Can Stretching Make You Taller?

There’s nothing like a good stretch sesh. Afterwards, you stand up straighter, your shoulders are more open, and you generally feel great. Stretching can certainly make you feel taller. Can doing it regularly actually add inches to your height? It’s a question that may be on your mind, so we asked experts to weigh in on whether or not stretching can make you taller.

Here, experts explain the connection between stretching and height. Plus, they share seven stretches you can do at home that can help you appear taller—even if you aren’t technically reaching new heights.

Can Stretching Make You Taller?

Let’s get straight to it. Can stretching make you taller or is it a tall tale? “Stretching cannot make you taller, meaning it doesn’t have the ability to increase the actual height of your bones,” says Devin Trachman, an orthopedic physical therapist with Physical Therapy Central in Oklahoma.

Trachman explains that height is primarily determined by genetics, nutrition, and overall health. Here’s what she says stretching can do: “Stretching can help increase your flexibility, your posture, and your overall physical well-being, making you appear taller,” she says. 

Peloton instructor Hannah Corbin, also says that while stretching can’t technically grow your bones, it can make you look taller. “I always refer to stretching as, ‘recovering lost length.’ While your height is determined by your bone structure, you can, in fact, ‘recover lost length’ through stretching by releasing tight muscles and correcting posture,” she says. 

How Stretching Can Help Improve Your Posture

“Tight muscles love to pull our bodies out of alignment. When we stretch and foam roll, we can release that tightness and allow our bones and joints to stack, rotate, and move the way they were intended to,” Hannah explains.

Trachman adds to this, explaining that regular stretching lengthens muscles while also strengthening muscles that support posture alignment. “When muscles are weak or tight, that’s when you tend to see people with rounded shoulders,” she says. Stretching, she explains, helps lengthen and relax tight muscles, which makes it easier to be more upright. This is what can lead to appearing taller.

When it comes to what type of stretches in particular help with posture and help you look taller, Hannah recommends targeting the front of the hip/psoas, upper trapezius, and upper back. It can also be helpful to think about exercise or lifestyle habits that may be making certain muscles tight and target those areas when stretching. 

“For instance, cycling and running can make the muscles around your hips tight. The psoas (which is one of the many things responsible for bringing the knee toward the chest) when tight, can pull the pelvis and because of that, the torso forward, making one 'shorter' until they are released and the pull is gone,” Hannah explains.

7 Stretches and Exercises to Help You Improve Your Posture

If you do yoga or Pilates regularly, Trachman says that you are already doing exercises that integrate stretches and poses that can help with posture and make you appear taller. These forms of exercise naturally help lengthen muscles and relieve tightness. 

“Aside from stretching, foam rolling, and mobility classes, Pilates and Strength workouts can help you to stabilize and strengthen the muscles needed to maintain your alignment,” says Hannah. But if you prefer other forms of fitness (like cycling, running, rowing, or weight lifting) or you are primarily sedentary, you can benefit from doing some stretches and exercises at home that can help support posture. Below are some great ones to try. 

1. Front of Hip/Psoas Stretch

1. Start on all fours, with your hands and knees on the floor.

2. Extend your left leg straight back and up toward the ceiling. Hold for two seconds, then bring it forward, bending your knee toward your chest. 

3. Do five to 10 reps and then switch sides, extending the right leg back.

2. Upper Trapezius Stretch

Stretches that target the chest and shoulders are huge for improving posture; it makes an immediate difference. This stretch targets the upper trapezius, located in the upper back and shoulders.

1. Start by sitting or standing up straight.

2. Bend your neck to one side, bringing your ear toward your shoulder.

3. Gently use your hand to very slightly pull your head toward your shoulder. 

4. Hold for between 10 and 30 seconds. 

5. Come back to the starting position and repeat on the other side.

3. Upper Back Foam Rolling

A foam roller is a great tool for helping to loosen up muscles. Especially if you spend the majority of the day sitting, which can lead to hunching forward, this is a great move to do regularly and a way to show your upper back some love.

1. Sit on the ground and place the foam roller perpendicular to your spine a few inches below your shoulder blades. Tuck your pelvis under to feel your sacrum on the floor.

