The Reality That Your Height Decreases as You Age?
Undoubtedly, individuals often lose height with advancing age.
Once past 40, humans generally lose approximately one centimeter of height per decade. Men undergo a yearly decrease in height around 0.08% to 0.1%. Females generally shed between 0.12% and 0.14% yearly.
What Causes Shrinking Stature
Some of this reduction stems from increasingly slumped posture with aging. Individuals who adopt a curved spinal position over long durations – perhaps while working – could find their posture naturally assumes to that position.
All people shed in height from start to end of day as gravity compresses water from intervertebral discs.
Natural Mechanisms of Height Loss
The change in our stature occurs at a microscopic level.
From 30 to 35 years old, height stabilizes when skeletal and muscular tissue begin to diminish. The spinal cushions within our backbone shed water and begin shrinking.
The honeycomb structure throughout our skeletal framework loses density. When this happens, the structure compact slightly becoming shorter.
Diminished muscle mass additionally affects our height: bones maintain their structure and measurements by muscular pressure.
Ways to Slow Shrinking?
While this process isn't stoppable, it can be slowed.
Following nutrition containing adequate calcium and vitamin D, performing routine strength-building activities and avoiding nicotine and alcohol starting in early adulthood could slow the decline of skeletal and muscular tissue.
Maintaining proper posture offers additional safeguarding of height reduction.
Is Getting Shorter A Health Issue?
Becoming slightly shorter may not be problematic.
Yet, significant deterioration of structural tissues with aging links to long-term medical issues like heart-related conditions, brittle bones, joint inflammation, and physical limitations.
Thus, it's worthwhile to take preventive measures for preserving bone and muscle health.
