Is it True That Your Height Decreases as You Age?
Undoubtedly, individuals often lose height over the years.
From age 40 onward, individuals commonly shed roughly 1 cm of height per decade. Men experience an annual height reduction of 0.08-0.1%. Females generally shed 0.12-0.14% annually.
What Causes Height Loss
Some of this reduction stems from increasingly slumped posture with aging. Individuals who adopt a curved spinal position throughout the day – perhaps while working – could find their back slowly conforms that hunched shape.
Everyone loses some height from start to end of day as gravity compresses fluid from spinal discs.
The Biological Process Behind Height Reduction
The change in our stature occurs at a microscopic level.
From 30 to 35 years old, stature plateaus as bone and muscle mass gradually reduce. The cushioning discs within our backbone shed water and gradually compress.
The lattice-like center of spinal, pelvic and leg bones reduces in thickness. When this happens, the bone compresses marginally reducing length.
Reduced muscular tissue also influences vertical measurement: bones maintain their form and size by muscular pressure.
Ways to Slow Height Loss?
Even though this transformation can't be prevented, the rate can be reduced.
Eating foods containing adequate calcium and vitamin D, performing routine strength-building activities while limiting smoking and drinking from younger adulthood can decrease how quickly bone and muscle diminish.
Practicing good alignment also provides protection of height reduction.
Is Shrinking Stature Concerning?
Experiencing minor reduction may not be problematic.
But, considerable deterioration of structural tissues as we grow older links to long-term medical issues like cardiovascular issues, osteoporosis, arthritic conditions, and physical limitations.
Therefore, it's valuable to adopt safeguarding habits to support skeletal and muscular integrity.