2. Cross your arms over your chest. Inhale, and as you exhale gently extend your spine over the foam roller arching only your mid/upper back while keeping your sacrum in contact with the floor. 

3. Stay here and inhale again. Exhale as you try to go a little further.

4. For a deeper stretch, place your hands behind your head.

4. Cobra Pose

Trachman loves Cobra Pose for improving posture because it opens up the chest and shoulders, which undoes some of the damage sitting all day hunched over at a desk can cause. 

1. Lie on your stomach and place your hands under your shoulders.

2. Take a deep inhale, squeeze the shoulder blades together, and press your chest up as you breathe in. Keep your legs firm and feet pressed onto the mat.

3. Hold for three to five breaths before gently coming out of the pose.

5. Downward-Facing Dog

Like cobra pose, Downward-Facing Dog is another traditional yoga pose that Trachman says is great for posture because it helps realign the vertebrae while stretching the hamstrings and back.

1. Start on all fours, with your hands and feet on the ground. Both your hands and feet should be about shoulder-width apart.

2. Extend your legs and lift your hips. Your body should be in an inverted V-shape.

3. Press into your fingertips and straighten your legs as much as you can while staying in the inverted V-shape. Hold for three to five breaths before gently coming out of the pose.

6. Wall Angel 

This stretch, which Trachman recommends for improving posture, helps loosen up the upper back. Afterwards, you’ll feel an immediate difference, being able to push your shoulders back and open your chest easier, which will instantly make you look taller.

1. Stand in front of a wall with your feet a little closer than shoulder-width distance apart.

2. Rest your upper body and buttocks against the wall. Your knees should be slightly bent.

3. With your arms against the wall, bend your elbows to 90 degrees, “goal-post position.” 

4. Straighten your arms up over your head. Then, bring them back to the starting position. Do five to 10 reps.

7. Forward Fold

Like Cobra Pose and Downward-Facing Dog, Forward Fold is another pose you’ve likely done in a yoga class. Trachman recommends this stretch for improving posture because it opens up the back of the body, stretching the neck, back, and legs.

1. Stand up straight with your feet slightly apart. 

2. Inhale and lift your arms over your head.

3. As you exhale, bend at your waist and stretch your arms toward the floor. Keep your back flat. Hold for five to 10 breaths. 

General Stretching Benefits 

The benefits of stretching go beyond helping to improve posture and make you appear taller. Both experts say that everyone can benefit from spending a few minutes stretching every day. Below are four more benefits of stretching regularly.

1. Alleviate Stress and Tension

“Stretching is a wonderful way to alleviate stuck stress and tension and can even improve your mood. Old postures bring back old habits that sometimes no longer serve us,” Hannah says. For example, you may notice that when you’re feeling stressed, your back tenses up and your shoulders creep toward your ears—something many people do without even realizing it. Doing stretches that target these areas can relieve the tension and help you feel more relaxed.

2. Better Athletic Performance

Stretching regularly can help increase your output and make you a better athlete. As Trachman explained, stretching helps improve flexibility. Greater flexibility means better mobility. When the body is able to move with ease, it puts less stress on muscles and joints, which can make working out easier. 

3. Improved Mental Health

“Stretching allows you to just take a beat and be present, which helps with overall stress reduction,” Trachman says. Scientific research backs this up, showing a connection between stretching and feeling more relaxed. 

4. Joint Health

Stretching doesn’t just elongate muscles; Trachman says it also helps increase joints’ range of motion, which helps protect against stiffness and age-related deterioration. In fact, stretching may help people with knee arthritis experience less pain.

The Takeaway

The truth is, stretching isn’t going to make you taller; it can’t lengthen your bones. But stretching regularly can make you appear taller by lengthening your muscles and improving your posture. Additionally, stretching regularly helps protect your joints, help you take your workouts to the next level, and serve as a way to relax and improve your mood. Those are things everyone can benefit from—no matter how tall you are! 

This content is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute individualized advice. It is not intended to replace professional medical evaluation, diagnosis, or treatment. Seek the advice of your physician for questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition. If you are having a medical emergency, call your physician or 911 immediately.