Got Shrink-O-Phobia?
Ok, we made that word up. But people tend to get shorter when they age. Is that because of slouching? Does bad posture make you shorter?
In this post, we clear up the short- and long-term consequences of a hunchback posture on height.
Table of Contents
What is Bad Posture? – Chronic Slouching
When talking about bad posture, we commonly refer to a rounded spine.
Although your spine is meant to move in every direction and rounding the spine is totally healthy, constantly being in that position can cause problems.
Chronic slouching, often referred to as hunchback posture is very common nowadays because of our mostly sedentary lifestyle.
Immediate Effect of Poor Posture on Height
How slouching over immediately makes you appear smaller is pretty straight forward.
Having a “good posture” makes you appear tall since you are upright and your spine, while maintaining its natural S-curve, is relatively straight.
A hunchback posture, on the other hand, means that your spine is very curved. As a result, the upper body leans forward, the shoulders are rounded, and the head position is pointed forward.
If you were asked to make yourself small, you would probably instinctively curl into a ball. A slouched posture is essentially the same.
Of course this doesn’t actually make you shrink instantly. But it makes you look smaller than you really are and it can also make you appear less confident.
Long-Term Effect of Chronic Slouching on Height
While bad posture makes you only appear shorter in the beginning, chronic slouching over many years and decades can make the effect on height harder to reverse.
Over a lifetime, people slowly become slightly shorter in their adult life. This is due to lower bone density, cartilage compression, disc degeneration, but also because of a permanent change in posture.
If you see an elderly person from behind, you can probably not only recognize their age by their grey hair and beige jacket but also by their posture. They oftentimes suffer from kyphosis (hunchback posture).
Initially, adopting a rounded posture might be purely habitual. Over time, though, this can cause muscular weaknesses and imbalances.
As a consequence, maintaining a healthy posture becomes harder and harder which reinforces the bad habit, creating essentially a loop.
At a certain point, slouching becomes the default posture and the degree of slouching becomes bigger.
Eventually, standing upright with a neutral spine can become nearly impossible.
The individual has become shorter over time. With the loop still going, the person keeps shrinking.
Apart from that, a rounded spine is less able to distribute forces and take larger loads. People with chronic slouching continue to expose their spine to pressure in suboptimal positions.
This increases wear and tear, especially of the intervertebral discs. Although the effect is likely very small, it could add to the height decrease over the years.
How to Get a Taller Posture
If you want to minimize the age-related shrinking, your best move will be to work on your posture.
If you constantly catch yourself being hunched over and have difficulties to maintain a good posture with a neutral spine, there are ways you can work on that.
The most effective way you can get a taller posture is by doing exercise to strengthen muscles that are weak and mobilize areas that are tight.
It is important to be mindful of your posture throughout the day, especially when lifting heavy objects, to overcome the habit of slouching.
Conclusion
The negative effect of chronic slouching on height can increase the extend to which an individual shrinks through the aging process.
While rounding your spine is totally normal and healthy, making it your default position should be avoided.
The best strategy to maintain height in old age and prevent shrinking due to poor posture is to cultivate better posture habits and engage in regular exercise.
