How to Grow Taller: The Ultimate Guide for ALL Ages
This is THE ultimate guide to growing taller.
And if you’re past puberty, don’t go anywhere.
Because whether you’re a:
Mother who wants to help her child grow properly,
High school student looking to get taller for basketball, OR EVEN
25-year-old man looking for a second chance at growing taller…
You’re about to learn height growth strategies that work for YOUR age (or your child’s age).
And no, this isn’t another guide that harps on tips like “do the cobra stretch” or “drink milk”.
You’re about to learn EXACTLY what you need to do to maximize your growth at every stage of your life.
Let’s dive right in.
Quick Note!
If you want to maximize your growth, I suggest you read Chapter 0 (no matter how old you are), and you’ll get much better results.
And afterwards, if you want to skip to your chapter, simply click the grey button at the top-right side:
(Since the buttons aren’t working properly at the moment, you might have to click your chapter a few times in order to get to it)
Enjoy! π
Contents
Chapter 0: Height Essentials for All Ages
Chapter 0
Height Essentials for ALL Ages
In this intro chapter, I’m going to debunk some common height growth myths, and afterwards, go over the basics of how you can grow taller at your age.
Specifically, I’m going to answer 3 common questions people ask about growing taller:
How much does your genetics limit your height?
Is it possible to increase your height as an adult? …and…
What are the most important factors that make you taller?
Let’s get right into it.
Height Essentials
Know That Genetics Is NOT Everything When It Comes to Your Height
You might be wondering:
Why does this guide even exist?
I mean, isn’t 60 to 80% of your height determined by your genetics?
While genetics do play their part, here is what you need to know:
If you do the right things, it’s possible to growΒ several inches taller than the rest of your family.
Here are some examples to prove my point:
NBA Players Who Outgrew Their Parents (By Up to 10 Inches)
Here’s a picture of a few NBA players who became much taller than their parents.
Let’s start off with the player you already know.
Here is Michael Jordan (6’6″), who grew 9 inches (23 cm) taller than his dad (5’9″), and 13 inches taller than his mom (5’5″):

Source: nydailynews.com via howtheyplay.com | Author: Charles Nuamah
Next, we have Jeremy Lin (6’3″), who also grew 9 inches (23 cm) taller than both of his parents (5’6″):

Source: crossmap.com via howtheyplay.com | Author: Charles Nuamah
Let’s look at Gordon Hayward (6’8″), who became 10 inches (25.4 cm) taller than his parents (5’10”):

Source: deseretnews.com via howtheyplay.com | Author: Charles Nuamah
Think they got their genes from their grandparents?
Well, maybe they did.
So let’s look at some evidences that you CANNOT argue against.
How South Korea Became 3.1 Inches Taller Than Their Northern Siblings
Here’s a diagram that compares the height of North Koreans vs South Koreans:

Note: I’ve modified this image to illustrate their height proportions more accurately.
Source: OEC via BBC.com | Authors: Mark Bryson, Gerry Fletcher and Prina Shah
As you can see, South Koreans are up to 3.1 inches taller than North Koreans on average [1].
Now let me ask you:
Do you think South Koreans have different genes than North Koreans?
Not at all.
In fact, the two countries were separated less than 100 years ago (right after World War II).
So as Professor Daniel Schwekendiek puts it:
It’s NOT genetics, but food shortages that likely caused North Koreans to become shorter than South Koreans over the yearsΒ [1].
Let’s hammer the last nail in the coffin with our most extreme example:
How the Dutch Became 7.5 Inches Taller (WITHOUT Changing Their Genes)
Here’s a height vs income graph of Dutch males in the past few decades:

Source: randalolson.com | Author: Dr. Randal S. Olson (@randal_olson)
Now, we can’t verify that their increased income actually made them get taller.
But as Dr. Randal Olson predicts, the increase in their income gave them access to more and healthier foods, which meant they were better nourished to become tallerΒ [2].
So let me ask you once again:
Did the Dutch change their genes to become 7.5 inches taller as a nation?
Probably not.
And when you look at how:
NBA players outgrew their parents by up to 10 inches,
South Koreans outgrew their Northern siblings by 3.1 inches on average, and
The Dutch grew 7.5 inches in several decades…
…ALL without changing their genes…
It should convince you that you CAN become much taller by doing the right things (without changing a SINGLE gene).
And this guide is going to show you how to do just that.
Height Essentials
Know That It IS Possible to Grow Taller At Any Age
At this point, you may be thinking:
Can I increase my height by 7.5 inches if I’m 25 years old?
Unfortunately, you can’t.
BUT, it’s still possible for you to increase your height by a few cm or inches.
In fact, by implementing the strategies you’re about to learn in this guide, I was able to grow 3.0 cm when I was 23 years old.
And later in this guide, I’m going to reveal exactly what I did to grow taller when I was 23 years old.
Height Essentials
Know The Most Important Factors for Growing Taller
Now that you know how:
Non-genetic (environmental) factors can affect your final height by several inches, and
It IS possible to grow at least 1 to 2 inchesΒ taller at any age,
You’re ready to learn the most important factors that will maximize your height.
Now, depending on how old you are, some of these factors will matter much more to you than others.
(That’s why I’m not going to cover all of these factors in every single chapter)
With that, here is an overview of the most important height growth factors to be aware of:
HGH
Also known as Human Growth Hormone, HGH is a biochemical produced in your pituitary gland.
It’s responsible for lengthening your bones, and other vital functions, such as: generating cells and tissues, producing bodily fluids, and keeping your immune system strong and healthy.
Covered in: chapter 2, chapter 3, chapter 4
Nutrition
Nutrition is the biggest non-genetic (environmental) factor that determines how tall you become as an adult.
There are specific nutrients that boost your bone growth, and this guide will cover these nutrients in detail.
Covered in: chapter 2 and chapter 3
Sleep
Having deep, high-quality sleep every night allows you to maximize your HGH levels, which is essential for growing taller.
There are many ways to optimize your sleep, and this guide will show you the best ways to optimize your sleep for maximum growth.
Covered in: chapter 1, chapter 2, chapter 3
Exercises
There is ONLY one type of exercise that can actually speed up your bone growth.
(Hint: These are NOT your typical cobra stretches, or 1000s of other stretches you see on YouTube)
Covered in: chapter 3
Bad Habits
There are many day-to-day habits that can stop you from reaching your full potential height.
In this guide, you will learn exactly what habits to watch out for.
Covered in: chapter 2 and chapter 3
Conditions and Diseases
There are several conditions and diseases that can hinder your growth, and this guide will show you how to prevent them as much as possible.
While some conditions can’t be fully avoided, you can still reach your full potential height by receiving the right treatments.
Covered in: chapter 2, chapter 3, chapter 5
Posture
Fixing your posture can help you become taller instantly.
This guide will show you how to optimize your posture to help you become as tall as possible.
Covered in: chapter 4
Growth Spurt
Growth spurt describes a period in your life when you grow faster than usual.
This guide will show you how you can take full advantage of your growth spurts to maximize your height during these periods.
Covered in: chapter 1 and chapter 3
Growth Chart
Growth chart is a visual tool that you use to track your rate of growth, compare your height vs the general population, and predict your future height.
In this guide, I will go over the exact steps to using them accurately and reliably.
Covered in: chapter 1 and chapter 2
A Quick Glance at Each Chapter
Now that you know the most important height growth factors, it’s time to preview the upcoming chapters.
Each chapter is going to contain 3 main components:
1. What to Expect
While it’s possible to grow taller at any age, you probably know that children can grow much taller than adults.
So at the start of each chapter, I’m going to give you an idea of how much you can expect to grow at your age.
2. Most Important Height Growth Factors
Depending on how old you are, certain height growth factors will be much more important than the others.
For example, if you’re a parent raising a kid, taking care of her diet is more important than anything else.
And if you’re a 29-year-old looking to stretch out your height to the last inch, you need to focus on your posture more than anything else.
Bottom line: In each chapter, you’re only going to learn the height growth factors that actually matter at your age.
3. Key Takeaways
After you learn about the height growth factors that are the most important to you, I’m going to give you a summary section for your chapter.
In these summary sections, you’ll get to review the most important points, and actionable tips you can start doing right away to get taller.
Chapter 1: Toddlers 0~2 Years Old
Chapter 1 – Toddlers
Height Growth for Ages: 0 ~ 2 Years Old
If you recently got a child, this chapter is for you.
At this stage, there aren’t too many things you need to do to maximize his height.
Instead, it’s far more important to make sure that he grows normally.
And in this chapter, you’re going to learn the exact steps you need to take to ensure proper growth of your child.
What to Expect at 0 ~ 2 Years of Age
Here is how much you can expect your child to grow in one year:
If she is 0 to 12 months old: Grows about 10 inches (25.4 cm) [3]
If she is 1 to 2 years old: Grows about 5 inches (12.7 cm) [3]
Now, it’s important to remember:
These numbers are simply estimates.
In other words, your child will likely grow more OR less than the numbers I just gave you, since every baby is different.
Specifically, her height will likely differ, since every baby goes through different patterns of growth spurts.
How to Manage Your Baby’s Growth Spurts
If your child is 0 to 2 years old, he’ll likely go through several growth spurts.
Here are some things to keep in mind about your child’s growth spurts:
Your baby will likely go through a growth spurt at these points in his toddler period [4]:
7~10 days,
2~3 weeks,
4~6 weeks,
3 months,
4 months,
6 months, and
9 months
Each growth spurt lasts about 2 days to a week [4]
Signs of growth spurts include [5]:
Wanting more food,
Napping or sleeping longer hours, or
Being crankier and clingier (even when she’s not sick)
When your baby shows these signs, pay attention to what he wants, and don’t change anything forcefully [5]
For example, if he wants more food, feed him more food, but don’t forcefully feed him more if he doesn’t want it first)
Growth Tracking
Track Your Baby’s Growth Using The Growth Chart
Now that you know what kind of growth patterns you can expect, let’s talk about how you can track her growth accurately.
By far, the best way to track your child’s growth is using the growth chart.
But before I show you how you can use Growth Charts, it’s important to pick the correct growth chart for your child’s gender.
Pick the Right Growth Chart for Your Child
Here are 2 growth charts for toddlers (one for boys and one for girls):
Boys Growth Chart (Ages 0 to 2 Years)
Girls Growth Chart (Ages 0 to 2 Years)
After you pick the right growth chart for your child, it’s time to use it to track your child’s growth.
How to Use the Growth Chart (3 Simple Steps)
For this example, we’re going to use Marie who is 9 months old, and measures to be 27.5 inches tall.
Here is Dr. Iannelli’s step-by-step process to using the chart accurately:
β
At the bottom of the chart, find your child’s age, and draw a vertical line to the top of the graph.

