life: by about 25 cm. By the age of two they gain another 8–12 cm, by three – 7–8 cm, then the growth rate is 4–6 cm per year. Record your heir's height approximately once a year at the same time. Whether the growth is normal can most accurately be determined from the so-called central tables, which all pediatricians and other pediatric doctors have. They are also available on the Internet, but without the appropriate knowledge it is difficult to understand them. However, if a child grows less than 4 cm per year after age 4, there is indeed cause for concern.

FOR CALCULATION FANS

There are formulas that allow you to calculate your child's genetically determined height. However, their error is quite large - 5–10 cm.

Girls = (father’s height in centimeters + mother’s height in centimeters)/2 – 6.5 cm.

Boys = (father's height in centimeters + mother's height in centimeters)/2 + 6.5 cm

GENES AND FACTORS

Health problems may affect growth. For example, chronic diseases of the respiratory system, heart and blood vessels, gastrointestinal tract, hormonal disorders. Regular use of medications containing glucocorticosteroid hormones (for example, to relieve asthma attacks) also slows growth.

It happens that babies who were born with a weight and height below normal grow poorly. Despite parental care and proper nutrition, 10% of such children, even after 4 years, lag behind their peers. A similar delay may also occur in those children whose one parent is shorter than 160 cm. Just don’t panic! In most children, doctors find only so-called constitutional growth retardation. There is no pathology, but the child remains the smallest in the class for a long time. As a rule, in such children, puberty begins later - at 14–16 years old: in this way, nature extends their growth time. As a result, they usually reach their normal level without any treatment, although they are unlikely to become really high. More often, this option occurs in boys, whose parents, especially fathers, at one time grew up just as slowly.

Norbekov's technique

A slight increase in adult height is possible using this technique. It can add no more than 2 cm due to the build-up of intervertebral cartilage and irritation of the tubular bones in the legs. Norbekov uses the growth zone in the spine, which remains open almost all his life. It’s just that its activity decreases over the years, the task of technology is to activate this zone.

Want to check how to increase your height at home? You can try this set of exercises. It takes 45 minutes during the day and evening. You need to work on yourself until you achieve results. But you shouldn’t expect significant increases in growth.

VISIT TO AN ENDOCRINOLOGIST

Somatotropic hormone (STH) (“growth hormone”) is responsible for growth in the human body. Sex hormones of the thyroid gland and insulin are also important, but in relation to growth they are active only if there is a normal level of growth hormone. It turns out that a deficiency of one or more of the listed hormones or an excess of adrenal hormones entails growth retardation and without appropriate treatment the matter will not progress.

Fortunately, endocrine growth retardation is detected in only less than 1% of children whose parents complain about it. A real lack of growth hormone leads to nanism, or dwarfism, then boys grow no more than 140 cm, girls - up to 130 cm. The sooner parents contact an endocrinologist and receive an appointment for GH injections, the greater the chance that a small patient will grow to average height or even higher. Moreover, if the first child was diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency, and the parents are planning a second one, in most cases the second child does not repeat this hormonal problem.

BONE AGE

Bone (biological) age shows whether the growth and overall development of bones corresponds to how old and months old the child is. This is a more accurate indicator than height or body weight. In children's bones there are so-called growth zones, due to which the skeleton can increase. These growth plates gradually close towards the end of puberty, the skeleton ossifies and growth ceases. Bone age allows doctors to understand how long the child will continue to grow, whether it is necessary to look for hormonal pathology, or whether there is no reason for this. True, even in healthy children, the deviation of bone age from the real one can be up to 3 years.

How to increase your height as an adult?

A child grows in height due to bone growth. Growth continues until the special growth zones of the spine at the ends of the bones, which are called tubular, close. As long as these soft zones do not ossify, people can grow under the influence of growth hormone. On average, women's growth stops after 18 years, and men's - after 24.

Video: Human anatomy - bone growth

Adults will not be able to grow due to bone growth without surgery, but they can “stretch” themselves a little by doing sets of exercises to increase the space between the vertebrae and increase flexibility.

The spinal column consists of 24 vertebrae, the sacrum and the coccyx. Between the vertebrae there are intervertebral discs consisting of fibrocartilaginous tissue. They distribute and soften the load on the vertebrae and allow the back to bend. They are the ones that need to be stretched in order to increase the height of an adult.

Under the weight of a person’s own body and due to additional loads, the intervertebral discs compress over time. That's why most people get shorter as they age. Poor posture also affects the length of the spine. Having developed your height to your maximum (and this is usually 2–6 cm more than a person’s “established” height), you need to constantly maintain correct posture so as not to lose the gained centimeters.

