Does gym increase height?

Gym exercise slows down growth? What effect does lifting weights have on bone growth? Frequently asked questions about Gym to increase height will be fully answered in the following article of Sachainchi.vn .

Does exercise affect height or not?

Healthcare is an area full of unorthodox information that often confuses us. With intense training intensity, exercises with extra heavy weights and information such as: “Wearing weights will be short”, “Heavy weights will compress bones, making the body shorter, those who are still old will I can’t be tall”… Causing many people to hesitate to start exercising and lifting weights. 

We often think that going to the gym will make the body short. So where does this myth come from? 

The claim that physical influences adversely affect height was first made in Japan in a study in 1964. This report states that children who regularly do heavy work will have short stature. baby as an adult. There are also theories that, during the age when the body is still growing in height, physical influences have caused their growth plate to damage and close earlier.

However, this study did not take into account an extremely important factor which was the nutritional status of Japanese children at that time. This is the main factor that makes Japanese children short, not having to work in the fields or in factories. Misinformation is being spread more and more widely, making many people confused.

Exercise accounts for how much % in height growth?

Adult height is the result of a long process and depends on four factors:

• Heredity accounts for 23%
• Nutrition battle 32%
• Sleep and environment account for 25%
• Movement accounts for 20%

Human height grows thanks to the elongation of the bones. Besides the remaining factors, movement will contribute to strengthening the musculoskeletal system for optimal height growth.

What do experts say about gym training and height growth?

Gym myths are still common today. People are often afraid that exercise affects the ability of the growth plate to function. In addition, because Gyms often have heavy vertical impact exercises, they often cause confusion about hindering height growth. 

Please be completely assured because if you exercise properly at the Gym, your body will be trained for health, endurance and absolutely no effect on height. However, if you exercise in the wrong way, teenagers in the growing age group will face the risk of breaking the growth plate.

In fact, 15-30% of fractures in children involve this cartilage plate. This is the area where ossification occurs to help the bone grow in length. So, before the growth cartilage fully ossifies, this cartilage is softer than other areas and also more susceptible to damage from external influences.

This does not mean that adolescents in puberty need to limit gymnastics for strength training just because they are concerned that the growth plate will be damaged. Gym exercises are safe for children under 18 as long as they are exercised at a moderate intensity and with the right technique. 

Properly designed exercises can also provide benefits such as:

• Reduce sports injury rates and reduce fracture risk
• Increases endurance and bone strength index
• Improve mental health, build a healthy lifestyle

At what age should you start exercising?

Although they are in the age of height growth, adolescents aged 12-16 have not yet developed their musculoskeletal system strong enough for high-intensity gym exercises. Therefore, when exercising at this age, you should only do simple exercises to avoid injury as well as limit cartilage damage.

At the age of 17, the musculoskeletal system in the body has developed stably and is suitable for almost all Gym exercises, including weight lifting. With these exercises will help strengthen the health of the musculoskeletal system, fight osteoporosis… Therefore, from the age of 17 onwards, Gym will be a suitable choice to develop comprehensive health.

Notes so that Gym does not adversely affect height

To promote the benefits of gym exercises, do not ignore the following notes:

• Warm up thoroughly to gradually increase your body temperature and warm up your muscles. Warm-up exercises will help the body be more flexible and limit unwanted injuries during exercise. 
• In addition to choosing the right exercise, technique is also an extremely important factor. Even if you choose moderate exercises, if the technique is wrong, the body can still face the risk of injury.
• To avoid the bad effects of lifting weights. Limit heavy weightlifting exercises to standing positions and replace them with weightlifting exercises in a lying position.
• Do not maintain an excessive exercise intensity. Besides arranging a workout schedule, you also need to allocate a certain amount of rest to give your muscles and bones time to recover and grow.
• Scientific and balanced nutrition is an important factor to support the exercise regime. Daily meals need to meet enough: protein, fiber, calcium and essential vitamins. 
• Establish a healthy lifestyle by maintaining exercise and sports activities; Go to bed before 11 pm, do not use stimulants, limit alcoholic beverages… These good habits will strengthen the effectiveness of the Gym to improve height.
• If you are in the age of growing taller and still want to go to the gym, find yourself a well-trained PT (Personal Trainer). Professional trainers will design and advise the most suitable and safe exercises for your body.

Tips to lift weights safely to avoid injury

Give your body time to improve its strength

Conquering heavy weights is not an overnight thing. When lifting weights, start with moderate weights and work your way up slowly. These movements are more effective than straining with weights that are so heavy that the musculoskeletal system is prone to injury.

“Big” is not a key issue when working out in the gym or lifting weights

For children who are growing taller, weightlifting will help stimulate the development of muscle tissue. However, Dr. Alex Tauberg has advised that: Children should not train weightlifting with the desire to increase muscle mass as well as tone muscles.

Age is just a number

Deciding when a child is suitable for weight training should be based on individual physical factors, not just age. However, as mentioned above, teens under 17 need to be careful when doing exercises that involve weightlifting.

Safety in weightlifting involves two factors: proficiency and proper supervision. Besides, the body also needs to perform the right technique to have safe and appropriate movements for the development of health and endurance.

The above article has provided you with basic information to answer “Does the gym affect height?”. However, always build an exercise regimen with rest and scientific nutrition to create a solid foundation for height growth. If you are new to building a training regimen, experts often encourage you to start with Bodyweight exercises.

These are exercises that use the body’s weight such as: Push-ups, squats, plank … They can completely train the muscle system safely and without the need for heavy dumbbells. As the body gets used to the endurance and strength of the workout, arrange the exercises more suitable. Whether it is exercise with gym exercises or any other sports. Never practice wrong technique or exercise with too much intensity to avoid unwanted negative effects on health and height.