Does Sauna Make You Taller?

Are you curious if saunas can actually make you taller? While they won’t directly add inches to your height, saunas can help improve your posture and spinal health. 

The heat can relax your muscles, relieve pressure on your spine, and create a temporary appearance of added height. Keep reading to learn more about the benefits!

• Saunas can improve posture by relaxing muscles and promoting spinal decompression.
  
  

• Regular sauna use enhances circulation, benefiting overall health and bone health.
  
  

• Sauna therapy supports hormonal balance, which aids natural growth and body development.
  
  

• Heat from saunas helps relieve stress and improve sleep, which is essential for growth.
  
  

• While saunas won’t increase height permanently, they can create temporary height gains through better posture.

• Most of your height comes from your family genes: Your DNA has the biggest say in how tall you’ll grow. Around 60–80% of your height is passed down from your parents and other relatives.

• You don’t just get height from your parents: Even though your parents influence your height, grandparents and other family members can also play a part. That’s why height can vary within the same family.

• Height differences in a family are completely normal: Some family members might be tall while others are short, this is a normal part of how genes mix and show up differently in each person.

• Many different genes decide how tall you grow: Over 700 gene variations have been found to affect height. Some help your bones grow, and others control how your body makes growth hormones.

• Science is helping us understand height better: New genetic research has discovered markers that show how height is passed down and why it can be different among people from different backgrounds.

• Eating healthy food helps your body grow taller: Nutrition is essential for proper growth and development. A well-rounded diet rich in proteins, vitamins, and minerals supports the body's ability to grow during childhood and adolescence.

• Protein and calcium in food make your bones stronger: Proteins help repair tissues and support bone growth, while calcium is needed for strong bones. Eating foods like dairy products, eggs, and leafy greens gives your body the nutrients it needs.

• Not eating the right food can stop you from growing taller: Malnutrition during childhood can slow down or even stop growth. Children who don’t get enough nutrients often don’t reach their full height potential compared to those who eat well.

• The food you eat matters more when you’re still growing: Good nutrition is most important during childhood and teenage years. This is when growth plates are still open, and the body uses nutrients better to grow taller.

• Children who eat more nutrients usually grow taller: A study showed that kids who ate more protein, vitamins A and D, and calcium had better height growth. On the other hand, eating lots of junk food like soft drinks and fatty snacks was linked to shorter height.

Exercise helps your body grow by waking up the hormones that make your bones longer and stronger. 

When kids move, stretch, hang, or even do cartwheels, it tells the body, “Hey, it’s time to grow!”  One study found that  , children who exercised regularly while taking a vitamin mix grew taller in just 12 months.

Another study showed that  , simple morning stretches, playing outside, and staying active during the day helped shorter kids grow better. Staying active also keeps the spine straight and boosts sleep, both important for growing taller.

One of the biggest things that affects how tall you grow is your hormones, especially something called growth hormone. 

This hormone tells your bones to grow longer, especially when you're a kid or teenager. It works closely with another chemical called IGF-1, which helps your bones grow at the right time and speed. 

If your body makes enough of these hormones, you get the message to grow, and you grow! But if the balance is off, or your body doesn’t make enough, it can hold back your height. 

 Studies  show this clearly. In one large study with 123 children who were shorter than average, doctors gave them regular growth hormone treatments. 

By the time they were adults, the boys grew an average of 9.5 cm taller , and the girls gained about 8.6 cm more in height than kids who didn’t get treatment.

Another study looked at  , kids who were just a bit short but otherwise healthy. Even though their height gain was smaller, around 2.5 to 2.8 cm , they still grew more than those who got no treatment. 

These results show that when your hormones are in balance and working right, they play a big part in helping you reach your full height potential.

Sleep plays a big role in how tall you grow. When kids sleep at night, their bodies release growth hormones that help bones grow longer. 

The longer and better they sleep, the more time their bodies have to grow. So, if a child doesn't get enough sleep, it can slow down their height growth. 