Since there are only 23 intervertebral discs, and each can be stretched by a maximum of 3 mm, then a person can conditionally grow by a maximum of 6.9 cm.

ALL IN OUR HANDS…

Now we come to the most interesting part: growth factors that parents can influence on their own. What's next?

First of all, food. In order for a child to grow, the body needs everything it needs to build, first of all, long tubular bones, as well as muscles, teeth, skin and other tissues and organs. The building material is amino acids, which can only be obtained from complete protein. Therefore, 60% of protein foods should be dairy products, eggs, fish, poultry, meat - in general, animal products. Make sure that they are not very fatty, as fat inhibits the production of growth hormone.
Plant foods should make up 40% of the diet. First of all, we are talking about cereals. Legumes are also good, but they often create digestive problems, and they still do not replace milk and meat. Vegetarianism and religious fasting are unacceptable for children! As well as fast food, semi-finished products such as sausages and sausages: there is almost no complete protein there.
Carbohydrates provide energy for growth, but they must be obtained from the same cereals and grain dishes. Sweets that do not contain fiber also slow down the production of growth hormone! Therefore, instead of sweets, it is better to buy fruits. By the way, uncrushed cereals (buckwheat, millet, pearl barley, etc.) increase the synthesis of the necessary growth hormone.
Vitamins and minerals are also important for growth. We are talking primarily about vitamin D, a deficiency of which develops rickets. Currently, doctors’ recommendations are to give it to all children in a prophylactic dose, approximately 10 mcg per day.
Don't forget about calcium and iodine. The first, lying on a protein matrix, is embedded in the bones, increasing their volume and strength. The second is part of the thyroid hormones, which without it will be lacking. Therefore, at 6–10 years of age, children should receive 800–1200 mg of calcium and 150 mcg of iodine per day. And teenagers – 1200–1500 mg of calcium and 200 mcg of iodine. The best source of calcium is cottage cheese, but you can’t eat so much of it, so about half of the calcium needs to be taken in tablets. Another option is calcium-fortified foods. As for iodine, only those who live near the sea receive it in abundance: drinking water and seafood there are rich in iodine. Iodized salt is not enough, so iodine supplements are another essential for growth.
In addition to nutrition, the general daily routine is important: the child must receive adequate emotional and physical stress and at the same time have a good rest. Then you don’t have to worry about his growth.

Visual increase in height in an adult

When it comes to looking taller and slimmer, people resort to tricks:

updo. In the modern world, even men can braid “bumps”;
heels and platform. For short ladies, their “centimeters” are an advantage in this matter. They can easily wear such shoes;
cloth. These are special V-shaped cutouts, stripes.

The effect of the methods is a visual illusion; physical growth does not increase.

ALLERGY? A SMART APPROACH

There are more and more children with severe allergies to many foods at once. Pediatricians and allergists often advise them to eat an extremely monotonous diet like “rice, cauliflower and rabbit meat.” However, after a year or two, such food reveals a lack of minerals, vitamins, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and sometimes protein. Look for a middle ground: perhaps at some point it is worth tolerating, for example, moderate skin rashes, but giving the child nutritious food. Let us remind you that complete food does not mean fast food stuffed with flavoring additives and preservatives, but unusual types of meat, fish, vegetables, etc.

Effectively increasing height during adolescence

Vitamins do play a big role in the growth of a child, just like other nutrients. Having enough saturated and unsaturated fats, protein, fiber, and good carbohydrates with a low glycemic index is of great importance.

Parents who do not care about the nutrition of their children and believe that their child will, in any case, grow up the way his heredity dictates, are simply enemies of their own offspring . This is not about someone starving them or some other extreme thing. This is not the case, because basic instincts will in any case force you to take care of your offspring.

It’s just that we have practically no food culture as such. The only exceptions are if the parents in the family are interested in a healthy lifestyle or, on duty, are specialists in the field of endocrinology and other related sciences. Since parents don’t have a nutritional culture, their children won’t have it either.

If you think I’m exaggerating, just look around in a large grocery supermarket, paying attention to the baskets of people with children and what the children are holding: chips, sweet soda, cheap juices, baked goods. This is how, from childhood, a child’s body is acidified with orthophosphoric acid (there is a lot of it in sweet soda), insulin resistance develops (due to the huge amount of sugar), and the developing organs and cells receive trans fats, as a result of which they begin to malfunction.

