Everyone likes to be tall, it doesn’t matter how tall you are now, you want to add a few inches from before.
But the problem is can you increase your height by just swimming? Is this really a fact or just a myth. Sometimes you hear that swimming is a sport that can make you tall, it sounds really fun right? Are you sure? Let’s see our explanation below this article.
Scientifically, there are indeed several natural ways to increase height, including one way to increase height is by swimming. It seems the more fun it sounds, let’s see until the end of the review.
Can Swimming Increase Height?
To find out, let’s keep reading this useful article!
Does swimming make you taller? This can be right and it can be wrong because it depends on how old you are when you swim. If you ask that question, you are usually a short man or short woman who wants to add a few inches of height. So, of course you want to know whether swimming can increase your height or not.
Lets see more: How To Grow Taller At 12 Years Old
Ok, we will answer this in detail for you.
The short answer is “no”, “swimming will not make you grow taller”.
But don’t be pessimistic just yet, we will explain to you in more detail, keep reading this article, then you will know the real answer!
When Do We Stop Growing Taller in Height?
Most of a person’s growth occurs during puberty. However, the growth rate during puberty can vary, especially since boys and girls experience puberty at different ages.
The average boy grows about 3 inches per year at puberty, while girls only grow about 1 to 2 inches in the 1 or 2 years following their period. Then it is clear that the average male is taller than the average female.
The maximum height that a person can get at puberty also varies, this depends on several factors such as genetics, diet, nutrition intake during pregnancy, and also depends on the activities carried out, whether the child is physically active or not. no.
Based on data from the National Health Service, most boys finish puberty at the age of 16. While girls usually complete puberty or a period of increasing height after the age of 14 or 15 years old.
If you want to know what makes you taller (there are foods to increase height), listen up! We grow tall because of the increase in the length of our bones, this increase in bone length is due to the epiphyses, these are the growth plates of the bones that are located on these bones.
When a person has gone through puberty, it means that the bone plates have matured and stopped growing. There is nothing more to increase from our bones, we will continue to shrink with time.
Does this sound disappointing to those of you who are looking for ways to increase height?
However, from the other side, swimming can make you appear taller, this can slightly increase the height of your body.
Why Swimming Can Make You Slightly Taller
The answer is simple, swimming makes your spine, joints and limbs stretch. So the longer you swim, the taller your body will be, this is body gain due to stretching of the bones not due to bone growth. So, swimming can slightly improve your posture and not make your bones grow longer.
This also happens when we sleep, after a long day of work and sightseeing, our body is compressed by the earth’s gravity. Once you rest at night, your body will stretch and release the compression that occurred during the day. How, does that sound interesting!
If I was young, would swimming make me taller?
Ok, we have agreed that swimming will not make you grow taller if you have gone through puberty or are an adult. Now we’ll look at a different side of swimming.
So the question is whether the increase in height also will not occur if you are young? Can swimming for teenagers increase height?
Actually, swimming if only done to increase height, it will not benefit you much, whether you are a child or an adult. This is because height is determined by factors that sometimes cannot be controlled by humans themselves. For example determined by genetics, sex, and hormones.
But don’t be pessimistic just yet, there is a hypothesis which states that young people who are still in puberty and have not yet experienced the maturity of their bone plates, swimming continuously can stretch the body and this can make you taller in the long run.
On the other hand, a child who is still immature, and doing weight training continuously, this will make them look a bit short. You agree!
Factors That Affect Height
What factors determine your height? You should not have to focus too much on swimming, but think about what factors really cause height.
1. Genetics
Genetics or traits inherited from parents are things that greatly affect a person’s height. Over the years scientists have identified more than 700 different genes that influence a variety of growth.
2. Hormones
Some hormones are very influential also with the increase in height. There are hormones that instruct the growth plates to continue making new bone, these hormones include:
- Growth Hormone (GH), just as the name suggests, this is a hormone that is very important in one’s growth
- Thyroid Hormones (TH), this also plays a role in making a person taller
- Testosterone and Estrogen, These are hormones that affect the growth of children during puberty.
3. Gender
Another factor that affects height is gender. As a general formula where males are taller than females, this is one of the reasons males have more estrogen and testosterone hormones and their puberty period is longer than females.
So, am I really unable to increase my height even though I’m still young?
True, as we know above, that which have a big influence on height are several factors that cannot be managed by humans. However, several factors can indeed increase height when you are young or a child, including:
1. physical training
Regular exercise is very important in the development of the body to be healthy and grow normally, such as swimming and others. Exercise can make bones stronger and physically healthier. In fact, while exercising allows you to make up for your lack of height, good stretching will make you appear taller.
2. sleep
One of the times when humans experience growth is while sleeping. So to be able to grow properly, children must get enough sleep, this will maximize their height.
3. Good Nutrition
Nutrition also plays an important role in providing maximum growth to a child. So, you have to eat a varied diet to get balanced nutrition. These nutrients will make you grow properly and optimally. Remember “Mens Sana in corpore Sano!” It means “in a healthy body towards a healthy soul”.
See too; Average Height Around the World
How Tall Will I Be?
How tall will you be after going through puberty? This is an interesting and important question for you. For that, you can use the following formula:
Add the chicken’s height and mother’s height in inches or cm. add 5 inches for boys and subtract 5 inches for girls. Five inches is about 13 cm, then the result is divided by two.
What are the answers or results, that’s your approximate height as an adult. Will it grow tall or will it grow short?
Remember, to know for sure, there’s no one-size-fits-all way. But this method provides a reasonable estimate for you.
Conclusion
Can swimming make you taller? Our answer is as we have explained, but you should not give up swimming and other physical activities. Exercise like this is very good and provides great benefits for the development of your body, and this is your way to grow optimally and look taller.
Sources:
https://www.quora.com/Does-swimming-help-people-grow-taller
https://www.wikihow.life/Become-Taller-Naturally
