Fact or Fiction That You Lose Height with Age?
Undoubtedly, individuals often lose height with advancing age.
From age 40 onward, humans generally lose about a centimeter of height per decade. Men undergo a yearly decrease in height between 0.08% and 0.1%. Women often experience 0.12-0.14% annually.
What Causes Shrinking Stature
Part of this decrease stems from progressively poor posture with aging. Those who develop a curved spinal position throughout the day – perhaps while working – could find their back slowly conforms that hunched shape.
All people shed some height between morning and evening when gravitational force squeezes water from intervertebral discs.
Physical Changes Behind Height Reduction
The change in our stature occurs at a microscopic level.
Between ages 30-35, growth ceases as our structural tissues gradually reduce. The vertebral discs separating our spinal bones shed water and start contracting.
The honeycomb structure in vertebrae, pelvis and lower limbs becomes less dense. When this happens, skeletal tissue condenses marginally reducing length.
Decreased muscle further impacts our height: skeletal structures preserve their form and size by muscular pressure.
Can We Prevent 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 weight-bearing exercise and avoiding tobacco and alcohol starting in early adulthood can decrease the decline of skeletal and muscular tissue.
Practicing good alignment also provides protection of height reduction.
Is Getting Shorter A Health Issue?
Experiencing minor reduction may not be problematic.
Yet, significant skeletal and muscular decline in later years connects to chronic health conditions including heart complications, bone density loss, joint inflammation, and physical limitations.
Thus, it's worthwhile to adopt safeguarding habits to maintain bone and muscle health.