In turn, overtly fat parents often have the same children, and it’s not a matter of heredity. A child's body is a perfectly functioning biological machine, processing nutrients at great speed and converting them into new tissues. But if you fill it with food crap, then at the same tremendous speed the body will begin to fill with this very bad thing.

Bad habits in food consumption and unbalanced nutrition are especially dangerous during puberty, when a hormonal boom begins in the child’s body, provoking active growth of the whole organism, the final formation of the reproductive system and the development of the endocrine system as a whole. Boys produce testosterone, which is responsible for muscle growth, and a huge amount of growth hormone is produced, which is responsible for the development of the entire body as a whole, including the overall height of a citizen.

If there is a lack of natural saturated and unsaturated fats, there will be problems with the development of the hormonal system. There is enough fat, but sugar constantly enters the body - the production of growth hormone is inhibited. Not enough protein - problems with muscle growth and organ development.

The most important thing to understand is that there are no miracles . The body cannot form the missing “building material” from nothing. Thus, if a child during puberty is malnourished or, due to formed incorrect habits (I eat this, I don’t eat that; I don’t want meat or buckwheat, but I’m happy to eat fried potatoes and cake) eats poorly, then growth may well slow down , and physical development in general.

Indirect confirmation of this is the story when a child at home was puny and small, went to the army in a good unit or to a military school and returned healthy and tall. There was no routine at home, no physical activity, and insufficient nutrition. In a new place, everything was the other way around, while the hormonal system did not give up trying to make the body grow. Here is the result.

But if you continue the wrong lifestyle and or if the body does not receive the substances it needs for development, then it will remain frail and stunted (or fat and round). Yes, then almost everything can be corrected, you can get rid of excess weight, put your body in order, but in most cases the lost centimeters of growth cannot be returned.

Thus, the most important thing for guys under 25 and girls under 18 to maximize their growth potential is reasonable nutrition , high-quality physical activity and good healthy sleep . The bulk of growth hormone is produced during sleep. In sleep, the body recovers and grows.

In addition, it is extremely important not to smoke , drink alcohol or other fun substances. Read more about this below.

As for physical activity, to increase growth (or realize the full potential of the body in this direction) the following help well:

Hanging on the horizontal bar (15–30 seconds several times a day). An option for boys is hanging with a small weight (2–5 kg), additionally hanging on your feet.
Exercises for flexibility and stretching of the spine . Yoga practice (lying spinal extension, cat stretches, Cobra exercise), wall bars, etc. A flexible spine is a healthy spine.
Exercises by Viktor Lonsky . Good physical condition is required, but the system works. Thanks to her, Rustam Akhmetov, with a height of 165 cm at the age of 16, increased it to 187 cm in three years, became a high jump champion, one of the best jumpers of the USSR and the world. Includes hanging with weights, high jumps, climbing a hill (or stairs), and exercises in the pool.
Swimming . Especially when using the breaststroke style. During the process, the body is subjected to constant stretching with periods of relaxation. Training at least three times a week for an hour each.
A ride on the bicycle . It is important to raise the saddle so that you have to reach for the pedals with your toes while riding. A good way to increase the length of your legs.

SLEEP IN GROWTH

Does your child love surfing the Internet at night? For the sake of high growth, you will have to give it up. 70% of growth hormone is produced between 22 and 24 hours, and only during deep sleep. It turns out that at this time both the baby and the teenager should not just go to bed, but have their tenth dream - the deepest one. At the same time, the radiation from the glowing screen of a smartphone, tablet or computer before bedtime reduces the depth of sleep, so that the production of growth hormone will again be reduced. Explain to younger family members that children under the age of 12–14 should sleep at least 10 hours, and teenagers at least 8, but doing this during daylight hours is useless!

Exercises to increase body height

All sets of exercises aimed at growth, one way or another, stretch the spine. But spinal traction alone is not enough; you need strong core muscles to take the pressure off your back and support your new growth.

What you need to do to develop and maintain higher growth:

stretch the spine with exercises;
strengthen the torso muscles;
maintain regularity.

What exercises should you do for your spine?

These are fairly simple exercises that will quickly develop strength and flexibility.

"Cat"

Even an unprepared beginner can master “Cat”:

Get on all fours, placing your hands on the floor. The knees should be exactly under the pelvic bones, and the palms should be under the shoulders.
As you exhale, round your back, arching it upward. Tilt your head down.
As you inhale, bend in the other direction. Now the pelvis and head are directed upward.
Do 10 reps.

