The age of 13 signifies a crucial stage in development, as most boys enter puberty, while girls are nearing the end of their pubertal journey. This period holds significance because both boys and girls experience a growth spurt that contributes to their final adult height. As parents, it is vital to provide the necessary support and guidance to help your child reach their height potential in the future.
During this pivotal time, it is important to take action and implement strategies that can optimize your child’s growth. Below, you will find valuable tips and insights on how to support your child during this transformative phase. These actionable steps can contribute to their overall growth and ensure they reach their maximum height potential. So, let’s delve into and explore the ways you can empower your child to achieve their optimal height growth.
Eat properly
When teens go through a growth spurt, their body needs more nutrients to enhance that growth. It is necessary to feed them with the right and sufficient nutrients every day. Here are five nutrients needed for maximizing height.
- Calcium is an important building block of your bones.
- Vitamin D3 increases calcium absorption.
- Vitamin C boosts collagen synthesis.
- Protein includes amino acids and builds up collagen.
- Amino acids enhance human growth hormone.
Below is a complete chart of the best height-optimizing foods you should add to the diet.
| Calcium | Vitamin D3 | Vitamin C | Protein | Amino acids |
| Milk | Sunlight | Papaya | Fish | Grass-fed meat |
| Cheese | Milk | Mango | Steak | Eggs |
| Yogurt | Orange juice | Brussels sprouts | Tuna | Nuts |
| Tofu | Eggs | Broccoli | Chicken breast | Coconut oil |
| Beans | Mushrooms | Strawberries | Tofu | Fava beans |
| Almonds | Salmon | Guava | Almonds | Raw chocolate |
| Leafy greens | Tuna | Kiwi | Pumpkin seeds | Pineapple |
| Seeds | Oysters | Kale | Quinoa | Goji berries |
| Salmon | Shrimps | Red pepper | Cottage cheese | Yogurt |
| Cereal | Cereal | Cauliflower | Yogurt | Watermelon |
Be active in exercise or sports daily
At this current age span, your children have a lot of time. So, encourage them to involve themselves in sport or any physical activity because this helps add many benefits, including building up bone density and muscle mass, enhancing growth hormone, and keeping a healthy weight.
Let your kid try one of these activities!
Swimming
Swimming is one of the best exercises to help you get taller because it helps stretch the muscles and tone them. Try to swim at least 30 minutes per day, and you might notice an improvement in your body height after 3 to 4 months.
Basketball
Playing basketball regularly can encourage the muscles to grow and stimulate growth hormone secretion.
Cycling
When cycling, it is necessary to change the height of your bike’s seat so that your legs can stretch as much as possible. Also, you can do this exercise at home by pedaling a stationary bike.
Skipping
This is an immense workout for your legs. While you jump, it helps extend and contract your leg muscles in order to increase your height. Jump for about 5 minutes every day and do a good quantity of resting to support not only height growth but also other health benefits.
Get good sleep
Children at 13 years old need to sleep between 9 to 11 hours every night. But not all of them get sufficient and good sleep because there are so many things that will distract them. And if they regularly skip sleep, it might affect their height in the long term.
So, you need to set a strict time when it is time to go to bed. Encourage your kids to sleep at the exact time daily. Remove any distractions and set up a suitable environment. Do not let them stay up late (after 11 p.m) because this is the time their body heals, repairs, and releases growth hormones, thereby aiding in the proper growth and development.
Have fun in the sun
There is no denying that sunlight is a great source of vitamin D. As we all know, this nutrient plays a vital role together with calcium in the growth and maintenance of bones and teeth. And when your skin is exposed to ultraviolet B rays from the sun, it will synthesize vitamin D.
It is suggested that about 5 to 30 minutes of sun exposure between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. at least 2 times per week to the face, back, arms, and legs without sunblock will give enough vitamin D.
Avoid consuming too many sugary foods
Eating sugar or refined carbs might not stunt your children’s growth by itself, but if they are consuming too many instead of nutritionally-rich foods, their sugar habit might affect their height. When their tummy is full of sugar, it has no space for the balanced mix of protein, fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and dairy products they need for proper growth.
Also, these foods might lower their HGH because an increase in insulin might disturb proper HGH production.
Maintain ideal body weight
Excess sugar intake is one of the main factors in weight gain and obesity, which badly affect HGH levels. The average weight for a 13-year-old girl is between 76 and 148 pounds, while the boy is between 75 and 145 pounds. So, if your kids tend to be overweight, you should help them maintain their ideal body weight by regular exercise and having a balanced diet.
Avoid consuming too much salt
Salt flavors food and acts as a food preservative. Our body needs a small amount of salt to contract and relax muscles, control nerve impulses, and preserve the suitable balance of minerals and water. However, too much salt in the diet might result in high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. It even increases calcium losses, some of which might be pulled from the bone, affecting height gain.
It is suggested that children at 13 years old should eat about 1 teaspoon of salt a day and avoid consuming more than 6 g of salt (about 1.5 teaspoons).
Dress smartly
- Try wearing vertical stripes instead of horizontal ones because the lines falling from head to toe might make a person look taller.
- Dress in similar colors to deliver an elongated look of the body without breaking it into parts.
- Opt for smaller prints, rather than huge block prints, to appear taller.
- Go for flare or full-length pants to highlight the curves of the body.
- Avoid wearing oversized outfits, or it makes you look overweight. Try to go for fitted clothes.
Deal with stress
Stress in small amounts might be a positive boost to help children rise to a challenge. But if it is too serious, intense, and long-lasting, it might affect their physical and mental health. Although it is hard to prevent them from feeling stressed, you can help them by giving extra support and stability when they experience stressful life events.
Take dietary supplements if necessary
If your children have a good diet, taking height-increasing pills or supplements might help them grow better. So, how to know which height-increasing pills actually work? Just be careful of the products that claim they can increase your height at all costs. So, why don’t you read the top 8 height growth pills and pick the one that is suitable for your needs most?
Generally speaking, you should take full advantage of the ways mentioned above to help your 13-year-old kids grow taller naturally and effectively. A well-balanced diet and a regular exercise regime are necessary for a healthy and stable lifestyle. In addition, they need to get enough sleep every night and avoid harmful substances to enjoy healthier growth
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