Source: cdc.gov
β
Find your child’s height on the left, and draw a horizontal line until you reach the vertical line.
β
Find the curve that’s closest to this intersection, and follow the curve until you get to 2 numbers.
For Marie, you’ll find that she gets to the numbers: 50 and 34
After following these 3 steps, you’ll gather 2 pieces of information:
1. Marie’s Growth Percentile (which equals 50%), and
2. Marie’s Predicted Height by 2 Years of Age (which equals 34 Inches or 86.5 cm).
What is Your Child’s Growth Percentile?
Simply put:
Your child’s growth percentile is the percentage of children who are shorter than your child (who are the same age).
Since Marie’s Growth Percentile equals 50%, it means that she is taller than 50% of other toddler’s who are her age.
Now, the point of this procedure ISN’T to see how tall your child is compared to other children.
Rather, your child’s growth percentile will help you know if she’s growing properly or not.
Use The Growth Percentile to Gauge Your Child’s Rate of Growth
Here are 2 steps you can use your child’s growth percentile to ensure she’s growing at the right pace:
1. Go through all of your child’s existing measurements, and label them with a growth percentile (using the Growth Chart).
2. If her growth percentile stays relatively consistent, it’s an indication that she’s growing at a healthy pace.
For example, if your child’s growth percentile is 45% when she’s 6 months, 50% when she’s 9 months, and 50% when she’s 12 months old, it shows that your child is growing normally.
Be Assured: Your Child’s Height Can Fluctuate Quite a Bit
Remember what I said earlier in the chapter:
Your child will go through several episodes of growth spurts at random times.
In other words, there will likely be times when she outgrows or undergrows her predicted growth percentile on the chart.
So if you find that she is at 60% growth percentile at 18 months, but up to 75% growth percentile at 21 months, that is completely normal.
However, if you find that your child is way faster or slower than what’s expected of her, you should check with a pediatrician. immediately.

It’s normal for your child’s height to fluctuate from her Growth Percentile (especially during growth spurts)
Nutrition
How to Feed Your Baby for Proper Growth
Although nutrition is the biggest factor when it comes to your child’s height, you DON’T need to stress over what foods to feed your child right now.
Instead, you want to focus on making his transition to solid foods as smooth as possible.
If you want to find out if he’s ready to eat solid foods, make sure to ask you doctor.
Along with your visit, here is a checklist you can use to know whether or not your child is ready to eat solid foods [6]:
Is your baby 4 to 6 months old?
Can your baby hold his head in a steady, upright position?
Can your baby sit with support?
Does your baby mouth his hands or toys?
Does your baby show interest to what you’re eating?
If you’ve answer yes to all of these questions, and you’ve gotten a confirmation from your doctor, he’s ready to eat solid foods.
For a more in-depth guide on how to get your baby started on solid foods, check out the following guide:
Mayo Clinic: How to Get Your Baby Started on Solid Foods
Sleep
How to Optimize Your Baby’s Sleep for Proper Growth
Optimizing your child’s sleep is super important if you want her to grow properly.
Why?
Your child needs enough hours of deep sleep every night to produce lots of HGH, which is essential for growing taller, and safeguarding her overall health and development.
(We’re going to tackle HGH more deeply in the next few chapters)
So how much sleep should she get every night?
As much as she needs!
Since every baby is different, I can’t tell you exactly how many hours she needs to sleep.
That said, here are some general ranges that are recommended for your child [7]:
If she’s 4 to 12 months old: 12 ~ 16 hours
If she’s 1 to 2 years old: 11 ~ 14 hours
Steps to Help Your Baby Sleep at Night
With the durations out of the way, here are a few steps you can take to make sure she gets deep, quality sleep every night [8]:
Allow your baby to nap (an overtired baby has a harder time sleeping, ironically)
Avoid stimulation before bedtime (no loud noise or bright lights)
Keep a consistent bedtime routine. Remember the 3 Bs: bath, book, bed
Help your child sleep on her back
Make sure the room is at a comfortable temperature, and is free of any noise or lights
Height Growth For Toddlers: Key Takeaways
You can expect your baby to grow roughly:
10 inches (25.4 cm) if she’s 0 to 12 months old, and
5 inches (12.7 cm) if she’s 1 to 2 years old
Your baby will go through many growth spurts
When he shows signs of growth spurts, be more attentive to his food and other cravings
But never force him to eat more than he wants to
You can use the Growth Charts to calculate your child’s Growth Percentile, and predict her height by when she becomes 2 years old
Remember: Her growth spurts will cause her height to fluctuate a lot, so don’t worry if she falls off from her Growth Percentile
But if you suspect any abnormal patterns of growth, make sure to visit a doctor or pediatrician immediately
If your child is still an infant, just focus on transitioning him to solid foods as smoothly as possible
He has many years to consume height maximizing nutrients (which we’ll cover in the next chapter)
Make sure your child gets PLENTY of sleep, and take steps to optimize her sleep by following my checklist
Chapter 2: Kids 3~9 Years Old
Chapter 2 – Kids
Height Growth for Ages: 3 ~ 9 Years Old
If your child has grown out of her toddler days, this chapter is for you.
This is one of the best times for her to ritualize height increasing habits, since she has MANY years to grow.
In fact, by doing the right things, she can give her future-self several extra inches.
So without further ado, let’s dive right into the chapter.
What to Expect at 3 ~ 9 Years of Age
Unlike toddlers, you can expect your child’s growth to be much more stable [9].
That’s because your child won’t experience any major growth spurts until he hits puberty.
So how much should your child grow every year?
You can expect a typical kid to grow about 2 inches (5 cm) every year [3].
However, if your child can apply the height maximizing strategies I’m about to teach you in this chapter, it’s possible for him to grow even more.
But regardless of whether he grows 2 inches or 2.5 inches every year, the amount isn’t as important as much as growing at a steady pace.
And the upcoming section is all about making sure your child grows steadily throughout his years to come.
Growth Tracking
Track Your Kid’s Growth With 2 Simple Steps
In order to keep a more precise track of your child’s growth, we’re going to do 2 things:
Measure His Height Accurately (by Following 5 Simple Rules)
This may seem like an easy step (and it’s quite easy to be honest).
But most people either wing this process, or get it completely wrong.
So here are some rules to follow in order to measure your child’s height accurately:
Measure your child once every one to three months
Measure around the same time of day (preferably in the morning)
Make sure your child gets the enough sleep the day before
Measure using the same tool (preferably a tape ruler, NOT a ruler you stick on walls)
Keep your measurements consistent
Steps to Measuring His Height With Maximum Accuracy
To elaborate on the last rule, here are steps you can take to measure her height accurately:
1. Grab a light and hard book
2. Get your child to stand against the wall, with the back of her heels and head touching the wall
3. Place the book on top of her head, and keep the book parallel to the floor as much as possible
4. Get her to lower her chin, and adjust her head position until she is at her tallest height
5. Mark her height with a pencil
6. Grab your ruler (that you picked from the previous step), stick it to the bottom of the wall, and extend it up to the mark.
7. Right down her height, date, and time in a notebook (or Excel spreadsheet)
Use The Growth Chart to Track Your Child’s Growth
After you measure your child, it’s time to find out if he’s growing at the right pace.
In order to do this, you’ll need to know how to use the Growth Chart
Pick the Right Growth Chart for Your Kid
Here are 2 growth charts for kids over 2 years old (one for each gender):
Boys Growth Chart (Ages 2 Years or Older)
Girls Growth Chart (Ages 2 Years or Older)
How to Use the Growth Chart (3 Simple Steps)
After you’ve:
Measured your child at least once, and
Picked the right growth chart for your kid
You’re now ready to use the Growth Chart.
Now if you’ve read the last chapter, you probably already know how to use the Growth Chart.
But since your kid’s growth chart looks slightly different from a toddler’s, I’ll walk you through the chart reading process with a chart that’s made for your kid.
For this example, we’re going to use David who is 6 years old, and is 3′ 7″ tall.
Here is Dr. Iannelli’s step-by-step process to using the chart accurately:
β
At the bottom of the chart, find your child’s age, and draw a vertical line to the top of the graph.

