Does Jumping Make You Taller? Find Out the Facts

Having a few extra inches not only adds to your attractiveness but also increases your athletic ability. Jumping, a sport beloved by many due to its convenience and efficiency, is also believed to make you grow taller. But is this true? Read the answer right below.

The many benefits of Jumping rope

Before knowing right away the answer ‘Yes’ or ‘No’’ to the question, let’s take a look at what makes jumping such a popular sport. Here are some major health benefits it provides that we would like to share:

Strengthens the entire body

Jumping rope can strengthen the entire body because it is head-to-toe interaction the entire time. The jumping technique boosts muscles, specifically in your feet and ankles.

Boosts bone density

According to Dr. Nwachukwu, the impact of jumping can help increase bone density. This effect is noteworthy since bone density tends to decline with age, which can result in many diseases like osteomalacia and osteoporosis.

Increases efficient cardio

Jumping rope requires using many different muscle groups at once, making it an excellent option to enhance the cardiovascular system.

Does jumping make you taller?

To conclude whether jumping can alter your current height, we need to understand there are only several factors that can determine how tall you are. The possibility of whether jumping rope can make you grow taller or not depends on its ability to impact the following elements:

Factors affect height

Genetics

When it comes to determining your height, your genes are one of the major factors. According to scientific studies, the human body contains about 700 genes that affect height.

Nutrition

The saying “you are what you eat” applies perfectly to your height development. Children whose diets are rich in essential nutrients grow taller than those with diets deficient in these nutrients. When it comes to healthy growth, all nutrients are equally vital, but a diet high in minerals, proteins, calcium, vitamin A, and vitamin D can result in greater height gain.

Living Conditions

Your height also depends on the surroundings you live in. Poor living conditions and a toxic environment can harm a person’s physical development as well as their mental health. A person can only grow healthy if they lead a healthy and active lifestyle.

Adequate Sleep

At night, when you sleep, the pituitary gland releases growth hormones. Therefore, even if you have genes that predetermine your height, eat healthy food, and live in an exciting environment, your height can still be affected if you don’t get enough sleep.

Health Conditions

We all need a healthy body to function in everyday life. A child’s growth and physical development will be hampered if they suffer from too many diseases or illnesses.

Body Posture

If you have passed the growing age, correcting your body posture is essential to increase height. A person can easily reach their full height potential if they have a good posture. Additionally, a good posture can lessen spinal compression, resulting in a straight and aligned spinal cord.

So how… exactly does Jumping make you taller?

Jumping can affect your body posture and health conditions – 2 out of the 6 factors mentioned above. However, it is important to note that jumping alone doesn’t make you taller quickly, but rather, it CAN make a difference when it comes to your height.

What do we mean by that?

Well, your epiphyseal plates seal and your bones ossify by the time you reach adulthood, which typically occurs between the ages of 18-25. After that, there isn’t much you can do to grow taller.

First, by practicing jumping, your posture will be enhanced, making you appear taller. When you jump a rope, your shoulders, torso, and back are held in an upright position while your head is in a neutral position. To maintain balance, your body has to center itself around your feet. These movements improve the overall spine alignment.

Another reason is jumping can also help you lose belly fat. As people tend to associate thinner with taller, you will appear taller if you have a thinner figure.

Finally, jumping increases your heartbeat, which boosts your blood flow. This motion improves the flexibility of the muscles and ligaments. If you are still in your growing years, the more you jump, the more your bone density and mass will grow. Your calf muscles are also more likely to extend due to frequent knee bending when jumping.

How often do you have to jump rope to grow taller?

You should jump rope for about 20-40 minutes a day, equivalent to about 200-400 times. If you can maintain this habit for the next 3 to 6 months, your body will start growing taller.

However, you should not expect a height gain of 3–4 inches. Jumping rope regularly helps you stand up straighter, not enlarge your bones. Therefore, 1-2 inches of height gain should be the reasonable number to expect.

