Fact or Fiction That You Lose Height as You Age?
Definitely, adults typically shrink with advancing age.
From age 40 onward, individuals commonly shed about a centimeter each decade. Men experience height loss each year between 0.08% and 0.1%. Women often experience between 0.12% and 0.14% yearly.
Factors Contributing to Height Loss
Part of this decrease is caused by increasingly slumped posture over time. People who maintain a stooped stance over long durations – maybe at their workstation – may discover their spine gradually adapts that curved alignment.
All people shed some height throughout each day when gravitational force squeezes water from intervertebral discs.
Physical Changes Explaining Shrinking
Our height transformation happens on a cellular scale.
From 30 to 35 years old, height stabilizes as bone and muscle mass begin to diminish. The vertebral discs between our vertebrae lose hydration and gradually compress.
The honeycomb structure in vertebrae, pelvis and lower limbs becomes less dense. When this happens, the structure compact marginally becoming shorter.
Decreased muscle further impacts our height: bones maintain their form and size via muscle force.
Is It Possible to Stop Height Loss?
Even though this transformation can't be prevented, it can be slowed.
Eating foods rich in calcium and vitamin D, performing routine strength-building activities and reducing nicotine and alcohol beginning in youth could slow how quickly bone and muscle diminish.
Keeping correct spinal position also provides protection of height reduction.
Is Shrinking Stature Concerning?
Losing some height isn't necessarily harmful.
But, considerable deterioration of structural tissues as we grow older associates with chronic health conditions including cardiovascular issues, bone density loss, arthritic conditions, and movement difficulties.
Thus, it's worthwhile to implement protective strategies to support structural tissue wellness.
