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Can this really make you taller?

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callmekiyra

Registered User
Since I'm about 1/3 of an inch too short of height requirements for SNA I did some researching. I read that hanging from a chin up bar every morning and evening plus some serious stretching would make me taller. I'm a little skeptical, can anyone in here verify this? Thanks in advance.
 
ben

ben

not missing sand
pilot
Super Moderator
Contributor
I definitely have no firsthand knowledge, but I would guess that the hanging would help decompress your spine. When you think about it, 1/3 of an inch really isn't all that much - so you might actually gain enough to make it. Also, if you quit doing the hang excercise you would probably compress your spine back to normal. Just my uneducated $.02.
 
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Fredster809

Registered User
I believe it can. My dad had a friend in the same situation back in the 70's. He hung from a chin up bar and passed the height test at the recruiters station. The bad news is the bumpy 3.5 hour train ride to the MEPS station made him too short again.
 
Thisguy

Thisguy

Pain-in-the-dick
I don't know about hanging from a chin-up bar, that sounds kind of nuts. However, if you're going to try anything, try yoga. I read an article a few years back about a female beach volleyball player who trained in the offseason with yoga and grew an inch. She went from 5'11" to 6'0". Take it for what it's worth.
 
DairyCreamer

DairyCreamer

Registered User
The soft disks of your spine are the greatest contributor to your natural variation in height throughout the day. As has been stated, hanging from a chin up bar will stretch you out some, and probably moreso than you naturally expand to just by being prone while asleep. Unfortunately, as soon as you get back on solid ground, gravity does its thing and begins to recompress your disks.

Your skeleton, of course, primarily defines your dimensions, and it's a little hard to stretch bones :icon_mi_1 That said though, serious stretching and stressing of ligaments and tendons can, possibly, cause them to grow, strengthen, and hence better support your body weight without sagging or compressing. This would at least slow down the daily shrinking, and cause your average height to increase marginally. I would suspect that this kind of thing would take a fair amount of time and effort to accomplish, with no guarantees. Anything is worth a try, but I don't know how much faith I'd put into it.

Good luck!

~Nate


callmekiyra said:
Since I'm about 1/3 of an inch too short of height requirements for SNA I did some researching. I read that hanging from a chin up bar every morning and evening plus some serious stretching would make me taller. I'm a little skeptical, can anyone in here verify this? Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
 
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callmekiyra

Registered User
Thanks for the replies.

I really want to fly so I'm game for pretty much anything (that's not crazy)that'll help me grow. I read that there's this procedure where a doctor breaks both your legs then puts these medieval looking stretching frames that will force your bones to grow atleast 3-6 inches. NO THANKS. Not that desperate. I'll stick to my chin up bar and yoga.

If all fails I'll try for NFO instead. :icon_mi_1
 
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navyfan

Registered User
I have a terrible back (baby boomers' disease), so I bought one of those "hang ups" inversion tables. Hanging upside down for a few minutes in the morning and at night may not have made me any taller--but I definitely stand straighter and feel taller. In the morning, I can extend fully as soon as I get on it--and at night, after sitting at a desk all day, it takes me 5 minutes to extend the same distance. So hanging might not make you "taller" permanently, but I bet you'll stand at least 1/3 of an inch higher when the time comes to get measured. Good luck.
 
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photonchick

Registered User
Have you visited a chiropractor? Maybe just having your spine re-aligned may be enough to add such a small amount to pass the requirements. It always helps me to stand straighter.
 
T

TechGuru

Registered User
Hey, I am currently 6'3" and I think the cut off for being a pilot is 6'4". I hope I dont gain any more height. But is height a big deal for becoming a pilot? I am just worried that I might gain an inch or so.
 
Thisguy

Thisguy

Pain-in-the-dick
TechGuru,

It's definitely a safety issue. Not only that, but if you're pushing the height limits, it'll narrow down the platforms you can fly.
 
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