Attention: You there who wants to grow taller!
What if I could tell you an easy way for you to grow taller instantly?
Imagine yourself just a bit taller and all the things that could do for you.
Would you perhaps finally gain the confidence to speak your mind and do what you actually want to do (and not what is “expected” of you).
Maybe you could ask that attractive girl or guy out.
Or you could tell your boss how much he/she sucks!
Your life would without a doubt be much better if you were just a little bit taller…
… Ok, let me stop it right there.
Can you really grow taller by tweaking your posture?
Perhaps you think it sounds stupid, but it is really not some shady snake oil salesman tactic which I jokingly made it seem like.
While you won’t be able to grow taller in its “usual meaning” you will be able to increase or regain height if you manage to go from a slouched posture to a more upright posture with a neutral spine.
Is This Really A Thing?
If you like to slouch while looking at your smartphone, computer, television or even book, chances are that have at least to some degree have rounded shoulders or a forward head posture or both.
You probably also sit down a lot (who doesn’t) and your hip flexors are tight.
(Click here to read a guest post I wrote on how tight hip flexors affect posture).
Your dominant posture can literally change your body as muscle and joints adapt over time. Think about your posture as a reflection of how you spend most of your time.
Your body is able to make some impressive adaptations from the stress that arises due to poor posture, but usually, these adaptations aren’t very pretty e.g. Dowager’s hump.
Especially your spine is a flexible thing and if you are often in a forward leaned position the added stress on your spin bends and compresses it which potentially can make you stand shorter.
Here is an interesting video that explains this well.
The video also shows some exercises you can do to relieve your spine and improve your posture.
The exercises although I wouldn’t hold the positions in exercises 1 and 2 as long as is being suggested.
It is simply way too long in my opinion.
How Much Height Are We Talking About?
How much increased height you are able to get ultimately depends on how poor your posture currently is.
More specifically how bent and compressed your spine has become.
I would say that in most cases it is probably around 1-2 inches (2.5 – 5 cm).
It is not a lot but definitely enough to have a visual difference and this can be very important for some people. I know that for a fact because I am a short guy myself.
But it doesn’t stop there. Improving your posture can also make you appear thinner and in general more attractive.
And if that is not enough for you, there are many so many more reasons for why you should maintain good posture.
The truth is, that having poor posture can potentially harm you in so many ways.
What Is So Important About Posture?
Poor posture does not only affect how you look. Studies have been able to show that your dominant posture can also have a strong impact on how you feel.
If you do not maintain an upright position with an open chest you are likely to feel less positive and less confident.
People around you respond to your posture both consciously and subconsciously. When we are communicating face to face there is often a lot of body language going on.
Poor posture could affect your non-verbal communication negatively.
Of course, poor posture can also harm your joints and muscle by creating a lot of unnecessary wear and tear.
But these kinds of consequences are likely first to appear after a very long time. So, you might feel very relaxed when you slouch right now, but perhaps not in 5-10 years later.
If you want to stay free of injuries, feel great both mentally and physically now and when you are much older, then you need good posture.
Here is an additional resource going in-depth on why posture is so important.
How To Improve Posture
There is probably not going to be “one thing” that you can do which will fix all your posture problems.
The best approach, in my opinion, is taking a lot of action and do various things.
You should do different exercises to strengthen and stretch your muscles. You can check out something I wrote here on different exercises.
Often tight hip flexors end up affecting your upper body posture, which is why you also want to think about your lower body. There is a very popular routine on flexors that has helped a lot of people.
I have written a review here.
You should also think about the ergonomics of your surroundings and you should increase your “postural awareness”.
Basically, you need to become familiar with what good posture feels and looks like so you know what to do. Stretching and strengthening is not going to help a lot if you are also not maintaining good posture.
This is where I think posture/back braces are really useful.
Bottom Line
Your spine is flexible and will adapt to your dominant posture.
Since the spine is about 35 % of your height, you can appear smaller if you have a poor posture is bending and compressing your spine.
Improving your posture through various exercises, improving ergonomics and increasing posture awareness can help you regain some height. Perhaps 1-2 inches.
My name is Marcus, I am a lawyer (LL.M.) and the founder of this website. Besides sometimes doing lawyer stuff, I like to write about fitness and health and share what I have found “works” for people like YOU. If you want to know more about me and my vision for this website then you can 