Source: cdc.gov
β
Find your child’s height on the left, and draw a horizontal line until you reach the vertical line.
(David’s height in inches is: 3 feet x 12 + 7 inches = 43 inches)
β
Find the curve that’s closest to this intersection, and follow the curve until you get to 2 numbers.
For David, you’ll find that he gets to the numbers: 10th, 167.5 cm, and 66 inches

Source: verywellfamily.com | Author: Dr. Vincent Iannelli (@AboutPediatrics)
So what are these two numbers?
10th = David’s Growth Percentile
167.5 cm or 66 inches = David’s Predicted Adult Height
To recap, your child’s growth percentile shows what percentage of children (his age) he is taller than.
And since David has a Growth Percentile of 10%, it means that he is taller than around 10% of children who are his age.
Your Child’s Growth Can Fluctuate (But Not Too Much)
Since these growth charts and curves are based on estimations, it’s normal for your child’s to grow out of his Growth Percentile throughout his years.
For example, if he’s growth percentile is 70% when heβs 7 years old, 75% when heβs 8, and 80% when heβs 9, it shows that your child is growing normally.

If your child’s original growth percentile is 75%, it’s normal for her height to fluctuate from that line
But since he’s likely not going to go through any major growth spurt, his height should stay relatively close to the line (compared to when he was a toddler or when he becomes a teenager) [9].
If you notice any weird patterns in your child’s growth, mare sure to see your doctor or pediatrician.
Now that you know how to track your child’s growth, let’s move onto the juicier topic:
HGH
The Ultimate Height Maximizing Factor
In the introductory chapter, we covered why HGH is essential for maximizing your child’s height.
Therefore, the strategies I’m about to teach you will help your child increase her HGH levels naturally.
But before we go any further, I want to answer a common objection people ask about HGH:
ISN’T HGH DANGEROUS?????
To answer this question, let’s look at 2 different types of HGH:
Natural HGH vs Synthetic HGH
Natural HGH: Hormone that is secreted naturally from your pituitary glands
Synthetic HGH: Artificially made chemical that you put in your body via medicine, drugs, or injections
In other words: Natural HGH is completely safe, while synthetic HGH can be risky if not injected properly.
And the bulk of this guide will focus on increasing your child’s natural HGH levels.
5 Ways to Boost Your Kid’s HGH (for Maximum Growth)
There are 5 areas of your kid’s lifestyle you want to optimize to maximize his natural HGH levels:
Nutrition
Sleep
Exercises
Avoiding Bad Habits, and
Avoiding Certain Conditions
Let’s quickly dive into each area.
Nutrition
Optimize Your Child’s Diet to Maximize Her Height
Keep in mind: your child’s diet can make or break her height.
Just remember how South Koreans became 3.1 inches taller than their North Korean siblings from having access to more and healthier foods [1].
So the better foods your child eats, the more she’ll grow.
And in this section, I’ll show you the BEST foods your child can eat to maximize her height
5 Height Maximizing Nutrients (for Bone Growth)
For a food to help your child grow taller, it needs to contain at least one of the 5 Height Maximizing nutrients.
Here are the 5 Height Maximizing Nutrients, and a brief overview of their roles in making your child taller:
β Amino Acids – Increases HGH, which signals your bones to grow longer [10]
β Protein – Contains Amino Acids, and builds Collagen (1 of 2 main building blocks of your bones) [11, 12]
β Vitamin C – Also builds Collagen [11, 12]
β Calcium – The other building block of your bones (alongside Collagen) [11]
β Vitamin D3 – Helps your bones absorb Calcium [13]
Now you know which nutrients your child needs, I’m going to show you a COMPLETE list of foods that are high in all of these nutrients:
The BEST Height Maximizing Foods (Complete Chart)
Here is a complete chart of foods that are rich in each of the 5 nutrients.
(You’ll notice that many of these foods overlap)
Amino Acids | Protein | Vitamin C | Calcium | Vitamin D3 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Grassfed Meats | Tuna | Strawberries | Seeds | Milk |
Eggs | Chicken Breast | Pineapple | Cheese | Cereal |
Flava Beans | Fish | Kiwi | Yogurt | Orange Juice |
Golgi Berries | Steak | Mango | Salmon | Mushrooms |
Pineapple | Tofu | Papaya | Beans | Eggs |
Watermelon | Pumpkin Seeds | Red Pepper | Almonds | Salmon |
Coconut Oil | Cottage Cheese | Kale | Leafy Greens | Tuna |
Nuts | Yogurt | Broccoli | Cereal | Oysters |
Raw Chocolate | Almonds | Cauliflower | Tofu | Shrimps |
Yogurt | Quinoa | Brussel Sprouts | Milk | βοΈ Sunlight βοΈ |
Grassfed Meats |
Eggs |
Flava Beans |
Golgi Berries |
Pineapple |
Watermelon |
Coconut Oil |
Nuts |
Raw Chocolate |
Yogurt |
Tuna |
Chicken Breast |
Fish |
Steak |
Tofu |
Pumpkin Seeds |
Cottage Cheese |
Yogurt |
Almonds |
Quinoa |
Strawberries |
Pineapple |
Kiwi |
Mango |
Papaya |
Red Pepper |
Kale |
Broccoli |
Cauliflower |
Brussel Sprouts |
Seeds |
Cheese |
Yogurt |
Salmon |
Beans |
Almonds |
Leafy Greens |
Cereal |
Tofu |
Milk |
Milk |
Cereal |
Orange Juice |
Mushrooms |
Eggs |
Salmon |
Tuna |
Oysters |
Shrimps |
βοΈ Sunlight βοΈ |
Now, your child doesn’t need to eat all the foods in this chart.
Just ask her which foods he likes from each column, and make sure that she consumes each nutrient sufficiently.
Which brings us to the next part:
How Much of Each Nutrient Should Your Child Consume?
Here is an overview of the daily recommended intake for each nutrient.
Optimal Daily Intake of Amino Acids and Protein
Since many protein-rich foods contain lots of amino acids that will boost your child’s HGH, all your child needs to focus on is eating enough proteins each day [14].
Here is a calculator you can use to track how much Protein (and fats, carbs, and calories) your child needs every day.
Optimal Daily Intake of Vitamin C and Calcium
Here is how much Calcium and Vitamin C your child needs to consume each day [15, 16]:
Age | Vitamin C | Calcium |
---|---|---|
3 Years | 15 mg | 700 mg |
4~8 Years | 25 mg | 1,000 mg |
9 Years | 45 mg | 1,300 mg |
Age | Vitamin C |
---|---|
3 Years | 15 mg |
4~8 Years | 25 mg |
9 Years | 45 mg |
Age | Calcium |
---|---|
3 Years | 700 mg |
4~8 Years | 1,000 mg |
9 Years | 1,300 mg |
Optimal Daily Intake of Vitamin D3
Your child needs to get at least 400 IUΒ of Vitamin D3 per day [17].
Remember: A Balance Diet = Height Maximizing Diet
I gave you a complete list of all the Height Maximizing foods.
I even showed you how much your child needs to consume daily.
But remember, even if your child doesn’t nail the daily intake of each nutrition, her body will be conditioned for maximum growth as long as she consumes each nutrient every day.
And more importantly, this guide is NOT an invitation for you to ignore all the other nutrients that are important for helping your child become healthy (such as other vitamins, iron, zinc, and many more).
Bottom line: a balanced diet is key.
Sleep
Optimize Your Child’s Sleep for Maximum Growth
If you want to maximize your child’s HGH levels for maximum growth, getting a good night’s sleep is a must.
But it’s not enough for your kid to sleep 8 hours every night…
Your child needs to sleep deeply and peacefully every night.
And in this short section, we’re going to look at a few strategies to optimize your child’s sleep.
Sleep Tip #1: Take Care of Her Daily Activities Before Bed
If you want your child to sleep well, it’s important to optimize her activities when she’s awake.
Here are some things your child can do during the day to sleep better:
Get enough sunlight
Get active (to make her more tired at night)
Here are some things she can AVOID near bedtime:
Avoid sodas that contain caffeine
Heavy meals
Drinking too much water
Stimulations such as bright lights from phone or loud noises from listening to music
Stressful activities
Sleep Tip #2: Optimize Her Sleeping Environment
If your child wants to sleep deeply, her environment must promote deep sleep.
Here’s how you can create a sleep-optimized bedroom:
Keep your child’s room at optimal temperature. 60 to 70 Β°F (16 to 21 Β°C) is a good rule of thumb, but make sure your child feels comfortable
Keep her room completely free from lights and background noise. You can do this by: getting rid of all night lights and closing her room door
Unplug all electrical wires from the wall
Get your child to sleep with her socks on (warm feet improves sleep quality)
Encourage your child to keep her phone on airplane mode before going to bed (wifi & phone signals can lower the quality of her sleep)
Sleep Tip #3: Sleep Before 10pm
By implementing the 2 previous tips, your child should be well on her way to sleeping for maximum HGH production.
But if she wants to maximize HGH she produces during sleep, you’ll want to put her in bed before 10pm.
Studies have shown that HGH peaks between 10pm and 2am [18, 19].