One large study in  The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism  , followed over 52,000 children and found that those who slept 11.5 hours or more each night at 1.5 years old were more likely to be taller by age 3. This shows that good, long sleep at night really matters for growing taller.

Chronic illnesses can interfere with growth and development. Conditions like chronic malnutrition or autoimmune diseases can stunt growth. 

Some diseases, like osteogenesis imperfecta, a genetic disorder causing fragile, abnormally formed bones, impact bone development, leading to shorter stature. Long-term medical conditions may also cause height loss in adulthood.

The environment a person grows up in plays a significant role in height development. Clean air, water, and access to nutrition and healthcare are essential for growth. 

Pollution and poverty can restrict access to necessary resources, leading to stunted growth. 

• Saunas don’t make you grow, but they help you stand tall: You won’t gain inches from the sauna, but it can support your body in ways that make you look taller,by improving posture, reducing pressure, and helping you carry yourself better.

Sitting in a sauna gets your heart pumping faster and pushes more blood to your skin, which boosts circulation and sends more oxygen all over your body.

This rush of blood helps your muscles and spine get the nutrients they need to stay healthy and flexible, both important for supporting your height. 

 One study found that  , sauna heat pulls blood to the skin to cool the body, while  another studies showed that  , regular sauna trains your body to handle heat better and improves heart function. Better circulation means better overall support for height and growth.

If your muscles feel tight or sore, it’s hard to stand tall and move freely. That’s where a sauna can really help. 

The heat relaxes your muscles and makes your body feel looser and more flexible. This makes it easier to stretch out, stand straighter, and move with better posture, all of which can help you look taller.

A study in the  Asian Journal of Sports Medicine  , found that people who used a sauna before exercise had less muscle pain and better movement afterward. 

So, by helping your body feel more relaxed and flexible, saunas can support better posture and how tall you appear.

• Saunas Help Two Powerful Hormones Work Together for Growth: Saunas also support the release of a hormone called IGF (insulin-like growth factor). IGF works closely with growth hormone to make sure your bones and tissues grow in a healthy way.

• Regular Sauna Use Keeps Your Hormones Balanced for Better Growth: Using a sauna often can help keep your hormones in balance. A healthy hormone balance is important for steady and natural body development over time.

• Evening Sauna Sessions Calm Your Body and Support Hormone Health: Using the sauna at night helps relax your nervous system. This calm state makes it easier for your body to release the right hormones at the right time, helping with growth and healing.

• Sauna Relaxation Triggers Feel-Good Hormones That Help You Heal: The warmth of the sauna causes your body to release endorphins, your natural “feel-good” hormones. These help your body repair tissues and stay energized, which supports overall development.

Sweating  in a sauna helps your body flush out harmful toxins like heavy metals, toxic elements such as lead, mercury, and arsenic that can damage organs. 

This cleansing process supports your kidneys and liver , which filter waste from your system. A clean, healthy body works better from the inside out, and regular sauna detox sessions help keep everything balanced.

Feeling calm and getting good sleep might not seem connected to growing taller, but they actually are. 

When your body feels relaxed and well-rested, it can recover better, which is key for healthy growth. Sauna helps with both.

 In one study  , people felt deeply relaxed and focused after using a sauna with cold water and rest breaks, this brain state, called “totonou” in Japan, made them feel happier and more clear-headed.

Another global survey found that  , over 80% of sauna users slept better and felt less stressed. Less stress and better sleep give your body the perfect chance to recover and grow.

Sitting in a sauna helps ease tight back and neck muscles, which improves posture over time. Sauna heat relaxes muscles around the spine, allowing better alignment and reducing slouching. With better posture, you stand taller and feel more confident.

Sauna therapy encourages collagen production, the process of making a protein that strengthens  skin  , joints, and tissues, which supports joints, ligaments, and skin. 

This helps reduce joint pain and keeps your body moving with ease. Stronger joints and flexible movement are important for daily comfort and overall physical development.