Video: Exercise “Cat”

"Cobra"

Technique:

Lie face down on the floor with your feet together.
Place your palms under your shoulders. Elbows pressed to the body.
As you inhale, slowly lift your upper body off the floor.
The lift starts from the head, then the shoulders and chest.
Do not straighten your elbows completely; your pelvis should remain on the floor.
Hold the final pose for 10–15 seconds, maintaining calm breathing. Slowly return to the starting position.
Perform the exercise 3-5 times.

It is quite possible that the first time you will not be able to raise the body very high. This is fine. The back will stretch gradually.

Video: Exercise “Cobra”

Exercise "Boat"

The “boat” perfectly stretches the body and uses many muscles. Therefore, before the exercise you need to actively warm up so that the muscles warm up.

Technique:

Lie face down on the floor. Arms extended forward. The body forms a straight line.
As you exhale, lift your left arm and right leg up.
Even if the angle of elevation is small, maintain the position for 10–20 seconds.
As you inhale, gently lower your limbs.
Repeat for the other leg and arm.
Repeat the exercise 2-3 times.

Video: Boat exercise for healthy posture

Tilts

Bends from a standing position will help stretch the spine due to the gravity of your own body.

Technique:

Stand straight with your feet together.
As you inhale, raise your arms and stretch up.
As you exhale, bend over and try to touch your feet with your hands. If you have a good stretch, grab your shins and pull your chest toward your legs.
Hold the bend for half a minute.
Do the exercise 3 times.
Over time, increase the number and depth of bends.

Video: Bends, a set of exercises for stretching the spine

Exercises on the horizontal bar

In training on the horizontal bar aimed at growth, it is important to alternate tension with relaxation, in this case the body has time to stretch under its own weight. Let's look at what exercises are the most effective.

Simple hang on the horizontal bar

Hanging from a bar helps your spine stretch, straighten, and relax. A simple hang should not cause pain or discomfort. If this happens, you need to ease the pressure on your back and arms and support your weight with your legs.

Hang from a bar or horizontal bar, holding onto it with an overhand or underhand grip. If you are a beginner, practice hanging for as long as possible. When you bring the time of continuous hanging to 30 seconds, you can start doing simple exercises:

move your legs left and right, forward and backward while hanging on the horizontal bar;
bend your knees, move them up and down;
twist the body left and right;
move both legs simultaneously in different directions.

Perform the exercises smoothly, without swaying while hanging.

Video: Simple exercises for quickly stretching the spine

Pull-ups on the horizontal bar

The difference from regular pull-ups is that you need to pause 5-10 seconds between repetitions. The pause should take place in a simple hang, during which you need to relax your back as much as possible.

Technique:

Grasp the bar with your palms facing away from you - this is an overhand grip. Place your hands slightly wider than your shoulders.
As you exhale, pull yourself up, trying to touch your chest to the bar.
As you inhale, lower yourself to the starting position.
Stay in a simple hang for 5-10 seconds, relax your back.
Repeat the exercise 10–15 times.

If you don't yet know how to do pull-ups with your own weight, use a footrest.

If possible, perform the maximum number of repetitions in each approach, preferably at least 10. Do 3-4 sets.

Video: Pull-ups, correct technique

Hanging Leg Raise

If you are a trained athlete, you can add weights to better stretch your spine. But only if you have no medical contraindications.

Technique:

Hang on the bar, holding onto it with any grip.
As you exhale, raise your legs as high as possible. If your legs are bent, pull your knees towards your chest. If your legs are straight, aim to lift them towards the bar and hold in the final position.
As you inhale, lower your legs to the starting position, remain in a simple hang for 5-10 seconds, let your back relax.

The higher you hang your legs, the better the spine will stretch.

Video: Raising legs to the bar

Jumping

To increase your height, you can jump in place, with a skipping rope, or play outdoor sports games, such as basketball. The best thing for the spine is jumping with the body stretched upward. You can increase your height in 1–2 months if you perform 200 jumps a day.

Technique:

Place your feet shoulder-width apart.
Bend your knees, tilt your pelvis back. Keep your back straight and your knees at an angle of no more than 45 degrees. The bent knee should not go forward behind the foot.
As you exhale, jump up while raising your arms. At the end point the body should be a straight line.
Return to the starting position, lower your arms.

When jumping in place, try to reach with your hand any object located high. This could be a lamp or a branch. Give all your best in the jump, stretch your whole body upward.

If you can't jump without a break, jump 10 times. Fill your breaks with other back stretching exercises.