Yes, You are above average when it comes to height especially when comparing to most of your peers your age. As the average height of children, The average height of a person this age is 5’2 to 5’7 feet (158cm to 174cm)/ (62.4 to 68.4 inches), both for a boy or a girl. But whether height is considered short or tall also does heavily depend on the geographical are.

But there is nothing wrong with being this height your age in fact it comes with its share of benefits. And if in case you feel the odd one out, you don’t need to worry as you probably just got your growth spurt a bit earlier than your class-fellows and soon some of them would be catching up to you. Moreover, you are probably still going to grow a few inches. All you need to do for to promote further growth is to keep eating healthily and try to have an active lifestyle, and you will probably get yourself a few more inches of height. Exercises like the following can be really helpful

• Swimming
• Basketball
• Badminton
• Cycling
• Rock Climbing
• You can try doing stretches
• Hanging
• Skipping

A Video of some of the sports that you can play to aid height growth

The Science Behind Height

Let’s start off by looking into the science behind it. To put it simply, height depends 30% to 40% on your daily activities, nutrition and how you promote it and the rest 60 to 70% is on genetics.

And eating nutrtious things like Ashwagandha is a try to better utilize those 30 to 40% as there is nothing you can do about the genetics part, but don’t worry these 30 to 40% change can be quite enough when it comes to stimulating height growth by yourself.

Starting off with the science behind it, The Pituitary gland is what basically releases height growing hormones. The hormones then travel through the blood, goes on to stimulate the liver to produce another chemical. This chemical further causes, the muscles and cartilages to multiply all over the body. By the end of bones are the growth plates which are basically soft disks made of cartilage and it is here that the chemical released from the liver also known as growth factor 1 makes the cartilage cells to multiply and grow. These new cells push the old cells near the center, which eventually leads to the elongation of bones and hence an increase in your height. So things like eating a tonne of protein, having an active lifestyle, indulging yourself in activities like swimming or playing basketball, hanging exercises gives your muscle and the bones the right conditions to grow as much as they optimally can.A Video Listing A Few Sports That Can Help You Increase Height

Moreover, the exercises that you might be often told to do to increase your height can have another beneficial effect as well and that is bettering your “posture”, as there are quite a few people out there who end up not using their potential true height just because of bad posture. This is more effective then most people think in fact this can lead to an increase of up to 2 to 3 inches in height. So to sum it all up, the best things you can do to make sure that you end up getting to your optimal height is doing exercises/playing sports like swimming, basketball, hanging exercises (optimally 20 sets of hanging for 30 seconds when you are starting), and a good diet is also quite necessary (include things like almonds, yogurt, milk, Quinoa, eggs and as much protein rich food as possible like peanuts, chicken, fish) and things like Ashwagandha. And last but not least, remember that consistency is key and you will have to be patient, when it comes to your height.

Some Things You Can Do To Look Taller

• Stick to a Monochrome Palette: This basically means that don’t wear clothes with different colours but rather wear clothes of the same shade. This helps streamline the overall look. As wearing different color segments your body into parts and puts the inconsistencies on notice. Moreover, it is suggested that you wear the darker shade on the lower half of your body and the lighter shade on the upper, or the same color also goes if its one-piece
• Avoiding Low Waisted And Baggy Trousers: The optimal point to wear your trousers is at your natural waistline as this would maximise your leg line and put their length subconsciously on focus. And as you might know that longer legs in themselves prompt the perception of looking taller. Another thing that you can do is using a slimmer cut trouser with a smaller trouser rise as this would also put make your legs look long
• Wearing Fit Clothes: Well, many of the points that we have already mentioned pertain to this tip and that wearing fit clothes not only makes you look smart but also makes the overall length of your body stand out. That was exactly the reason that we said that having a tailor can be helpful as he/she would be making clothes customized to your size and shape
• Keeping The Leg Of Pants At Your Ankles: This basically means that you shouldn’t have saggy legs of your pants as they will make your lower body look smaller and rather have them a bit cuffed near the end of the pants, and if they aren’t already cuffed you can also cuff them yourself
• Slim Sleeves: Slim Sleeve can make your arms look distinct and make your overall frame look a bit tall. So, you can try a suit that is tighter right around the sleeves to pull this off correctly
• Shorter Jackets: Wearing short jackets pulls off an impression of your torso being shorter than your legs and your legs ultimately being long which gives off an impression of increased height. So you can try using jackets that fall above your hipbone. So for instance, if you are looking into wearing a sports outwear, look for one that has a smaller jacket
• Matching Your Socks And Pants: This can especially be helfpu if you are wearing socks that are visible, but the contrast shouldn’t be that sharp, its better if they are the different shades of the same colour. This will stretch out your body and make you look taller, So using blue socks for a blue suit is preferable

Exercises That Can Help With Increasing Height!

