Swimming FAQs

Does Swimming Make You Taller?

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No. Swimming is typically thought to make you taller. Any stretching that occurs during swimming is only momentary and will not make a visible impact in your swimming pace.

Swimming is a low-impact activity that requires the use of the entire body. The muscles “grow,” or lengthen, when they extend out to oppose the water. Swimming removes gravity from the spine, enabling it to decompress and making the swimmer look taller. Though swimming might lengthen the body, there is no solid proof that doing so would add inches to your frame.

People may believe that the swimmers they see on TV have developed as a result of their sport, but there is no demonstrated link between the two. As previously said, tall swimmers appear on television because they have a height advantage in the water…they did not grow through all those years of swimming practice.

Does Swimming Make You Taller?

Swimming will not make you taller. Swimming removes the force of gravity from the spine, enabling it to decompress and the swimmer to seem taller. Swimming may temporarily lengthen the body, but there is little evidence that it will permanently enhance height.

As you can see, any height gained when swimming is merely transient and will not create a visible difference in your height or look.

It is also important to note that height variation throughout the day is completely normal, according to the Journal of Annals of Human Biology, and can vary by up to half an inch (1.5cm) depending on the time of day, which means that depending on the time of day you measure yourself, you may falsely believe that swimming helped to increase your height.

Swimming, however, cannot directly raise your height (particularly once your growth plates have closed and you stop growing at the age of 18), but it may contribute to a healthy lifestyle, which may help you fulfill your genetic growth potential. We’ll go through everything in great depth in a moment, so stay tuned.

Where did the notion that swimming might make you taller come from?

One probable explanation for this assumption is because most renowned and accomplished swimmers across the world are extremely tall. Take a look at Michael Phelps, for example. Michael Phelps stands 6 feet 3 inches tall and is the most well-known swimmer in the world, having won a total of 83 international medals (193 cm). Other world-renowned outstanding swimmers such as Matt Biondi, Tom Jager, Matt Grevers, and Nathan Adrian are noticeably taller than Mr. Phelps. As a result of spending so much time swimming, many people believe that swimmers are tall.

This assertion, however, is not totally correct. In fact, it is their dominant height that allows these swimmers to compete at an international level and achieve significant success on the world stage. Although devotion and hard effort appear to play a significant part in their success in the pool, the impact of physical advantage cannot be overlooked.

Another possible cause for the assumption that swimming might make you taller is the towering look of many age-group swimmers. Indeed, many age-group swimmers appear to outperform their colleagues. However, most of the young swimmers that attract a lot of attention and are heavily covered by the media are on the taller side. This leads some people to assume that their tall stature is due to swimming. Such an assumption is dubious, given that age-group swimmers may begin swimming during their development spurts and acquire a significant amount of height. It suggests that their significant development after starting to swim might be a completely natural process triggered by their hormones rather than swimming.

Which stroke is greatest for increasing height?

Front crawling

Front crawl (or freestyle) primarily works the chest, upper back, triceps, abs, and thighs. This stroke is the quickest and most economical for extended exercises, making it an excellent choice for weight control and calorie burning. Furthermore, your stretched body position causes you to work your muscles a lot, which is beneficial to muscular flexibility and joint mobility.

Backstroke

The backstroke exercise benefits your chest, upper back, shoulders, core, and legs. It is considered a wonderful companion since it accustoms the opposite muscle and helps your muscles develop equally on the front and back. Stroking the arms backward also causes the spine to relax, thereby extending the upper body.

Butterfly

This stroke targets your shoulders, arms, chest, back, core, and legs all at once. Because it is the most difficult and difficult, it needs greater strength and endurance. However, once you’ve mastered the technique, your height will skyrocket. This is due to the butterfly stroke allowing your arms to get the most out of the workout while your body becomes flexible and extended to its full height.

Breaststroke

Shoulders, chest, upper back, triceps, buttocks, and legs are all worked out in the breaststroke. If you want a quick yet difficult exercise, try this one. Among the swimming strokes indicated above, this one promotes height development the greatest since it lengthens the complete body. As a result, every muscle in the body participates in the action.

What are the additional advantages of swimming?

Consume calories

If you want to burn calories, swimming is an excellent option. You can burn varying quantities of calories depending on your weight. For example, if you weigh 160 pounds, swimming at a slow or moderate speed may burn 432 calories each hour. Swimming at a fast speed, on the other hand, can burn more than 715 calories.

Improve your breath control.

When swimming, breathe in through your mouth when your face is above water and out through your nose when your face is below water. Doing so on a regular basis improves your breathing, which benefits your life outside of the pool.

Help the cardiovascular system

When you swim, your lungs and heart get stronger. According to one research, children with asthma who swim on a daily basis enhance their lung function and heart health. Swimming also helps to lower the chance of mortality. According to statistics, swimmers have around half the chance of dying as sedentary people.

Reduce the possibility of injury.

Swimming is a low-impact exercise, therefore injuries are unlikely, unlike playing soccer or rugby. Swimming massages your entire body, helping you feel calm, balanced, and coordinated.

Reduced stress

Regular swimming helps your body lower adrenaline and the stress hormone cortisol. At the same time, it helps to increase feel-good endorphins. So, if you’re stressed out from school or job, go swimming right now.

Make you smarter

Swimming promotes the development of the cerebral cortex, which increases sensory integration and reaction speed in children. A research conducted in Australia discovered that children who swam on a daily basis learned languages and skills faster and better than a control group of non-swimmers.

Swimming

Conclusion

Swimming is an excellent kind of exercise since it engages virtually all of your muscles and body components. Furthermore, the likelihood of injury is relatively minimal. Despite the fact that there is no scientific evidence that swimming makes you taller, there are a few things you may do to appear taller:

  • Consume a nutritious, well-balanced diet.
  • It is suggested that you get 7-9 hours of sleep every night.
  • Every week, engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity.
  • Maintain a good posture.
  • Incorporate yoga into your practice to improve your height.