It’s not uncommon for people to feel taller after doing yoga. That begs the question – Does yoga make you taller?
Yoga is known to help people relieve chronic pain in their bodies, stretch their spine, and improve posture. Most of the people who practice yoga noted feeling more refreshed after yoga practice.
There is certainly something to it, so we gathered all of the useful information regarding yoga making people taller.
In this article, you will find out more about what yoga can and can’t do. We will also dive deeper into the topic of other factors that can impact your height.
Without further ado, let’s begin.
What Yoga Can and Can’t Do?
When we think of yoga, the first thing that comes to mind is a series of poses done in a mindful state. That’s what yoga is all about – connecting to your breath and your bodily movements.
Although this is as simple as it sounds, yoga is known to bring many benefits to the body and state of mind.
The mental health benefits of yoga are achieved by slower, mindful breathing throughout the whole practice. This slows down the constant mind chatter and allows you to focus your attention on the present moment.
This breathing and awareness practice alone increases your state of calmness, mental clarity, and wellbeing.
Yoga also slows down the harmful effects of stress and inflammation while simultaneously improving your immune system. [1]
That brings us to many other mental health benefits of yoga, such as:
- Overall stress relief
- Relief from depression
- Mental clarity
- Improved focus
- Improved confidence
- Improved self-expression
- Better control of your emotions
- Decreased reactivity
- & Much more.
Since the mind and the body are connected, an improved mental state allows you to improve your physical body as well. Yoga practice can improve your physical health in many ways:
- Improved balance
- Improved flexibility
- Improved blood circulation
- Improved athletic performance
- Improved energy levels
- Promotes healthy body weight
- Helps with weight reduction
- Improved muscle strength
- Protects you from injuries
With all of these amazing benefits, there are still some things that yoga simply can’t do that are fair to mention.
First of all, yoga can’t replace therapy and/or medical treatment. [2] Yoga should serve as a complementary therapy, and you shouldn’t skip your standard therapy and replace it with yoga.
Secondly, yoga can’t replace weight training. Yoga does improve your muscle strength to some level, but if you want to increase the muscle mass by muscle atrophy, you will need to lift weights.
Finally, yoga can’t extend the bones. There are studies proving that yoga can increase your bone density, but this doesn’t directly extend your bones. [3]
Yoga For Increasing Height
To return to the question of:
“Does yoga make you taller?”
the short answer is no. However, the long answer is – it also kind of does.
Yoga can’t extend your bones. There are other factors that come into play when it comes to what makes you taller or what impacts your bone growth, in other words.
Most people stop growing by the time they hit 18-20 years of age. Factors such as genetics, nutrition, and hormone levels during childhood and puberty largely impact your height. [4]
What yoga is known to do is help strengthen your spine and improve your posture.
Especially in modern lifestyles, we spend a lot of the time sitting and slouching while doing so. We sit at the desk for work, while eating, or even driving.
The posture has a great impact on how tall we appear to be and also on our health overall.
Yoga stretches your spine and promotes healthy blood circulation through your back muscles. This simultaneously increases the amount of fluid between your spinal discs, which can make you appear taller.
Does Yoga Make You Taller and Improve Posture?
The answer to this question is – a strong yes.
An improved posture is one of the main benefits yoga is known to have on your physical health.
Yoga improves your posture in three different ways.
First, the gentle forms of bodyweight exercises help strengthen your back and core muscles. Keeping these muscles strong and toned helps you with keeping your back straight.
Secondly, certain poses directly stretch your back and therefore your spine too. These stretches increase your back flexibility and improve your overall posture.
Thirdly, the combination of mindful breathing and gentle poses improves your balance. A proper balance and flexibility are crucial in maintaining a good posture.
Yoga for Spine Straightening
Along with improving your posture, yoga helps you straighten your spine.
Many of us suffer from hunched shoulders and bad posture due to sitting for long periods of time.
However, yoga is even known to help people suffering from more serious diagnoses – like scoliosis – improve their spine curvature.
There is a study showing that yoga can improve spine curvature by 32% in all patients. [5]
These results came from exercising certain yoga poses after as little as three times per week!
Yoga Poses for Improving Posture
There are many types of yoga practices and many types of yoga exercises as well. That being said, certain poses may be more effective in making you taller than others.
Here we will give you some of the most effective yoga poses known to improve your posture and spine curvature. This will, in turn, make you appear taller and also feel better.
You can choose to do some of these poses even if you suffer just mild back pain or no pain at all. We could all benefit from some stretching and improving our postures.
Make sure to hold each pose for at least 90 seconds. If you are a busy bee, then make sure to repeat several of these poses at least three times each week to start seeing results.
- Cat-Cow Pose
On your yoga mat, begin in a table position on all fours. Make sure your wrists are directly underneath your shoulders.