Spot Jump

Spot Jumping is hands down one of the best exercises that can promote height growth. it is a very basic exercise that you can literally do anywhere and anyplace. You start off in a squatting position as shown in the picture above, and then jump as high as you possibly can. This strains your back as well as stretches your spine, the exercise is believed to help extend your leg bones and is overall quite an exhaustive exercise. We suggest you do 3 sets of 12 Reps when you get started

 Broad Jumps

Broad jumping is a very exhaustive exercise that can help put an immense amount of pressure on your legs but along with it this exercises strains the spine and the back muscles and stretches it quite optimally for height increase for children, you start off by standing straight on any surface and then get into a squat position, and then you push yourself up and forward to jump forward whilst keeping both of your feet together during the jump and then land softly by bending your knees and going to the squatting position again. This exercise is then completed a few times to form a set

Scissor Jumps

Another quite exhaustive exercise that puts quite a lot of pressure on your spine, this is basically like doing lunges with a twist of jumping and while staying still at one place. You start off by getting into a normal lunge position, squat down, and jump high switching legs mid-air and then try to land softly with the other leg forward, you do this for 10 to 12 reps and optimally do at least 3 sets of this exercise. To better understand the movement see the video down below where the motion has been explained

Hopping With One Leg

This is one of the simplest exercises to do and quite self-explanatory in its own part. You can do this exercise literally anywhere whilst doing anything else you like streaming in on your favorite TV series or watching Youtube. All you need to do for this exercise as is clear by the picture is that you jump on your right leg while stretching your right arm up in the sky and then jump with your left leg whilst stretching your left arm as high as possible in the sky

Skipping Rope

Rope skipping is a very simple and enjoyable exercise that most of you might already be familiar with. Skipping ropes this way can also be quite helpful due to the constant strain on the lower back an the rapid extension again and again while the movement of the hands also puts strain on the shoulders. It is all in all a very healthy exercise that can surely be helpful for increasing height for children

High Knee Jumping

Puts an immense level of pressure on the lower back, hips and legs, and hence can be helpful in getting the right amount of strain on the spine, you start off by standing still with your feet together and then you push one of your legs up to your tummy height and above while jumping and when that leg goes down, you simultaneously push the other leg up to the navel level and above, you do this for a certain reps ( preferably 20 reps and above ) to complete a set

Side To Side Jump

A very easy exercise that you can go on to do literally anywhere you want, it helps push strain on your lower back and spine like most of the exercises in this list and can be help in in increasing height, all you need to do for this exercise is squat down where you are and then jump to either your right or left with your feet together and then squat down from that new position and jump the same way back to your original position. Do this a few times together to from a set

Skater Jumps

Another side jump to jump exercise that is helpful for the strengthening of back muscles, all you need to do for this is start off by going into the squat position with your feet next to each other and most of your weight being on either of your legs you push the other leg up while jumping in the opposite direction to land on the other leg, and repeat this a few times to form a set. Down below is a video attached to better elaborate the movement

Other Benefits Of The Above Mentioned Exercises!

• Better mental health, many believe that it works like meditation
• Great for your heart’s health
• increase your overall energy level throughout the day
• Helps in weightloss if that is one of your targets
• Help you feel better
• Helps with Your back and knee problems
• Improves your overall immunity
•  Improves cognitive function
• Improves the digestion of Glucose and hence lowers the risk of diabetes and per-biates
• Helps lower your blood pressure
• Actually strengthens your joints
• It is a great leg and abs workout, and can get your legs and abbs along with the rest of your body in utmost shape
• Burns a lot of fat
• Can increase life expectancy

Fun Facts About Height!

Being Tall And Leaders

Another thing that makes tall people attractive is that throughout the history, most of the leaders that we have had were tall people as they usually had an upper hand when it came to strength and so were often chose as the leaders.

This is something that even now is quite often seen as taller people are more likely to be listened to, as there is an element of physical dominance, even if they aren’t strong. Another interesting fact to note here is that 60% of American presidents were taller than 5’10, the current national average for men.

One other factor that is often considered is that people with more height often have better social skills, which might have come from being comfortble in themselves.

It has been concluded by many studies that women consider the factor of height more seriously than men, who don’t seem to mind much height.

A recent study found that 13.5 percent of men prefer to date only women shorter than them. But when it comes to women, about half (48.9 percent) preferred to date only men taller than them. Another study that was recently published found that on average 5 feet 9 inches tall.

And the shortest woman a man would like to date is around 5 feet 1 inch tall. Researchers also found in the same study that around 23% of men and 4% of women would accept a relationship where the woman was taller.

