Does jumping on New Year's eve make children tall?
Every New Year’s eve, parents encourage children to jump and down, as high as they can, with the belief that the higher they jump, the taller they’ll grow. But the big question is, is it true?
Of course, it’s a tall tale! Height, according to experts, is genetics. However, they are other factors that can beat genetics and can make your children grow a little taller than you. And, it is important that you should guide them before the end of their puberty, where most children reach their maximum height.
Give them proper nutrition
Giving kids healthy food and a balanced diet is not new advice. That’s why we already know that we should give and teach them to eat vegetables, fruits, plant-based proteins and dairy more than sweets and processed food. But, did you know the egg a day study? In 2015 there was a study made in Ecuador which shows that children, ages six to nine months, who were on the egg diet for six months experienced “reduced prevalence of stunting by 47 percent.”
Make sure they get the right amount of sleep
Children’s bodies release human growth hormones (HGH) when they sleep and getting extra may increase its production, so encourage them to take an afternoon nap. Here are the recommended hours of sleep: newborns are 14-17 hours but at least 12-17 hours for infants, toddlers is 11-14 hours, preschoolers should get 10-13 hours, school-aged must have nine to 11 hours, and teens should sleep eight to ten hours.
Let them stay active
Regular exercise promotes HGH. It strengthens bones and muscles, and helps your kids maintain a healthy weight too. So keep them away from their gadgets and let them play outside. Or, make them try exercises that can elongate the body such as hanging on bars, skipping using ropes, stretching and yoga poses. Yes, they can do yoga starting at eight years old. And it's better to exercise outside to get Vitamin D, which is the most important vitamin to have strong and healthy bones.
And since jumping is a form of exercise, which can help stretch bones and muscles a few inches, let your kids do it regularly and not only during the stroke of midnight on New Year’s eve.