Active children can grow seven to eight centimeters taller
[attach]580168[/attach]
In spring, the body’s metabolism is vigorous, and the secretion of endocrine hormones, especially growth hormone, increases. In addition, the ultraviolet content in spring sunlight is the highest among all seasons, which is beneficial for the absorption of vitamin D and calcium. Therefore, spring is the "golden season" for children's growth.
Jiang Hong, director of the Pediatrics Department at the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, introduced that there is a formula for calculating a child’s height: boys' height = (father's height + mother's height + 13) / 2 (±5 cm); girls' height = (father's height + mother's height - 13) / 2 (±5 cm). Based on this formula, studies have shown that children who regularly participate in physical exercise are, on average, 7–8 cm taller than their peers who do not exercise. Therefore, it is recommended that children engage in outdoor activities for 1–2 hours every day.
Different ages require different types of exercise
[attach]580167[/attach]
For children of different ages, the strategies for growing taller through exercise can vary. For babies under one year old, parents can do baby exercises or gentle massages with them, as well as passive exercises. They can also let the babies play with pull-string toys or crawl after balls. For 1–2-year-olds, they can walk, run, jump, go up and down steps, throw balls, and toss sandbags. For 2–3-year-olds, suitable activities include running, jumping, climbing, going up and down stairs, as well as playing games like ball-jumping, standing long jump, catching and throwing balls, shadow-stepping, and standing on one leg. For children over 4 years old, exercise should be combined with games, such as dancing outdoors, playing “drop the handkerchief,” or “eagle catches chicks.”
School-aged children can engage in swimming, jogging, brisk walking, ice skating, cycling, and various ball sports. Such activities are best done 3–5 times per week, 20–30 minutes each time, for no more than 2 hours per day, and can be split into 2–3 sessions. Jumping rope, jumping rubber bands, frog jumps, and vertical jump touches are plyometric exercises that provide rhythmic pressure to the lower limbs, and adequate blood supply can accelerate bone growth. These jumping exercises are best done 1–3 times a day, 5–10 minutes each time. Pull-ups, rhythmic gymnastics, leg kicks, and leg stretches are flexibility-enhancing exercises. When combined with the first two types of activity, they should be done 3–5 times a week.