Here are some tips we’ve established to assist jumping rope beginners along the way:

1. You need to be patient. For the first few days, jumping rope won’t make you any inches taller. Don’t rush things.
2. Practice jumping for at least six months before looking for any signs of greater height.
3. Before jumping, you must get the proper equipment, just like any other workout. A suitable, high-quality jumping rope will assist you through the entire process.
4. You will find jumping difficult if you get a small rope while a long one can make you trip and fall. To avoid injuries, we advise getting a jumping rope made of a soft material like plastic or foam.
5. Additionally, you should purchase a pair of trainers to prevent foot pain.

Besides, it isn’t just about how often but also HOW you jump can help you grow taller.

Here are some tips on how to jump rope accurately and efficiently:

1. Hold the jump rope, stand firmly with your feet shoulder-width apart, and slightly bend your knees.
2. Your heels should make contact with the jump rope. Your head and neck should be in a neutral position, and your shoulders should be directly above your hips. Throughout the movement, your chin should remain tucked, as if you were carrying an egg.
3. Along with your elbows bent and your forearms outside of your knees, your upper arms should be by your sides.
4. Pre-tension your shoulders and hips, and engage your core.
5. While maintaining your alignment and keeping your upper arms by your sides, rotate your forearms and wrists forward to move the jump rope over your head.
6. As the jump rope moves toward the front of your body, bend your knees and push through the balls of your feet to jump off the ground.
7. Continue rotating your forearms and wrists to allow the jump rope to pass under your feet.
8. Land on the balls of your feet.
9. Continue to jump for the desired number of repetitions or periods.

Side note:

When looking for jump ropes, you can come across some ropes advertised as weighted ropes. These are simply just heavier-than-average ropes. Jumping rope with additional weight is very difficult and particularly harmful for your shoulders, arms, and back. If you are a jumping rope beginner, a lightweight rope is already a very suitable choice.

Do’s & Don’ts of Jumping

Just like any other high-impact sports, there are certain do’s and don’ts when it comes to jumping ropes. Here’s what you need to know:

Do’s:

• Make sure that your heart rate is steady and your breathing is regular. If you lose your breath while jumping or you feel like your heart is beating too fast, just take a break and have a few sips of water.
• Calm yourself down until when your breathing and heart rate slow down.
• Take short breaks after every 10 minutes and hydrate yourself. Keep a water bottle for yourself. You can get back to jumping afterward.

Don’ts:

• Don’t be too hard on yourself; it will be challenging at first if you are out of shape and haven’t jumped in a long time. Therefore, we suggest you start with 20 or 30 skips a day and increase this number as you become more confident.
• Don’t drink a lot of water while you jump. Take frequent, little sips of water during the breaks to avoid dehydration and prevent your throat from being parched.
• If your trainers are uncomfortable, change them immediately. You don’t want to accidentally injure your feet while practicing to stand taller and with better posture.

What activities also make you grow taller?

Stretching

While the growth plates in your bones are still open, exercising regularly is very beneficial to your height. However, just like jumping, stretching technically can’t make you taller. Instead, they stretch, lengthen, and relax your muscles, which might make you appear taller.

Eating healthy

Height is greatly influenced by genetics. Once a person reaches adulthood and stops growing, certain meals won’t make them any taller. However, with the right diet, a person can reach their maximum height. Several foods that can affect your height are eggs, dairy, and almonds.

Exercise

Although there’s no guarantee working out can increase your height, there are several particular exercises that, when done correctly, have amazing advantages because they help people grow taller, stretch their spines, increase their flexibility and strengthen their abdominal muscles.

Good posture

Aside from easing tension and reducing neck and back pain, good posture can change your height. If your back is straight, you can gain a greater height of as much as two inches. If poor posture is not corrected over a long period, such as walking with rounded shoulders and a stooped back, it may eventually cause a permanent loss of height. Therefore, it is essential to pay attention to how you stand, sit, and sleep if you want to maintain a pain-free and comfortable lifestyle.

In conclusion

Jumping rope fixes your posture so that you can appear taller. If you are still in your growing years, jumping can also stimulate the bone cells to grow more quickly, which increases the length of your bone. So, if you want to increase your height, jump rope!

• Related post: Does sleeping make you taller?