A Related Study On The Topic

Another interesting study in which researchers asked a group of people to imagine a woman who was either “short” (4 feet 10 inches), “average” (5 feet 4 inches), or “tall” (5 feet 10 inches). The participants of this experiment had to choose the characteristics of these proposed women. 

Participants ultimately concluded in the average weighted and tall heighted women as more attractive then the short heighted women. And there was utterly no difference between the characteristics of average weighted and tall women. The same was done for men with “short” being (5 feet 4 inches), “average” (5 feet 10 inches) and “tall” (6 feet 4 inches), and the tall heighted and average weighted were the ones preferred but there wasn’t a difference between these two classes’ characteristics

People’s Words On The Subject Matter (Height)

“I just never went for taller girls. Always got nervous. So I wouldn’t know [if tall girls would date me]. I was always upfront to women on dating apps before I went out. Some would stop responding. It is what it is.” – Mark, 5’3”

“I’ve honestly never really thought about it much, which I guess is part of the privilege of my height being normatively attractive. I do find taller women sexy — I’m much more likely to date someone who’s 5’10” than someone who’s 5’2” — but if there was any kind of a genuine connection, I definitely wouldn’t let a few inches of height change my mind.” – Ian, 6’1”

“I dated one guy who was 5’5″. He would not shut up about it. We went on five or six dates. He didn’t kiss me until the last of our dates… then ghosted me. I also dated another guy who was like maybe 5’6″. He didn’t talk about it that much, but clearly needed reassurance. He was good in bed, but I felt like it was partly because he was obsessed with compensating.” – Sarah, 5’6″

“I’ve had guys literally tell me, ‘Oh, I thought you were taller. Sorry, it won’t work,’ the second we meet. My height is on my dating profile.” – Alex, 5’6”

“Making decisions about who you’re dating based on how you physically look next to each other is so dark, so wrong, so misguided. If you want to wear heels, and it will make you taller than your partner and that bothers you, that is a basic ‘you’ problem you need to deal with before you impose it on anybody else.” – Molly, 5’11”

“I love short men. As a short woman, they are so near me.” – Viola, 5’2”

“I think it’s more a failure to own your height, or a perceived insecurity about it that’s more of a turn off than the height itself. If a dude writes 5’4” on their profile, sure, whatever, I’m sure some women are superficial and might swipe away. But the dudes who say ‘5’4,” if that matters to you. Bitches, man,’ are going to strike out, 100 percent.” – Jen, 5’4”

“I’ve only dated taller guys because every time I approach a short dude, it seems like he has more of a problem with it than me. Once, I asked a guy to prom and he said no because he thought it would ‘look weird in photos.’ Like, broaden your mind, dude.” – Faith, 5’6”

Food That Aid Height Growth Especially In Children!

Milk

Milk is a highly nutritious drink and contains lots of protein, calcium, Vitamin A and Vitamin D along with some other really helpful nutrients.

• Calcium: Helps in strengthening bones and even teeth
• Protein: Serves as a great source of energy and helps build and repair muscles 
• Potassium: Helps in maintaining a healthy blood pressure
• Phosphorus: Another nutrient that helps in strengthening bones and makes you more energetic
• Helps strengthen bones and generate energy’
• Vitamin D: Very helpful for bones’ health
• Vitamin B12: Helps in maintaining healthy red blood cells and never tissues
• Vitamin A: Helps in strengthening the immune system and maintaining normal vision and skin
• Maintains the immune system; helps maintain normal vision and skin
• Riboflavin (B2): This is a nutrient the helps in healthy digestion of food
• Niacin: Helps in the digestion of sugars and fatty acids

We have all been told how important drink is and that we should drinking lots of it to grow and be stronger as children and the nutrition that it is packed with does stand by this claim being made, and hence should be one of the essential parts of a diet ( especially a child’s diet )

Moreover, even the public health policies recommend dairy consumption and have even started school lunch programs that include cow’ milk. And the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children should be having 2 to 3 servings of dairy products each and every day. But due to the high demand of milk in the overall market, many of the suppliers of milk have started using supplements as a way to produce as much milk as possible, and the debate of how good these supplements are is still on-going

SoyaBeans

Beans are quite high in protein, it contains every 9 aminoacids needed by the body. It is also very high in fiber which can be beneficial for digestion. it is also cholesterol-free and low in saturated fats. Very high in antioxidants. It is also a very good source of Omega 3 fatty acids. And last but not the least it is also high in phytoestrogens (which can be helpful for better heart health).