Source: healthline.com | Author: Rudy Mawer, MS, CISSN
Now that you know when your child should sleep, let’s talk about when your child should wake up:
Sleep Tip #4: Turn Off All Alarm Clocks
As I mentioned in the beginning of this section, it’s far more important for your child to get deep and restful sleep, than simply getting lots of sleep.
That said, you’re going to want your child to get enough sleep every night.
So how can you make sure that she gets enough sleep?
By letting her wake up naturally (without any alarms).
Since every child is different, she will likely need more or less sleep than other children.
And the best way to know how much sleep she needs is to let her wake up without any external stimulus.
How Much Sleep Does Your Child Need?
If you’re still curious about how much sleep she needs, here’s a general guideline to follow [7]:
If she’s 3 to 5 years old: 10 ~ 13 hours
If she’s 6 to 9 years old: 9 ~ 12 hours
But remember at the end of the day: let your child sleep as much as she wants!
Exercises
Stay Active to Maximize Your Child’s Height
Optimizing your child’s nutrition and sleep is by far the most important ways you can increase his natural HGH levels.
That said, getting your child to be active on a regular basis will help him boost his HGH even further.
Now, if your child is 3 to 9 years old, I have some good news:
ANY exercise or sport will elevate your child’s natural HGH levels.
So instead of focusing too much on doing the BEST exercise, your child just needs to stay active on a regular basis to keep his HGH levels high.
In the next chapter for teenagers, I’ll show you a specific type of exercise your child can do further boost his HGH.
But if your child is 9 years or younger, just being active alone is enough.
Bad Habits
Avoid Habits that Can Decrease Your Child’s Height
The first 3 tips in this chapter were all about strategies that an increase your child’s height.
But in this section, we’re going to look at 2 habits your child needs to avoid.
These habits all have one thing in common: they can lower your child’s HGH.
With that, here is the first habit your child should avoid:
Height Hindering Habit #1: Caffeine
You’ve probably heard that coffee or soda can stunt your growth.
And while that’s not true, caffeinated drinks can decrease your HGH [20].
How?
By disrupting your sleep.
As you know, caffeine can disrupt your sleep, EVEN if you drink it early in the morning.
So make sure that your kid minimizes soda intake.
Which brings us to the next habit:
Height Hindering Habit #2: Too Much Sugar
You’ve probably also heard that junk foods can stunt your growth.
And same as caffeine, it can’t stunt your growth, but it can also lowers your HGH.
Junk foods contain lots of sugar, and too much sugar can lower your HGH, since the insulin spike that sugar causes can disrupt proper HGH production [21].
So make sure that your child controls his sugar intake.
Conditions
Watch Out for Conditions that Can Disrupt Your Child’s Growth
In this section, we’re also going to touch up on something that your child needs to avoid:
Conditions and diseases
But unlike simple habits, these conditions are much more severe, and may be harder to avoid.
6 Types of Conditions That Can Hinder Your Child’s Growth
Conditions can disrupt your child’s growth in several different ways.
Specifically, height hindering conditions fall under one 1 of 6 categories:
β Lower HGH levels: Growth Hormone Deficiency, Hypothyroidism, Cushing’s Syndrome
β Hinder bones from absorbing proper nutrients: Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Celiac Disease, Congenital Heart Disease, Anemia, Chronic Kidney Disease
β Damage growth plates: Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
β Weaken bones: Osteoporosis, Osteopenia, Osteomalacia
β Cause bone misalignment: Spine curvature (Kyphosis, Lordosis, Scoliosis), Bowlegs, Knock Knees
β Genetic conditions that hinder growth: Down Syndrome, Noonan Syndrome, Turner Syndrome
Now, if you want your child to avoid these conditions, you DON’T need to memorize these!
Instead, here are steps you can take to prevent these conditions from making your child shorter:
Checklist: Ways to Protect Your Child from Height Hindering Conditions
Measure your child’s height at least once every 3 months to make sure that he’s growing at a normal pace
Check your child’s health at the doctors regularly (at least once every 6 months to a year)
If you notice any weird physical, mental, or emotional patterns from your child, go to a doctor immediately
To check that his hormones (especially HGH levels) are within their normal ranges, you can consult a pediatrician as well
If your child has Growth Hormone deficiency, ask your pediatrician if Growth Hormone Therapy is right for him
Now, if you’re interested in learning more about these conditions, check out my comprehensive guide on these conditions in my other guide:
The Ultimate Guide to Helping Your Child Grow Taller (Chapter 9)
Height Growth for Kids: Key Takeaways
Expect your child to grow roughly 2 inches (5 cm) every year
To track your child’s growth:
β Measure your child’s height accurately once every month to 3 months, and
β Use the Growth Chart to make sure his height stays relatively close to his Growth Percentile
Natural HGH (a.k.a. Human Growth Hormone) is the key to maximizing your child’s height
To increase your child’s HGH levels and maximize her growth:
Get your child to consume 5 Height Maximizing Nutrients: Amino Acids, Protein, Vitamin C, Calcium, and Vitamin D3
Optimize your child’s sleep by following my 4 Sleep Tips
Staying active will help your child elevate his natural HGH levels (in the next chapter, I’ll show you a HGH-boosting exercise your child can do when he becomes older)
Avoid caffeine and sugar to maximize her HGH levels for proper growth
There are several conditions that can hinder your child’s growth, so make sure to watch his growth, health, and visit a doctor and pediatrician regularly
Chapter 3: Teens 10~17 Years Old
Chapter 3 – Teenagers
Height Growth for Ages: 10 ~ 17 Years Old
This chapter is arguably the most important part of this guide.
Why?
Because teenagers go through drastic growth spurts that are not witnessed in other age groups.
In other words: this is the time when you experience the MOST amount of growth in your life.
So if you want you (or your child) to take full advantage of crazy growth spurts that are about to come, you want to be fully prepared for them.
And in this chapter, I’m going to help you do just that.
(I’m going to talk to you as if you are a parent, so bare with me teenagers)
With that, let’s dive right into the chapter.
What to Expect at 10 ~ 17 Years of Age
Here’s the reality about growth spurts:
They come at different times for everyone.
That’s why if your child is in high school, it’s completely normal for him to be much shorter or taller than his peers.
But if you’re still curious about when most teenagers go through their growth spurts, here’s a reference point you can follow:
1. Girls: 10 ~ 14 years old [22], and
2. Boys: 12 ~ 16 years old [22]
Once again, these are simply estimations for the general population.
In fact, let me briefly show you some crazy growth spurt stories that are completely outside these numbers…
Crazy Growth Spurt Stories
Let’s go back to the tall NBA players who outgrew their parents.
But this time, we’re going to look at their crazy growth spurts instead [23, 24]:

