Posture correction, height improvement

For adults with completely closed epiphyseal lines, it is impossible to achieve secondary height growth at the skeletal level through posture correction, but it can regain the 3-5cm "hidden height" that has been "stolen" by long-term poor posture. The improvement effect varies from person to person and will not exceed 5cm at most.； If minors adjust their posture + supplement nutrition + exercise regularly at the same time, the auxiliary effect on real height growth will be more obvious.

Don't think this is bluffing. I met a 27-year-old front-end engineer last year. When he first came to see me, he shrank like an unopened folding umbrella. His shoulders were clasped forward, his head stretched forward by almost ten centimeters, and he leaned forward when he stood on the scale. The net height measured at that time was 172. He said that he was still 175 when he graduated from college. He thought it was because he had shrunk as he got older, but in fact it was all because of his posture. After more than two months of adjustments, he changed his usual sitting posture at work and his habit of exerting force when walking. When he stood up straight again, he was back to 175. He was shocked and said that he had never felt that he could stand so easily.

There is a lot of controversy about this matter on the Internet now. Some people say it is completely an IQ tax, and some people say that one bone adjustment can make you grow 3cm taller. In fact, both sides are reasonable, but they stand from different standpoints. Most bone-setting masters believe that the essence of postural problems is misalignment of small joints. Resetting the compressed thoracic and cervical vertebrae, returning the physiological curvature of the spine to normal, and opening up the originally compressed intervertebral space can result in a height of 1-2cm on the spot. I have also seen many people stand taller than before after bone-setting. It does have immediate effects. But most friends who do exercise rehabilitation will pour cold water: If you go home and slump on the sofa to check your mobile phone, or huddle in front of the computer for 8 hours at work, you will be back to your original shape in at most three days. Coaches in the fitness circle prefer to take things slowly and level out the muscles on the front and back - for example, if the chest muscles on the front are too tight, relax more, and if the back muscles on the back are too weak, practice more rowing. Once the muscles in the front and back of the pelvis are balanced, they will naturally become straight. Although it is slow, as long as you maintain the habit, the results will last a lifetime.

There are also many people who are more serious: The length of the bone is just there, how can it be possible to become taller out of thin air? This is true. The "height increase" we are talking about is not to lengthen the leg bones and spine, but to "straighten" the originally distorted lines of force. You can imagine your skeleton as a string of beads strung together. When stacked crookedly, the total length will definitely be short. Place each bead in the correct position and the whole string will naturally stretch out. When you usually stand, you always put your weight on one leg. If your pelvis is tilted, it will be 1cm shorter. ； After sitting with my chest hunched over for a day at work, the curvature of my thoracic spine straightened and decreased by 1cm. ； The knees always bend and sway when walking, and if the knee hyperextension is reduced by 1cm, if the bits and pieces are added up, wouldn't it be missing a small part?

I met a girl before who bought an online celebrity correction belt in order to look taller. She usually stood with her chest straightened out and her stomach tucked in. As a result, her back hurt after standing for a long time and she cried. When she came for a checkup, she found out that she had compensated for her lumbar spine in order to "look straight." Not only did she not really get taller, but she almost injured her waist. To put it bluntly, the core of posture correction is not to "forcibly stand up straight" at all, but to make your entire body bear the force evenly, so that standing and sitting are effortless. The increase in height is just a side effect.

If you also want to see how much hidden height you have, why not take off your shoes and stand on the flat ground now, put your heels together, and see if your knees are aligned, if your shoulders are higher on one side and lower on the other, and whether your earlobes are just above the acromion? If it’s not aligned, don’t panic. There’s no need to buy thousands of dollars worth of correction courses right away. Just get up and stand against the wall for five minutes every morning—the back of your head, shoulders, hips, calves, and heels are all pressed against the wall. Don’t hold your breath, breathe naturally, and feel the muscles in your back exert force when you stand. If you insist on this for a month, you’ll probably be pleasantly surprised when you measure your height again.

Of course, don’t have too unrealistic expectations. The hidden height of ordinary people is mostly around 2-3cm. Only those with particularly serious posture problems can reach 5cm. If someone tells you that posture correction can help you grow from 160cm to 170cm, just turn around and walk away, that is purely a scam. After all, compared to a few extra centimeters of height, standing tall and straight, walking easily, and improving one's overall temperament are the real gains, right?