Chicken

Chicken along with being rich in protein also comes with Vitamin b12 and taurine which can all be very helpful when it comes to the growth of a child

• Chicken also helps in Building Muscles
• Chicken Strengthens Bones
• Chicken Promotes Heart Health
• Chicken Aids in Weight Loss
• Helps better the mood

Almonds

High in vitamin E and also have been shown to stop the creation of osteoclasts within the body which is a cell that breaks down bone tissues, so they are great too

• Almonds are packed with antioxidants
• Helps with digestion
• prevents harmful oxidation of LDL cholesterol

Composition

• Fiber: 3.5 grams
• Protein: 6 grams
• Fat: 14 grams (9 of which are monounsaturated)
• Vitamin E: 37% of the RDI
• Manganese: 32% of the RDI
• Magnesium: 20% of the RDI
• Contain Copper And Vitamin B 2

All of these nutrients can be very helpful when it comes to increasing height

Leafy greens

High in Vitamin K, which supports bone health, a recent study has also found that a regular intake of leafy greens could preserve bone mass

Yogurt

High in protein, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and even potassium. Which are all essential nutrients for the healthy growth of a child. Yogurt also contains probiotics that promote better digestive health and reduce the overall symptoms of some common gastrointestinal disorders, such as bloating, diarrhea, and constipation. Also helps in boosting the immune system

Sweet potatoes

High in Vitamin A which enhances the overall health of a bone. Moreover, they are also quite high in fiber and promote digestive health and overall digestion of other nutrients. A list of the nutrition provided in 200 grams of baked sweet potato with its skin

• Fat: 0.3 grams
• Fiber: 6.6 grams
• Vitamin A: 769% of the Daily Value (DV)
• Vitamin C: 65% of the DV
• Manganese: 50% of the DV
• Vitamin B6: 29% of the DV
• Potassium: 27% of the DV
• Pantothenic acid: 18% of the DV
• Copper: 16% of the DV
• Niacin: 15% of the DV
• Calories: 180
• Carbs: 41.4 grams
• Protein: 4 grams

Quinoa

High in Magnesium and protein which can help in increasing the bone mineral density

This is what 185 grams of Quina contains, and just a heads up, RDA stands for Recommended Dietery Allowance

• Manganese: 58% of the recommended daily allowance (RDA).
• Magnesium: 30% of the RDA.
• Phosphorus: 28% of the RDA.
• Folate: 19% of the RDA.
• Copper: 18% of the RDA.
• Iron: 15% of the RDA.
• Zinc: 13% of the RDA.
• Potassium 9% of the RDA.
• B1, B2, and B6.
• Amounts of calcium, B3 (niacin), and vitamin E.
• Protein: 8 grams.
• Fiber: 5 grams.

Eggs

High in protein and Vitamin D, and studies have shown that eating eggs regularly can promote height growth in children. To elaborate the nutrition an egg provides is listed down below

• Contains Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Vitamin D, Calcium, & Zinc

• Protein: 6 Grams
• Calories: 77 Grams
• Folate: 5% of the RDA
• Vitamin B5: 7% of the RDA
• Vitamin B12: 9% of the RDA
• Vitamin B2: 15% of the RDA
• Phosphorus: 9% of the RDA
• Vitamin A: 6% of the RDA
• Selenium: 22% of the RDA

Berries

High in Vitamin C, which promotes cell growth, supports tissue repair and even increases the production of collagen

• has alot of antioxidants
• Improves blood sugar level and helps in digestion as it also comes with a lot of fiber
• A hundred gram of blueberries include the following nutrients
  • Calories: 43
  • Vitamin C: 35% of the Reference Daily Intake (RDI)
  • Manganese: 32% of the RDI
  • Vitamin K1: 25% of the RDI
  • Copper: 8% of the RDI
  • Folate: 6% of the RDI

• Helps with inflammation
• Lowers cholesterol levels
• Food for skin
• Carbs And Fibre
  • Raspberries: 11.9 grams of carbs, 6.5 of which are fiber
  • Blackberries: 10.2 grams of carbs, 5.3 of which are fiber
  • Strawberries: 7.7 grams of carbs, 2.0 of which are fiber
  • Blueberries: 14.5 grams of carbs, 2.4 of which are fiber

Berries are high in vitamin C, which promotes cell growth, supports tissue repair, and increases collagen production as well.

Salmon

High in Omega-3 fatty acids that can not only help improve the sleep cycle but also aid bone growth

A 100g of salmon includes around:

• 232 calories
• 25g protein
• 14.6g fat
• 2.8g saturated fat

• Contains  vitamins A, D, E, and K
• Also, provide lubrication to joints, this is due to the fatty acid it consists
• Also helps better metabolic rate of a child’s body

Hopefully, this article was helpful in answering some of your height-related questions. Lastly, if you want an answer to whether beards make you look tall or not, we have a great article written on that too, here is a link if you want to give it a look “Do Beards Make You Look Taller?” .And if you want to go through some of the benefits of being small, thestar has a great article written on this, do give it a look if you re interested “10 advantages of being short“