Source: SB Nation via fadeawayworld.com | Author: Alonzo Warond
Anthony Davis: At age 15 to 19, grew 8 inches (6’2″ to 6’10”)
Russell Westbrook: At age 17 to 18, grew 5 inches (5’10” to 6’3″)
Tim Duncan: At age 17 to 18, grew 8 inches (6’3″ to 6’11”)
Scottie Pippen: After high school, grew 7 inches (6’1″ to 6’8″)
David Robinson: At age 22 to 24, grew 5 inches (6’8″ to 7’1″)
Now, I’m not saying that your child can grow 8 inches when he turns 17 (although it’s possible).
The main point of me showing you these numbers is to show you that your child can grow rapidly at a very late age.
Growth Chart: To Use or Not to Use?
In short, Growth Charts help you make sure that your child is growing at a normal rate.
All you do is plot your child’s height and age, and the chart will help you predict how tall he’s going to become at each upcoming age.
Now, this is a good tool to use when your child is in his toddler and kid phase…
…but NOT when he’s approaching his teenage years.
Why?
Because your child is likely to fall out of his predicted patterns of growth during this time [22].

Your child’s height will fluctuate even more during these growth spurt periods
I mean, just imagine if these NBA players used these growth charts!
They would’ve spent all of their early teenage years panicking for no reason.
And even though these players ended up spurting their growth very late, they’re healthy after all.
Bottom line: If your child is approaching (or already is in) his teenage years, I’d throw out the growth chart altogether.
How to Maximize Your Child’s Growth Spurts
By default, your child will become much taller after she goes through a growth spurt.
However, there are certain things she can do to make herself even taller during this phase.
On the flipside, if there is something off about her body or overall health, her growth spurt won’t help her grow as tall as she’s capable of becoming.
So in this section, I’m going to show you exactly how your child can condition her body for maximum growth during her growth spurt.
6 Ways to Maximize Your Child’s Growth During a Growth Spurt
Here are 6 different ways you can prepare your child for a crazy growth spurt:
HIITs (a.k.a. High-Intensity Interval Training)
Protecting against growth plate injuries
Nutrition
Sleep
Avoiding bad habits
Watching out for height stunting conditions
So without further ado, let’s get into the first height maximizing strategy:
Exercises
Do HIITs to Maximize HGH for Growth
WTF are HIITs??
HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) is a specific type of exercise that boost your HGH levels by up to 450% [25].
As we went over in the intro chapter, HGH is the hormone that is at the heart of lengthening your bones.
So the more high-intensity exercises your child does, the more he’ll grow.
With that, here is what a HIIT looks like [26, 27, 28]:
The 5 Pillars of HIITs
β Train on an empty stomach
β Exert 80% to 100% effort into each set
β Each set should last between 15 to 20 seconds
β Get 90 seconds of rest in-between sets, and
β Total session should last between 5 to 30 min
Here’s the best part about HIITs:
They can be done with ANY exercise, sport, or activity.
So get your child to pick his favorite sport or exercise, and follow the above guidelines to turn it into a HIIT.
Here are some exercises your child can consider for doing HIITs [27, 29]:
Best Exercises for HIIT (for Maximum Growth)
100 m sprints
Stationary bikes (pedal as hard as possible)
Rapid squat jumps
Burpees
Pushups
Jumping ropes
Can Your Child Lift Weights?
If you’re worried that lifting weights will stunt your child’s growth, you don’t have to.
Studies have proven that weight-lifting has NO negative impact on your child’s growth [30, 31, 32, 33].
So instead of being concerned about lifting heavy weights, make sure that your child protects himself from growth plate injuries.
Which brings us to the next section:
Bone Protection
Protect Your Child Against Growth Plate Injuries
In short: your growth plate is the part of your bone that makes itself longer [34].
Source: washington.edu
So if your child injuries this part of her bones, it can interfere with her growth [35].
On top of that: your child is more likely to injure her growth plates during a growth spurt, since her bones are less dense when they grow rapidly [35, 36].
(That’s why I saved this section for teenagers)
Steps to Prevent Growth Plate Injuries
Here are ways your child can prevent growth plate injuries [30, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40]:
Most Important: Get proper supervision from a qualified adult trainer
Wear equipment and gears that fit properly (footwear, protective gears, etc)
Warm up joints and muscles before the activity (by stretching and moving the body in the required range of motion)
Get your child to focus on whatever she is doing
Prioritize skill development (over competition)
Train muscle groups evenly
Get enough rest in-between sets, training sessions, games, and competitions
Avoid burnouts
Don’t EVER force your child to get active when she doesn’t feel like it
Don’t EVER preach “no pain, no gain” (if your child feels pain, she should stop the activity altogether)
How to Check If Your Child Has a Growth Plate Injury
Here are the most common signs of growth plate injuries [39]:
Tenderness near the area
Swelling and warm around the joint
Limited range of motion
Pain when lifting or applying pressure
To learn more about how your child can prevent growth plate injuries, check out the following resources:
Healthline: Salter-Harris Fracture
Pubmed: Fracture, Salter-Harris
Nutrition
Optimize Your Child’s Diet for Maximum Bone Growth
When your child goes through a growth spurt, her body needs more nutrients to support that growth.
That’s why it’s important to feed her with not only the right nutrients, but enough nutrients every single day.
And in this section, I’ll show you how your child can do both.
5 Height Maximizing Nutrients for Your Child
There are 5 key nutrients your child needs in order to maximize her bone growth:
β Amino Acids – Increases HGH, which signals your bones to grow longer [10]
β Protein – Contains Amino Acids, and builds Collagen (1 of 2 main building blocks of your bones) [11, 12]
β Vitamin C – Also builds Collagen [11, 12]
β Calcium – The other building block of your bones (alongside Collagen) [11]
β Vitamin D3 – Helps your bones absorb Calcium [13]
With that, here’s a COMPLETE list of foods that are high in all of these nutrients:
The BEST Height Maximizing Foods (Complete Chart)
(You’ll notice that many of these foods overlap)
Amino Acids | Protein | Vitamin C | Calcium | Vitamin D3 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Grassfed Meats | Tuna | Strawberries | Seeds | Milk |
Eggs | Chicken Breast | Pineapple | Cheese | Cereal |
Flava Beans | Fish | Kiwi | Yogurt | Orange Juice |
Golgi Berries | Steak | Mango | Salmon | Mushrooms |
Pineapple | Tofu | Papaya | Beans | Eggs |
Watermelon | Pumpkin Seeds | Red Pepper | Almonds | Salmon |
Coconut Oil | Cottage Cheese | Kale | Leafy Greens | Tuna |
Nuts | Yogurt | Broccoli | Cereal | Oysters |
Raw Chocolate | Almonds | Cauliflower | Tofu | Shrimps |
Yogurt | Quinoa | Brussel Sprouts | Milk | βοΈ Sunlight βοΈ |
Grassfed Meats |
Eggs |
Flava Beans |
Golgi Berries |
Pineapple |
Watermelon |
Coconut Oil |
Nuts |
Raw Chocolate |
Yogurt |
Tuna |
Chicken Breast |
Fish |
Steak |
Tofu |
Pumpkin Seeds |
Cottage Cheese |
Yogurt |
Almonds |
Quinoa |
Strawberries |
Pineapple |
Kiwi |
Mango |
Papaya |
Red Pepper |
Kale |
Broccoli |
Cauliflower |
Brussel Sprouts |
Seeds |
Cheese |
Yogurt |
Salmon |
Beans |
Almonds |
Leafy Greens |
Cereal |
Tofu |
Milk |
Milk |
Cereal |
Orange Juice |
Mushrooms |
Eggs |
Salmon |
Tuna |
Oysters |
Shrimps |
βοΈ Sunlight βοΈ |
Remember: your child doesn’t need to eat all the foods in this chart.
Just ask her to pick her favorite foods from each column, and make sure she eats them sufficiently.
Which brings us to the next part:
How Much of Each Nutrient Should Your Child Consume?
Now that we went over what your child needs to eat, let’s talk about how much of each nutrient she needs.
In the last chapter, I said that your child doesn’t need to stress over her daily intake.
However, if your child is approaching her growth spurt, she needs to pay more attention to her daily intake, since her bones will require more nutrients to support their rapid growth.
So here are some daily requirements your child should be aware of:
Optimal Daily Intake of Amino Acids and Protein
Since many protein-rich foods contain lots of amino acids that will boost your child’s HGH, all your child needs to focus on is eating enough proteins each day [14].
Here is a calculator you can use to track how much Protein (and fats, carbs, and calories) your child needs every day.
Optimal Daily Intake of Vitamin C and Calcium
Here is how much Calcium and Vitamin C your child needs to consume each day [15, 16]:
Age | Vitamin C | Calcium |
---|---|---|
10~13 Years | 45 mg | 1,300 mg |
14~17 Years | 65 mg for girls 75 mg for boys | 1,300 mg |
Age | Vitamin C |
---|---|
10~13 Years | 45 mg |
14~17 Years | 65 mg for girls 75 mg for boys |
Age | Calcium |
---|---|
10~13 Years | 1,300 mg |
14~17 Years | 1,300 mg |
Optimal Daily Intake of Vitamin D3
Your child needs to get at least 400 IUΒ of Vitamin D3 per day [17].
Should Your Child Do Intermittent Fasting?
Intermittent fasting has shown to significantly boost your HGH levels [41].
Having said that, it may not be safe for children or teenagers to fast [42, 43].
Remember: a teenager will need to eat sufficiently every day to fuel her bones for maximum growth, especially during her growth spurts.
On the flipside, there is no need to force your child to eat when she doesn’t want to.
Just make sure that she doesn’t skip any meals when she is actually hungry.
Bonus Nutrition Tip: Take Supplements
There is a lot of misconception about height growth pills and supplements.
But in reality: height supplements are no different than bodybuilding supplements.
While taking protein supplements can help a bodybuilding gain more muscles, they won’t help him if he doesn’t have a good diet to begin with.
Same goes for your child: if your child doesn’t eat the foods I showed you in this section, supplements won’t make her grow much taller.
But once she has a good diet in place, she can use supplements to grow even taller.
Which Height Growth Pills Will Actually Work?
To put simply: supplements that are rich in any of the 5 Height Maximizing Nutrients will help your child grow taller.
One supplement that contains many of these nutrients is Peak Height pills.
If you check the ingredients, you’ll notice that it contains 5 Height Maximizing Nutrients:

