Your full adult height, more than anything else, will be determined by genetics, however we understand that you might want to find how to grow taller anyway. If you have very tall parents and grandparents, chances are that you’ll be a very tall person, too. This has been understood since Mendel started tracing inherited characteristics in pea plants. You can, however, help yourself have a better chance of reaching a taller adult height by following these tips for how to grow taller.

How To Grow Taller Tips

1: Good Nutrition

There’s a very good reason that parents are always admonishing their children to eat their vegetables: good food makes you healthier. If you want to know how to grow taller, it starts with eating well. In order to grow, your body needs adequate nutrition. When it comes down to it, food is fuel. Without fuel, your body cannot support the growth process. Take a look at old clothing from ages past and you’ll notice that people were much smaller. The reason, in part, is because they had much poorer nutrition then we have today. Eating your broccoli is a big part of the most sensible advice about how to grow taller!

2: Rest

Your body grows while you sleep. The substance that makes you grow is called HGH—Human Growth Hormone—and it circulates through your body while you’re asleep. If you’ve ever wondered why teenagers can give bears a run for their money where hibernation is concerned, now you know. You don’t have to sleep 12 hours per day, however. You need to make sure that you do get a full night’s sleep to get the most benefit out of your growth spurts and doing so is directly related to the next tip about how to grow taller.

3: Stay Active!

Your body needs exercise to be healthy. Today, the Internet, video games, television and other activities are all competing for your time. To make it worse, video games give you the same types of thrills that you’d get from engaging in real life sports—your brain really doesn’t know the difference—which can make them very addictive. Make sure you get some activity in during the day. It doesn’t have to be running 10 miles or joining the football team if that’s not your thing. Go for a 30 minute walk, do some weight lifting or even just spend some time outside with friends doing whatever seems fun. Being fit and active is a big part of any credible advice about how to grow taller and the benefits will stay with you for life.

4: Posture

Oddly enough, some of the tips on how to grow taller skip this part. When you’re young and your body is developing, you’re very susceptible to the effects of bad posture. For example, sit with a crooked spine all the time and you’re seriously putting yourself at risk of giving yourself a problem later in life. That problem may be a slouched posture that will make you look shorter. Pay attention to how you sit and stand. As a tip: working out helps to increase your muscle tone, which naturally makes it easier for you to stand up straighter. Work those abs and legs and you’ll have better posture!

Final Advice On How To Grow Taller

If you want to know how to grow taller, all of the above advice will help. Remember, however, that it’s unlikely that you’re going to be 6 feet tall if you’re parents are both 5’3”. The advice given here will help you reach your full height, but remember that a lot of your growth will take place after you’re young. People keep growing into their 20s, so remember that your high school height is not your full height by any means, so don’t panic and keep researching how to grow taller!