Does Working Out Early Stop Height Growth?

You must have heard or thought of at least one of these phrases when it comes to working out young: “Will it stop height growth?” or “Are there any injury risks?”

When I was a 10-year-old kid, I remember trying to get into any kind of sport that was available at my school. I was not good at any of it, yet getting to play would release my dopamine, and I would be the happiest child on the ground. I enjoyed the process. Fast forward to the present, one of the reasons I can maintain a healthy mind and body is because I have engaged in a lot of physical activity, putting in effort and determination without shedding any tears. So, with the lifestyle I have today, working out is not something I worry much about because it has become a part of my life, it's like brushing my teeth. It has become a habit.

 

Habituating exercise at a young age is crucial. With children spending time behind their laptops or mobile screens, commuting in vehicles, and eating food and snacks that are dense in calories/energy, most of them have an inactive lifestyle. They are not able to use the excess energy they consume hence gaining a lot of fat. Having a balanced diet and being involved in a sport of choice is the way to go.

 

Now, coming back to the question of the effect on height growth, the simple answer is -NO, it won't, it promotes height growth and well-being. Several research studies have shown that exercise with proper nutrition, rest, and hydration will help you with height growth. Also, genetics plays a huge role. On injury risks, if the workout or any sport is played in a well-monitored environment, then you have nothing to worry about. After all, we all grew up running, jumping, falling, and getting back up as if nothing happened. It is all part of the process of learning and growing up.

 

We have been guilty of prioritizing our health the least while growing up, now is the time to change that. 

 

Nutrition

 

We should focus on all food groups that consist of grains, meat, dairy, fruits, and vegetables. Include all the macros: carbohydrates, fat, protein, and fibers, which we get from vegetables, dairy, and meat products. A properly balanced diet should consist of all these. We are watchful when it comes to our children, yet, being restrictive with their diet may cause them to binge on their favorite food later which is not a good practice. So my recommendation to stay healthy is to have at least 2 servings of fruits and vegetables, protein in each of our meals. There is no specific food that will immediately do good to our body, nor any superfood and detox drinks that will immediately fix our health. As we get into the process, we learn that there is no shortcut to being better, it is a slow and steady process.

 

Supplements can be beneficial if some vitamins and minerals are deficient otherwise supplements are not necessary. Homemade food has enough supplements and with the energy the children exert, they will respond well to the diet and make quick recoveries.

 

Training

 

There are many research papers stating that doing exercises it helps the body to improve cognitive function which will get the children to have a sharper and more focused mind in studies and other things they do. My recommendation is to train for at least 3-6 days a week according to your recovery capacity and convenience. The training time should consist of 30 min-2 hrs. including rest time depending upon the style of training. There are a lot of options to choose from and I recommend starting with cardio-based training, which will make you stronger, make you healthier, and develop endurance as well. Weight training increases our bone density which results in a higher tolerance capacity of an impact than the people who don't train with weights, which in turn lowers the chances of getting injured. A good muscle mass supports our joint health which means stronger knees, ankles, and all moving body parts. And while talking about muscles, with cardio sessions, you are also training the most important muscle in the body, your heart.