L-Arginine and L-Ornithine are 2 of 5 Amino Acids that boost your HGH levels [44]
But remember: a good diet is more important than ANY supplement in the world.
Sleep
Optimize Your Child’s Sleep for Maximum Growth
Up to 75% of your HGH is produced during deep sleep [45].
So if your want your child to maximize her HGH levels for maximum growth, she needs to optimize her sleep.
Here are 4 things he can do to optimize her sleep:
4 Ways to Optimize Sleep (for Maximum Growth)
β Make sure your child takes part in the right activities during the day to fall asleep more easily at night, by:
Not drinking caffeine
Getting enough sunlight during the day
Getting active
Avoiding heavy meals before bed
Avoiding bright lights, stimulating, or stressful activities before bed
β Optimize your child’s sleep environment, by:
Keeping her room at her ideal temperature; 60 to 70 Β°F (16 to 21 Β°C) is a good range
Keeping her room completely free from lights and background noise
Unplugging all electrical wires from the wall
Getting your child to sleep with her socks on
Encouraging your child to put her phone on airplane mode before going to bed
β Get your child to sleep before 10pm
β Allow your child to get enough sleep by turning off ALL alarm clocks
How Can You Convince Your Teenage Child to Go to Bed Early?!
This might be one of the hardest part of your child’s life that he can optimize.
As you probably know, teenagers like to stay up later at night, go partying, and take part in all sorts of entertaining activities.
So how can you convince your child to follow all of these tips to the tee?
Simple: explain to him that by sleeping well every night, he can grow taller.
And if he doesn’t, he won’t.
But if that isn’t enough to convince him, just make sure that he gets enough sleep every night, and that should be good enough to produce enough HGH at night.
Bad Habits
Height Hindering Habits to Watch Out For
Now that you know how important HGH can be for your child’s growth, let’s go over activities that can decrease your child’s HGH levels.
We already went over 2 of these habits in the last chapter, but here, I’ll introduce 2 more habits to watch out for.
Here are 4 height hindering habits your child should minimize (to maximize her height):
Once again, a teenager is a teenager, and there’s a good chance your child will take part in all of these 4 activities some time in her teenage years.
However, as a wise man once said: “You are your habits.”
So as long as your child doesn’t take part in these activities too often, her HGH levels will stay elevated for proper growth.
Just remind her that all of these activities can make her grow less tall, and that will be a big enough nudge if she truly cares about growing taller.
Conditions
Conditions That Can Hinder Your Child’s Growth
There is one more enemy to your child’s growth:
Conditions and diseases
Unfortunately, conditions are much harder (if not impossible) to avoid compared to simple habits we just discussed.
But often times, your child can still reach his desired height with the proper treatment, as long as he spots them early on.
So it’s important that you know how to spot this kind of condition if your child has one, and get treated as fast as possible.
6 Types of Conditions That Can Hinder Your Child’s Growth
Conditions can do 1 of the 6 following things to disrupt your child’s growth:
β Lower HGH levels: Growth Hormone Deficiency, Hypothyroidism, Cushing’s Syndrome
β Hinder bones from absorbing proper nutrients: Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Celiac Disease, Congenital Heart Disease, Anemia, Chronic Kidney Disease
β Damage growth plates: Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
β Weaken bones: Osteoporosis, Osteopenia, Osteomalacia
β Cause bone misalignment: Spine curvature (Kyphosis, Lordosis, Scoliosis), Bowlegs, Knock Knees
β Genetic conditions that hinder growth: Down Syndrome, Noonan Syndrome, Turner Syndrome
If you want to help your child prevent these conditions as much as possible, here are concrete steps you can take:
Checklist: Ways to Protect Your Child from Height Hindering Conditions
Measure your child’s height at least once every 3 months to make sure that he’s growing at a normal pace
Check your child’s health at the doctors regularly (at least once every 6 months to a year)
If you notice any weird physical, mental, or emotional patterns from your child, go to a doctor immediately
To check that his hormones (especially HGH levels) are within their normal ranges, you can consult a pediatrician as well
If your child has Growth Hormone deficiency, ask your pediatrician if Growth Hormone Therapy is right for him
If you’re interested in learning more about these conditions, check out my comprehensive guide on these conditions in my other guide:
The Ultimate Guide to Helping Your Child Grow Taller (Chapter 9)
Height Growth for Teenagers: Key Takeaways
Expect your child to go through drastic growth spurts (it’s possible for him to grow more than 3 inches in a year)
On average, girls go through growth spurts slightly faster than boys:
Girls: 10 ~ 14 years old, and
Boys: 12 ~ 16 years old
Since everyone goes through growth spurts at different times, don’t worry if your child grows later than all of his friends
Help your child condition her body to take full advantage of her growth spurts, by doing the following:
Encourage your child to do HIITs (High-Intensity Interval Training) to boost his HGH levels by up to 450%
Protect her bones against growth plate injuries, since damaging them can hinder her growth
Get your child to consume 5 Height Maximizing Nutrients: Amino Acids, Protein, Vitamin C, Calcium, and Vitamin D3
Optimize your child’s sleep by following my 4 Sleep Tips
Avoid the following habits to maximize his HGH levels: caffeine, sugar, alcohol, and cannabis
There are several conditions that can hinder your child’s growth, so make sure to watch her growth, health, and visit a doctor and pediatrician regularly
Chapter 4: Adults 18~39 Years Old
Chapter 4 – Adults
Height Growth for Ages: 18 ~ 39 Years Old
If you’re almost (or completely) done growing, this chapter is for you.
Now, I have a bad news and good news.
The bad news?
You probably can’t become 8 inches taller, or anything crazy like that.
The good news?
You CAN still grow 1 to 2 inches taller.
And in this chapter, I’ll explain how this is scientifically possible, and show you what you can do to increase your height, even if you’re a full-grown adult.
What to Expect at 18 ~ 39 Years of Age
If you’re still in your teens or early 20s, there’s a chance that your bones are still growing.
If so, it’s actually possible for you to grow 4 inches, or even more.
In fact, that’s how a basketball player named David Robinson was able to grow 5 inches from age 22 to 24.
But EVEN if your bones are completely done growing, it’s scientifically possible to grow 1 to 2 inches taller.
How do I know?
Because I grew 3.0 cm when I was 23 years old.
And you’re about to find out the gist of how I did it.
3 Steps to Increasing Your Height As An Adult
Here are 3 simple steps you can take to grow taller as an adult:
β Becoming taller
β Staying taller, and
β Growing taller
So what the heck’s the difference between these 3 steps?
Here’s a brief overview of what the differences are:
1. Becoming taller = This step helps you appear taller, but not actually grow physically taller
2. Staying taller = This step helps you maintain the taller look you achieved from the previous step
3. Growing taller = This step helps you actually grow physically taller
In this chapter, we’re going to focus on the step you’re most interested in: growing taller
But for step #3 to work, you need to first master steps 1 and 2.
So without further ado, let’s dive into step 1.
Step #1
Become Taller
This is an exciting step, because it allows you to literally become taller instantly.
So how do you become taller instantly?
By fixing your posture.
I know that’s not a ground-breaking answer you were looking for.
But let me show you how game-changing this strategy is:
As you can see in this picture, fixing your posture can instantly make you an inch taller.
With that, here are steps you can take to become taller, right now:
Ways to Become Taller (Instantly)
Optimize your standing posture by:
Standing against the wall (with the back of your feet, buttocks, shoulder blades, and head all touching the wall)
Tucking in your chin while looking straight (this will align your head properly while putting your spine in its neutral position)
Get a cheap posture corrector on Amazon (these will FORCE you to maintain a good posture)
Aim to sit less by:
Taking frequent breaks
Using standing desks, or
Lying down on your stomach when using your laptop or phone for a long time
Sleep on your back without a pillow (this is my favorite technique)
Install a medium-firm mattress to keep your spine in its neutral alignment
Become more confident; this makes you pop out your chest naturally, bringing your spine into a proper alignment
What a Correct Standing Posture Looks Like
Here is what a correct posture looks like:

