The human spine can begin to shrink from the age of 30. There are many different reasons for this gradual shrinkage, and perhaps the most obvious is the increase in spinal curvature. Age-related hunchback, known as kyphosis, occurs when our muscle fibers decrease over the years. As a result, the muscles surrounding the spine weaken and we begin to lose our fight against gravity. And eventually we become unable to stand upright.
However, kyphosis is not an inevitable fate and can be prevented by leading an active lifestyle and exercising regularly. Ideally, we should all aim for this throughout our lives, and it is much easier to prevent kyphosis by staying active as we age than to reverse the condition by exercising when we get older.
Of course, slouching is not the same as shrinking. However, other age-related processes literally cause us to become shorter. Among the most important factors of this shortening is the decrease in bone density, which is believed to be triggered by decreases in estrogen and testosterone as we age.
Vitamin D deficiencies and decreased renal calcium absorption in older ages can accelerate this process and sometimes lead to a bone disease known as osteoporosis. As bones become weaker and porous, the vertebrae that make up our spine can be crushed under our own weight, causing fractures known as compression fractures.
Interestingly, because many compression fractures are painless, we may not immediately notice it as our vertebrae become more and more compressed over time. But as these fractures accumulate and more of our vertebrae are crushed, it becomes increasingly difficult to reach the upper shelves. This effect is often combined with the degeneration of the spinal discs, which are located in the middle of our vertebrae and act as shock absorbers. Starting from our 30s, these discs can start to dry out and gradually lose their hardness as they lose water.
Since we have 23 discs in our spine, all it takes is for a few of them to decrease in height by a few millimeters for us to start noticing that we are shrinking.
Unfortunately, stretching your body probably won’t make you taller, but living a healthy lifestyle can prevent you from getting too small. For example, a diet high in vitamin D and calcium can help keep bones young and minimize the risk of compression fractures. In addition, regular training keeps bones strong and reduces the possibility of developing osteoporosis.