I'm writing on this topic at the request of several parents, who wanted some guidelines for their kids. I’m sure this is a topic on almost every parent’s mind.
There are several factors that contribute to a child’s height.
One of the primary factors is the family genetics. Not much can be changed here.
However, another key factor that can contribute to or help maximize a child’s height, is physical activity, as it helps the body produce more growth hormone.
Can you believe that exercise can increase the levels of growth hormone production by as much as 300 to 400 per cent over baseline!
Growth hormone is a hormone produced by the pituitary gland that is situated in the brain. The physical activity that I mention here does not pertain only to organized sports.
In fact, the stress involved in performing well in the chosen sport may actually have a negative effect on the growth of the child. Instead, free play, with a group of friends would be more beneficial - Soccer in the park, a fun bike ride, walking with friends, jump rope, monkey bars are just a few examples.
Encouraging your child to go out to play more than once during the day is even more beneficial, as it induces growth hormone release each time. This pulsatile growth hormone increases have a more greater effect on growth than a single spike during the day.
We will talk about the other contributing factors in the next blog…