Source: artofmanliness.com | Authors: Brett and Kate McKay
As you can see, you have to align your head, shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles
For a more in-depth guide on how you can optimize your standing posture, check out the following resource:
Art of Manliness: The Ultimate Guide to Posture (by Brett and Kate McKay)
Step #2
Stay Taller
You’ve probably found the last step pretty easy to pull off.
I mean, fixing your posture shouldn’t be rocket science.
But maintaining a tall posture is a whole different game.
And in this section, I’ll show you exercises to help you maintain your taller posture, much more easily.
These exercises will either:
Strengthen the muscles that are too weak, or
Stretch the muscles that are too tight
9 Exercises to Maintain a Taller Posture
(Click on each exercise to see the video demonstration)
3 Bonus Resources for the Best Postural Exercises
Here are 3 bonus resources you canΒ use to further improve and maintain your posture:
Brett (from Art of Manliness): 6 Exercises to Counteract Slouching
Jeff Cavaliere (from ATHLEAN-X): Perfect Posture in 5 Steps
Dr. Alan Mandell: 13 Best Postural Exercises for Forward Head Posture
Step #3
Grow Taller
This is the step you’ve been waiting for.
As you probably know, your bones stop growing after you reach a certain age (around late teens or early 20s).
If so… how in the world can you grow taller as an adult??
By lengthening a part of your body that CAN still grow: your spine
I’ll explain.
Your Spine: The Hero That Can Help You Grow Taller By 1 to 2 Inches
Here is a diagram of how your spine looks like:
As you can see, your spine contains 24 bones (white), separated by 23Β cartilage discs (red).
The coolest part?
Unlike your bones, the cartilage discs in your spine can grow longer, no matter HOW old you are [49].
How Much Can Your Spine Discs Grow?
The question then becomes:
How much can your spine grow in total?
More than you think.
To give you concrete numbers:
If all you do is increase each disc length by 0.05, you would grow 0.05 inches x 23, which equals 1.15 inches in total.
In fact, that’s exactly how I grew taller when I was 23.
But I’m not the only one who grew taller as an adult…
A group of patients (whose average age was 65 years old) were able to lengthen their disc length by (in order to reduce their back pain) [50].
So if a group of 65-year-old patients can become taller, you certainly can too.
How to Maximize Spine Growth as an Adult
At this point, you’re probably wondering:
How do you actually increase your disc length?
By implementing what I call the “3 Spine Maximizers” into your lifestyle:
Spine Maximizer #1: Minimize Pressure on Your Spine
If you want your maximize the length of your spine discs, you need to minimize the pressure on your spine.
And the easiest way to minimize the pressure on your spine is to stop lifting weights over your shoulders.
Now, as I mentioned in the previous chapter, lifting weights will NOT stunt your growth.
That’s because your bones can keep growing no matter what pressure you place on them.
But your spine discs are different: if you place too much weight on them, they won’t be able to expand in length.
So here are exercises and activities you want to avoid (for the next few months):
Overhead shoulder presses
Handstand pushups
Squats
Lifting heavy backpacks
Carrying anything that’s too heavy off the floor
On the flipside, you CAN still do some weight-lifting exercises that won’t compress your spine, such as:
Flat bench presses
Normal pushups
Cable exercises
Can You Start Lifting Over Your Shoulders Again?
Now here’s the good news:
Once you’ve fully maximized your spine length, you can go back to lifting height weights over your shoulders.
Because no matter how much pressure you put on your spine, you’ll still be able to maintain your taller height [51, 52].
But until you reach that plateau, do your best to minimize these spine-compressing activities.
Spine Maximizer #2: Maintain a Straight Posture (Already Done)
Maintaining a straight posture isn’t just important for simply appearing taller, but actually increasing the length of your spine discs.
How?
By maintaining a proper posture, you can decrease the pressure on your spine by up to 60lbs (which is around 23 kg)…

