Whether standing alone or in a group, tall people naturally draw attention. It adds an extra edge of attraction to them. Given that, it’s not surprising that almost every adolescent looks at ways to add a few inches to their height.
Even though a person’s height is a genetic feature, you find people striving to add a few extra inches. Going by the popular belief, the most common Google search is, ‘Can jumping rope make you taller?’ or even, ‘How to grow taller?’
In this write-up, we would try to research its correct answer, throw light on a few myths and facts around it, and finally look at a few concrete ways to help any adolescent grow taller. Stay hooked!
Can Jumping Rope Make You Taller?
Answering straight to the point, jumping a rope does not make you taller but helps you maximize your height potential.
You grow your full height, which is predominantly genetically decided between the age of 18 and 25. By this time, your bones get ossified, and the epiphyseal plates also seal entirely. Once this has happened, nothing can make you gain a few extra inches.
However, regularly jumping improves your posture, and that gives the impression of you gaining a few inches. This is what probably triggered the myth of jumping rope making a person taller.
Factors Affecting Our Height
Before we delve into the myth of jumping rope making you taller and the fact behind it, let us first throw light on the factors determining our height. While many factors are influencing our height, the major ones are:
Hereditary and genetic factor:
According to scientists, more than 700 different genes present in our genetic make-up determines our height. They impact both our growth plates and the production of growth hormones. It is the primary determinant of how tall a person would be.
Environmental conditions:
The environment also plays a crucial role in the development of a person, including height. Adverse environment conditions can impact every phase of your life, but the most sensitive stage is the infancy phase. It can negatively impact both the physical and mental development of a person, including height.
A proper and healthy diet:
After genetic factors, nutrition plays a critical role in the development of a person’s height. Studies have established that children with a proper and balanced diet are always comparatively taller than those without it. Even though all food components are essential, a diet rich in proteins, calcium, minerals, Vitamin A and Vitamin D is extra beneficial in increasing height.
Our lifestyle:
Not many realize, but a lifestyle also plays an essential role in the development of a person, including height. A happy, healthy, and productive lifestyle goes a long way in maximizing a person’s height.
Health conditions:
A healthy body is vital for the proper growth of height. If a child is suffering from any disease, it will impact his/her development. Consequently, a child might not attain full height potential.
Exercises:
Exercise plays a vital role in the development of a person. If an adolescent child is exercising correctly and adequately, then he/she will inevitably grow taller. Exercises like jumping ropes, squatting, basketball, hanging, etc. go a long way in maximizing height development.
Right body posture:
We have already discussed posture being the key to looking taller. Proper posture eliminates spinal compression and helps the spinal cord straight and properly aligned. Even adults who practice good posture will appear taller due to stronger and properly aligned spinal muscles and bones.
Facts About Getting Taller
- A perspective of factors determining the height
The main factor deciding your height is genetics. It predetermines your height by 60% to 85%. The rest is decided by environmental and lifestyle factors, including your nutrition. Studies show that you can surpass your genetically determined height by eating balanced and nutritious food during your growing years.
It was made evident by an article that stated a three-inch increase in the average height of the Japanese post-war due to more access to fish protein. Likewise, Denmark flaunts the tallest people in the world because it has one of the world’s highest wealth per capita, which means better nutrition.
- Age of growth
You grow all through your adolescent age, which stops typically between the age of 18 and 25. The main reason for your height is determined by the epiphyseal plates located at the end of your bones. These plates are added rapidly during your puberty that leads to your growth spurt.
Once you have maximized your growth, the epiphyseal plates seal themselves, and the bones start to ossify. Post this, no matter what you do; you cannot attain any further height.
The Myth of Jumping Rope Making You Taller
Now let us understand the facts behind the myth of jumping rope making you taller.
Heredity is the primary determinant of your height. Going by a Forbes quotation, you lose about 1% of your height by spinal compression. The discs between the spinal vertebrae dehydrate and compress.
Another reason for height loss is poor posture. Due to poor posture, your spinal cord becomes curved, and the vertebrae might collapse due to osteoporosis or loss of bone density.
Now stretching and hanging exercises like jumping ropes, hanging, etc. help in stretching the spinal cord and reverse the compression. Thus, the key to height increase is that correct posture, and jumping ropes are one of the best ways to achieve it. The myth probably started from there.
