If you are a teenager, there is nothing to worry about. Up until around the age of 30, you will continue to grow taller.
However, after that, most people start to gradually change. By the time you reach around 80 years old, you may be shorter by about 5-6 cm compared to your peak height.
Spine, Muscles, and Joints
Exactly which parts of the body undergo such significant changes? The secret lies in the components that help the body stand upright – namely, the spine. The spine is made up of 33 small bones called vertebrae. Between most vertebrae are intervertebral discs made of softer cells.
Inside these soft discs is a jelly-like substance primarily composed of water. It acts as a shock absorber when you walk, run, and jump.
As you age, these discs gradually lose water and become slightly flatter. However, with 23 intervertebral discs, they account for ¼ of the length of the spine. Each disc compressing slightly contributes to a decrease in your height.
Muscles in older adults also shrink and weaken, bones become thinner, and the spaces between bones in the joints decrease. These factors also contribute to changes in your height.
A study by the National Institute on Aging in the United States followed 2,084 individuals aged 17 to 94 over 35 years and found that these individuals began to lose height at around age 30, with the rate of decline varying by stage.
On average, men lose 3 cm and women lose 5 cm in height between the ages of 30 and 70. By age 80, men may lose 5 cm and women 8 cm. The primary cause is the degeneration and gradual fracturing of bones due to aging.
Significant Changes Can Indicate Problems
While a small change in height in older adults is normal, a significant change (more than 5 cm) may indicate a problem. This could be a sign of a condition that makes bones brittle, weak, and prone to fractures.
When muscles weaken, especially the muscles that support the spine, the spine may curve, leading to a hunchback appearance. This condition can also make you appear shorter. Extremely weak muscles can cause back pain and balance issues.
Some people may develop a hunch, like this man, making them look even shorter.
Bone is like a matrix linked together. The bone matrix primarily consists of collagen protein and minerals like hydroxyapatite.
When a person loses bone mass, the connecting structures, like bridges of bone, weaken, and even small additional loads on the bones can cause tiny cracks and break these weak bony bridges.
Bone damage of such small magnitude accumulates over time and can lead to osteoporosis, making bones thin, brittle, and weak.
Osteoporosis can cause larger bone injuries, often occurring in the spine, hips, and arms, and can also lead to a reduction in height. In 2021, researchers encountered a case where an individual lost up to 20 cm in height.
Height loss can also result from abnormal posture. A severely curved or bent spine can lead to permanent upper back curvature, thus reducing overall height.
Muscle also plays a crucial role in height reduction in older individuals. Muscle loss due to aging is associated with poor bone structure and can easily lead to bone loss. Weak core muscles can also decrease a person’s ability to stand upright.
So, what can you do to avoid losing height as you age? There are definitely ways. If you maintain a healthy diet, exercise regularly, and occasionally engage in outdoor activities, your bones and muscles will stay strong, and you won’t lose much height as you age.
Elderly individuals will lose height depending on their body. (Photo: Getty Images).
Your Height Changes Throughout the Day
Another thing you may not realize is that even when you are young, your height changes throughout the day. You are tallest when you first wake up in the morning, but can shrink by as much as 2.5 cm within three hours of getting out of bed.
This is because when you sleep, your body rests, allowing water to return to the nucleus pulposus of the intervertebral discs in the spine. But once you get out of bed, the pressure on these discs causes them to lose water, resulting in a slight decrease in your height.
Therefore, if you truly want to see your maximum height, measure it right after getting out of bed in the morning.
