I'm 13 and 140 cms tall. I matured at the age of 9. Is there a way for me to grow?

(August 31, 2008)

Growth generally slows down with time. If you have matured at an early age, there is nothing to panic. Generally boys start getting mature at the age of 15 and comparatively you are early. Yoga can definitely help you to regulate the functions of your body so that you don’t feel lazy and don’t lack spirit. There is nothing to feel different socially. But definitely, you need to work on your height increase.

Yoga cannot guarantee instant height increase in a short span of time but it can definitely help you grow in a proper manner so that the functions of your body are regulated. It also increases the metabolism of the body.

Various pull up exercises are recommended which will stimulate your pituitary glands and help you increase your height to a great extent. Inverted postures of yoga like sirshasana (head stand) and sarvangasana (shoulder stand) help to pump more oxygenated blood in your body as well as near the pituitary glands so that the gland functions properly for the thyroid hormone secretion which in turn helps to increase the height of the individual.

Pull up exercises of yoga as well as general pull ups can also help you to a great extent for increasing your height.

Chin up exercises of yoga as well as raising the shoulders up with the lifts are also recommended exercises for height increase. Other stretching poses like cobra pose, fish pose, wheel pose are also recommended postures for height increase as well as overall body metabolism. Cobra pose can be accomplished as under:

Lie down flat on your belly
Keep your trunk tight
Let your hands lay near your body
Inhale slowly
Raise your head up in the air
Lift your trunk also a little
Exhale slowly
Repeat the posture as many times as desired

Head stand posture of yoga as well as shoulder stand is also recommended as it also falls in the category of inverted yoga postures. Shoulder stand posture is easier to perform and it can be carried out with the following simple steps.

Sit flat on the ground
Lift your legs up in the air
Support them with your hands
Continue with the breathing exercises
Inhale deeply and exhale slowly
Stay in this posture for quite some time
Relax

You can continue to head stand posture from shoulder stand by lifting your trunk too upwards and let the body stand upside down with the support of your head. You can place both your palms beneath your head so as to support it. All these postures of yoga if carried out sequentially will definitely help you to increase your height.

Submitted by R J on August 31, 2008 at 02:27