Can Jumping Rope Make You Taller?- The Truth
We have now understood how posture plays a critical role in your being taller. Jumping rope does not make you taller by increasing your bone length. Instead, it helps you gain the right posture and attain your maximum height.
How to grow taller with jumping ropes?
When using a jumping rope, your torso, back, and shoulders take an erect position, and your head is placed neutral. Moreover, your body has to center itself over your feet to help you attain balance while jumping. These work cumulatively on the alignment of the spine and adjust any issues there.
Again, jumping rope increases the pumping of the heart. It also triggers a high acceleration of leg movement. The skipping exercise increases the flexibility of your muscles and ligaments by continual stretching and contracting.
If you are jumping rope during your puberty, you achieve an increase in your bone mass. Moreover, continuous knee bending during the activity helps expand the muscles in the calf area in a vertical direction. This enables any person to achieve his maximum height potential if backed by good and healthy nutrition.
Moreover, as jumping is a high aerobic activity, it leads to weight loss and the melting of the tummy fat. A slimmer body always appears tall.
Hence, jumping rope helps you reach your maximum height possible while you are at your puberty and helps you regain your height post-growth phase by aligning and decompressing your spinal cord correctly.
How to Grow Taller with Jumping Rope
If you intend jumping rope to grow taller, you would need to follow a few rules. They are:
- Foremost, consistency is the key to success. You would not grow tall just by jumping for a day. You need to be disciplined and consistent with it. You would get the desired result only with it. You must skip a minimum of five to seven months daily to get the desired result.
- A good skipping rope is essential for you to embark on this journey. Its length should be in proportion to the size of your body. An extra-long cord would make your trip and fall, while a short one would make jumping difficult. It should also be crafted from soft material like elastic or foam so that you do not get hurt while jumping.
- Many people jump bare feet, but it can make your feet sore. Getting a good pair of shoes or trainers will help give both support and grip to your feet. It would also protect your feet from getting sore.
- If you have never jumped rope, then it’s best to take things easy first. You can start with 50 skips a day and gradually increase it until you reach 700 to 800 skips per day.
Do’s of Jumping Ropes
Now that you know the basic rules, let’s walk through some dos and don’ts of jumping ropes.
- It is essential to keep your heart rate steady while jumping ropes. In case you are losing your breath and it is getting out of control, you must stop immediately and take a few sips of water. You can resume once your breathing is regular.
- Skipping tends to dehydrate your body. Hence it advisable to drink plenty of water at least 10 minutes before starting the jumping ropes session.
Don’ts of Jumping Ropes
- You must never continue skipping if short of breath. It can be risky to your health.
- You must not drink water in between and immediately after the skipping process. In case you feel breathless, or your throat is feeling parched, you should take only a few sips of water. Drinking more water will harm your health.
Frequently Asked Questions & Answers
Here, we tackle some of the most common queries that arise in your minds.
Does jumping rope really increase height?
If an individual during puberty is jumping rope, his/her muscles and ligaments continually stretch and contract. Body fitness also rises. Consequently, the density of the bones increases and they can grow vertically to the maximum. Thus, one can grow taller.
How much taller can you grow by jumping ropes?
Whether you are reversing your spinal compression or trying to reach your maximum height potential, you can easily add a couple of inches to your height.
What other exercises can help you grow taller?
Besides, skipping you can do varied jumping exercises like basketball, jumping on a trampoline, etc. There are many yoga poses as well, like the dog pose, Surya pranam, cobra pose, etc. that help you reach your true height potential. Mixed with proper nutrition and adequate sleep, a person can indeed grow taller.
Can you recommend a few good ropes and shoes to buy for jumping ropes?
We have already highlighted the guidelines for buying ropes and shoes. Few that we recommend are:
Final Words
We hope that you now know the answer to, ‘Can Jumping rope make you taller?’ While it cannot help you outgrow your genetic limitations, it can certainly help you reach your true height potential.
The trick to how to grow taller is in proper exercise, balanced nutrition, and right posture. However, you will get the desired result only with a consistent and disciplined workout every day. The result is slow and takes time to manifest.
We hope you enjoyed reading. Do get back to us with your queries, suggestions, and any feedback. Till then, happy jumping!