With the next inhale, drop your belly while simultaneously lifting your head and your hips.
You want to lift your chest and your face as you look up, pulling your shoulders away from the ears. This is a Cow Pose.
With your next exhale, round your back towards the ceiling. Push into your hands and knees as you drop your head down.
No need to push the head to your chest, let your head position naturally. This is a Cat Pose.
Repeat this Cat-Cow Pose 5 to 10 times while following your own inhale and exhale.
- Cobra Pose
To do the Cobra Pose, lay flat on your stomach first.
Point your toes and position your palms beneath your shoulders or slightly outside the shoulders.
With your next inhale, gently lift your upper body by pushing your hands into the mat. Keep your gaze forward or slightly upward.
Roll your shoulders up and back in order to keep your back properly stretched. Stay in this position for about 30 seconds, then release.
- Downward-Facing Dog
To get into the Downward-Facing Dog position, come into the tabletop position on your yoga mat. This time, place your palms slightly outward, and your fingers slightly spread.
With the next exhale, lift your knees from the ground up. Your body should now form a position of an inverted V.
Let your head fall in-between your arms without pushing it towards your chest. You can lift or lower your heels in this position, depending on your flexibility.
Repeat this pose 5-10 times.
- Forward Bend
This is by far the simplest pose you can do anywhere in order to stretch your lower, middle, and upper back simultaneously.
To do a Standing Forward Bend, begin by standing on your mat. Then, bend your knees slightly and bend your torso forward.
If you can, lay your palms on the mat, but if that’s not possible, simply hold your legs where it feels comfortable. It’s important to extend your torso in this pose without rounding your back.
You can stay in a Forward Bend for about one minute.
- Child’s Pose
To do the Child’s Pose, come to your knees and hands on the mat again.
Then, spread your knees as wide as your mat or just wider than your hips. Touch the big toes together while doing so.
With your next exhale, lean backward to sit on your legs with your stomach touching the upper parts of your thighs. Drop your head onto the mat and find a comfortable position to rest your forehead on the mat.
You can stretch out your arms in the front or let them drop alongside your body, with palms facing towards the ceiling.
Stay in the Child’s Pose from 30 seconds to a couple of minutes.
- (Supported) Fish Pose
There are several variations to this pose, and the one you’ll choose will depend on your own flexibility levels.
To do the regular Fish Pose, begin laying flat on your back, Next, place your palms beneath your buttocks.
With the next inhale, lift your upper body from the ground, resting on your elbows. Turn your faze upwards and let your head place itself naturally.
Don’t force your head to fall back. Keep this position for as long as it’s comfortable.
If it’s too hard for you, you can rest your head and upper back on a pillow in this position.
- Seated Spinal Twist
Begin by sitting on your yoga mat in an L-position.
Then, fold your right leg and place it across the left knee. With your next inhale, turn your torso to the right, with the help of a left hand’s elbow pushing onto the right thigh.
Hold this position for a couple of breaths and then repeat the same position on the left side.
Certain variations of this pose include bending both legs and turning your torso both right & left in one position.
What Causes Bad Posture?
Now that you have your answer to the – Does yoga make you taller – question, you know the important role of the posture itself.
With a healthy posture and a positive attitude, you can appear not only appear taller but also genuinely more confident and happier.
In order to reap the full benefits of yoga in improving your posture, it’s best to avoid other factors causing bad posture.
To avoid them, you have to make yourself aware of them first.
Some of the most common causes of bad posture are:
- A sedentary lifestyle – Sitting too much or slouching while sitting has an obvious effect on our backs and often results in bad postures over time.
- Weak muscles – Your back muscles need to be strong enough to properly support your spine.
- Use of technology – Oftentimes, we have our gaze down and bring our shoulders inward while using technology, which results in bad posture.
- Stress & Anxiety – Stress and/or anxiety can cause you to tense your muscles and take more shallow breaths.
- Injury – Whiplash causes severe injury to the head and neck, causing back pain and bad posture over time.
- Improper footwear – Wearing improper footwear causes you to walk in an improper way which can lead to bad posture.
- Sleeping positions – Certain sleeping positions can also affect your posture in a bad way. [6]
- Carrying a heavy bag – A habit of carrying a heavy bag on only one shoulder can greatly affect your posture.
Related: Disadvantages of Yoga
The Takeaway
So – does yoga make you taller or not? In this article, we’ve explained all of the advantages of yoga, as well as the limits of yoga practice.
Yoga can certainly help you appear taller by stretching your back, improving your circulation and also your flexibility. However, yoga can’t really extend your bones.
For the record, what’s more important than being taller is becoming the healthiest and happiest version of yourself. Yoga can definitely help you achieve a better mental state and improve your physical health.
With improved confidence and self-esteem, you’ll walk taller and appear taller anyways!