Source: symmetry.physio
But luckily for you, if you’ve already completed steps 1 and 2, you already have a straight posture.
So you’re ready to move on to the last Spine Maximizer.
Spine Maximizer #3: Maximize Your Natural HGH
In the intro chapter, I explained how HGH is important for increasing your bone length.
But what you may not know is that HGH also lengthens your cartilage discs as well [53, 54].
So the more HGH you produce in your body, the longer your spine discs can become.
With that, here are 5 ways you can boost your HGH naturally:
5 Ways to Boost Natural HGH (for Spine Growth)
β Consume foods with HGH-boosting Amino Acids
5 Amino Acids that boost HGH are: L-Ornithine, L-Arginine, L-Lysine, L-Glutamine, and L-Glycine
To see the list of foods that contain these Amino Acids, click here (open in a new tab to avoid scrolling up)
β Fast intermittently to boost your HGH by up to 2000%!
β Optimize your sleep by:
Sleeping before 10pm
Sleeping sufficiently, and waking up without an alarm
Sleeping in an environment without distractions (no lights or sounds)
Exercising during the day, and
Not eating for at least 3 hours before bed
β Do HIITs (High-Intensity Interval Training) to boost your HGH by 450%
Make sure that you DON’T lift any weights over your shoulders when doing HIITs
To see what HIITs look like, click here (open in a new tab to avoid scrolling up)
β Avoid habits that can lower HGH, such as:
Consuming caffeine
Eating too much sugar
Drinking alcohol, or
Using marijuana
Will These Strategies Work For You 100%?
In this chapter, I showed you the gist of what I did to become 3.0 cm taller when I was 23 years old.
Now, does this mean that you can get the same result?
It depends.
Before I implemented these strategies, my posture was flatout terrible!
That’s why as soon as I fixed my posture, not only did I appear taller instantly, but my discs expanded drastically.
However, if your posture is already perfect, the chances are, these tips won’t help you grow much taller.
On the flipside, if you have a bad posture like I did, there’s a good chance you CAN become noticeably taller.
But however much you end up growing, just know that these tips and strategies go beyond growing taller:
Following this guide will help you become stronger and healthier as you age.
Height Growth for Adults: Key Takeaways
If your bones have stopped growing, you can STILL grow 1 to 2 inches taller by following 3 simple steps:
β Become taller by: fixing your posture to appear taller instantly
β Stay taller by: doing exercises to maintain your taller posture much more easily
β Grow taller by: maximizing the disc length in your spine
To maximize disc length in your spine:
Avoid lifting heavy weights over your shoulders (don’t worry, you can go back to overhead lifting once you maximize your height)
Maintaining a taller posture
Maximizing your natural HGH levels
Remember: your result will depend on how good or bad your posture is right now
Chapter 5: Elders 40+ Years Old
Chapter 5 – Elders
Height Growth for Ages: 40+ Years Old
If you are 40 years or older, you probably don’t have much interest in becoming as tall as LeBron James.
(If you do, click here to go to my previous chapter)
So this chapter isn’t really going to teach you how to grow taller.
Instead, I’m going to show you how you can prevent height loss age you age.
If you follow the tips I’m about to share, you’ll not only maintain your height as you age, but stay stronger and healthier for the rest of your life.
So without further ado, let’s get into the last chapter of this guide.
What to Expect at 40+ Years of Age
After age 40, the average adult loses almost half an inch (1 cm) every 10 years [55].
But after age 70, a typical adult loses a total of 1 to 3 inches (2.5 toΒ 7.6 cm) [55].
So in this chapter, I’m going to go over what causes your height to shrink as you get older.
And afterwards, I’m going to give you practical tips you can start doing to maintain your current height as much as possible.
How Does Height Loss Occur?
There are 3 main factors that can cause you to lose height as you age:
β Weakening of the postural muscles
β Shrinkage in disc height, and
β Loss of bone strength
In chapter 4, I explain how you can fix your posture AND maximize your disc height.
So in this chapter, we’re going to focus mainly on how to prevent your bones from becoming weaker.
What Causes Your Bones to Weaken As You Age?
When most adults become older, they develop a condition called Osteoporosis.
To put simply: Osteoporosis describes bones that are less dense than what’s considered to be healthy.
Osteoporosis is also called a “silent disease”, since it doesn’t show any symptoms.
That’s why about 10.3% of American adults (over 50 years of age) were estimated to have Osteoporosis, while 43.9% of them suffered from low bone mass [56]!
Osteoporosis Should Be Taken Seriously
Osteoporosis can not only decrease your height as you get older, but it can also cause fractures [57, 58, 59].
But here’s the good news:
By taking the right prevention steps, you can decrease your chances of developing Osteoporosis.
Ways to Prevent Osteoporosis and Height Loss
Here are a list of things you can do (and avoid) to prevent Osteoporosis, and ultimately, preserve your height as you age [60, 61]:
Optimize your diet around the following nutrients:
Amino Acids and Proteins to maintain higher levels of HGH, and
Calcium and Vitamin D3 to increase your bone density
Stay active by taking part in your favorite activity every day (don’t worry about doing high-intensity exercises!)
Maintain healthy levels of testosterone and estrogen
Avoid drinking or smoking cigarettes
Beware of using certain drugs or medications (such as glucocorticoids or anticonvulsants)
How to Check for Osteoporosis
If you’re worried that you may have some kind of low bone density right now, here are tests that will help you check your bones [60]:
Bone Mineral Density Test (on your hips or spine)
Screen Tests (x-rays, central DXA test)
For more information about Osteoporosis, check out the following resources:
National Institutes of Health: Osteoporosis Overview
National Osteoporosis Foundation: What is Osteoporosis and What Causes It?
Conditions That Are Similar to Osteoporosis
While Osteoporosis is the main bone condition that you need to watch out for, there are 2 similar bone disorders you may want to to be aware of [62]:
1. Osteopenia – “Milder” version of Osteoporosis
2. Osteomalacia – Mainly caused by a lack of Vitamin D
If you want to learn more about these conditions (or other conditions that can cause problems for your bones), check out the following resource:
National Institutes of Health: Muscle and Bone Diseases
Height Growth for Elders: Key Takeaways
Starting at 40 years old, the average adult shrinks 0.5 inches (1 cm) every 10 years, and 1 to 3 inches (2.5 to 7.6 cm) after 70 years of age
The main causes of height loss are:
β Weak postural muscles
β Decrease in disc height, and
β Loss of bone strength, which is usually caused by Osteoporosis
Here are 5 ways to prevent Osteoporosis:
Optimize your diet around the following nutrients: Amino Acids, Proteins, Calcium, and Vitamin D3
Stay active by taking part in your favorite activity
Maintain healthy levels of testosterone and estrogen
Avoid drinking or smoking cigarettes
Be careful when using certain drugs or medications (such as glucocorticoids or anticonvulsants)
Osteoporosis is hard to detect, so it’s important to take action to prevent them BEFORE your bones weaken
When in doubt, you can screen your bones for problems by doing: bone mineral density tests, x-rays, or central DXA tests
β Got Any Questions?
It’s Time to Take Action!
Congratulations.
You are now ready to become a Height Maximizer.
But before you go anywhere, I want to hear from you.
Specifically, I want you to leave a comment about the following:
1. How old are you right now? (Or if you’re reading this guide for your children, how old are they?)
2. Which tip are you most excited to start doing?
Also, if you have any questions for me, let me know by leaving a comment below right now.
Hi I’m 16 and I’m about 5 foot 7. I just wanna increase my height by a few inches if possible.
If you haven’t hit your growth spurt yet, it’s still possible. Make sure to stay healthy and implement everything I teach in Chapter 3 π
lm 35years old ,l wish to be tall
It’s not enough to wish, you must take action!
I am 22 years old…. AND I WILL GLOADLY START WITH THE POSTURE
YOU GOT THIS!!
1. 29
2. Spine decompression
πππ
Is it permanent for adults to gain the inches? Or do you need to maintain it with the exercises? What would you say is the minimum amount of effort/exercises to maintain it thereafter?
Thanks
Hey Leslie, that’s a good question. The main thing you need to do in order to maintain a taller height is to maintain a good posture. There are numerous studies that have proven that slouching will shrink your disc height and cause spine problems as you get older. The exercises are optional, but they simply help you maintain a good posture, so doing them will only help you stay taller. Long story short: maintain a proper posture, and your spinal discs will be at their maximum length.
I am 19 years old can I still grow taller at my age I’m at about 5’7-5’8
It depends Kukoyi. If you haven’t grown at all in the past few months, your bones are probably done growing. That being said, you can still increase your height slightly by applying the techniques in Chapter 4.
Hi Jason.
Thanks for the article! It was very helpful to me.
May i have a copy of the workout please?