How To Grow Taller at 17: Is It Still Possible?

If you’re wondering whether or not it’s possible to grow taller at 17, then be sure to keep reading for the answer for each gender.

Males and females stop growing at different ages, so height growth velocity won’t be the same for everyone. With that in mind, this guide will explain how to grow taller at 17 years old if your genetics allow for it.

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How can a female increase her height at the age of 17?

A female showing how to increase height at 17 years old

So, how can a female increase her height at 17 years old? The answer is that she most likely can’t. Based on height measurement data, which examined thousands of teenage girls, 17 year old girls don’t tend to gain any additional height as they get older.

In fact, most girls have attained their adult height by the age of 14!

Now, there are obviously outliers, and you’ll be able to dig up a few case studies showing a genuine height increase for 17 year old girls.

Yet, these exceptions only serve to reinforce the trend.

So, to avoid disappointment, a 17 year old girl should understand that the likelihood of her growing any taller is very slim.

However, you can make yourself look quite a bit taller by standing tall and improving your posture. Straightening out your spine helps you to maximize your height, and you can do it with just a few basic stretches. There are numerous examples on YouTube of these drills.

How can a male get taller at the age of 17?

A male showing how to get taller at 17 years old

How can a male get taller at 17 years old? By the age of 17, the majority of males have attained their adult height or a stature very close to it.

While it’s still possible for a male to have a growth spurt at 17, the majority of 17 year old boys won’t experience a significant height increase after turning 17.

Still, if you have good height growth genetics and have optimized your diet, exercise routine, and sleeping schedule, then it’s definitely conceivable that you could get 1-3 inches taller before you stop growing completely.

To maximize your chances of getting taller after 17 as a male, you’ll want to exercise daily with a moderate to vigorous intensity.

Most teens are extremely sedentary these days, so in order to compensate for our increasingly non-active lifestyles, you’ll want to do at least 60 minutes of exercise per day.

Additionally, make sure to get around 9 hours of sleep per night and consume a nutrient-dense diet. If you struggle to get enough of a vital nutrient in your diet, such as vitamin D or zinc, consider taking a supplement in order to avoid nutrient deficiencies. ^[1]

Can you have a growth spurt at 17?

Yes, it’s possible to have a growth spurt—a period of significant height increase and physical development—at the age of 17.

A growth spurt at 17 is more likely for boys than girls seeing as girls reach their final height 3-4 years before boys.

Now, just because having a growth spurt at 17 is possible doesn’t mean that it’s likely for you.

Like you, I’ve seen examples of people who grew way taller after turning 17. But these isolated case studies only really serve to highlight the exceptions.

A fair few males will gain a little bit of height after the age of 17, but most won’t get taller by any significant amount.

How much do you grow after 17?

As mentioned, the majority of males reach their adult height at age 17 or thereabouts. Therefore, males don’t tend to get any taller between the ages of 17 and 18.

Still, the males who do experience a height increase at the age of 17 tend not to grow as rapidly as they did during the peak of puberty.

If you have the genetics to grow taller after 17 years old, then a height increase of anywhere from 0.5 to 2 inches is fairly realistic.

If you have fairly typical height genetics, then you might only grow half an inch after 17.

On the other hand, if you’re experiencing a true growth spurt and are catching up to tall parents, then you could grow by 2 inches or more.

The best thing that you can do is to set yourself up for height growth success by eating a healthy diet, getting enough sleep, and leading a more active lifestyle.

What techniques will make you grow taller at 17 years old?

Now that you understand the basics of how to grow taller at 17 years old, let’s get into some specific tips and techniques that you can use to increase your height.

While you might be expecting me to suggest brutal height-increasing methods, the truth is that leading a healthy lifestyle and taking care of the fundamentals is the best way to go.

All of the stretching and hanging in the world, which serve only to improve your posture, won’t make a difference if you lead a sedentary lifestyle.

This is not only due to the fact that stretching and hanging don’t directly lengthen your bones, but also because, when you lead a sedentary lifestyle, the good posture that you temporarily acquired from stretching will quickly revert back to slouching and rounding, causing you to appear shorter than you actually are.

On the diet side of things, get enough protein from sources like fish, dairy, eggs, red meat, and lean meats. Some of these protein sources also include healthy fats, but you can also get your fats from foods like avocados, nuts, and seeds.

For carbohydrates, stick to unprocessed foods like oatmeal and potatoes. These foods are versatile and have been a staple in many of our diets for hundreds of years.

How to get taller at 17: The verdict

So, is it still possible to grow taller at 17 years old? Yes, it is, but not for everyone—especially not for girls who, as I explained, tend to stop growing a few years before they reach the age of 17.

Boys can and sometimes do grow after 17 years old, but most have reached what is essentially their adult height at this age.

Nevertheless, by ensuring proper nutrition, exercising daily, and sleeping well, you’re certainly setting yourself up for any additional post-17 height growth that your body may go through.

References

Esposito, S., Leonardi, A., Lanciotti, L., Cofini, M., Muzi, G., & Penta, L. (2019). Vitamin D and growth hormone in children: a review of the current scientific knowledge. Journal of translational medicine, 17(1), 87. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12967-019-1840-4
Real-Life Benefits of Exercise and Physical Activity. (n.d.). National Institute on Aging. Retrieved from https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/real-life-benefits-exercise-and-physical-activity