why do older adults get shorter?

Hi, I’m Miranda. I am ten years old and I live in California. My question is: why do older adults get shorter?

What an interesting question, Miranda!

Fortunately, you don’t have to worry about this for a while. Until you’re 30 or so (I know, it looks old), you will keep growing. However, after that, most people begin to gradually shrink. So by the time you’re 80 (yes, it looks really ancient), you’d be 5-2.5 inches (5-6 centimeters) shorter.

Back, muscles, joints

So what shrinks so much in your body? Ahh, this is another interesting question. The secret lies in what keeps your body upright: your back. It is made up of 33 tiny bones called vertebrae. Between most of these vertebrae are discs made of softer tissue.

The core of these soft discs is like jelly and is made up mostly of water. They act as a shock absorber when you walk, run and jump.

As we age, these discs slowly lose water and become a little flatter. But since there are usually 23 of these discs, they make up a quarter of the height of the back. When each of them shrinks a little, it all adds up and you get shorter.

The muscles of older people also become smaller and weaker, their bones become thinner and the spaces between the bones in the joints are reduced. Together, this can also change your height.

People can shrink too much

While a small change in height in older people is normal, shrinking too much – more than 2 inches (5cm) – can be a bit of a problem. It could be a sign of a disease where your bones become too weak and brittle and are easier to break.

As the muscles weaken, especially the muscles that support the back, your back can become a curved “hunchback”, making you look even shorter. Weaker muscles can also cause back pain and balance problems.

So, is there anything you can do to stop shortening as you get older? Certainly there is. If you eat healthy food, exercise regularly, and occasionally go outside to play in the sun, this will help keep your bones and muscles healthy and prevent you from getting too short when you get older.

Your height changes throughout the day

Another thing you may not realize is that even when you are young, your height changes throughout the day. You’re actually taller when you wake up in the morning, but lose up to an inch in height within three hours of getting out of bed.

This is because when you sleep, your body rests and allows water to return to the gelatinous centers of the discs in the spine. But when you bounce off the bed, the pressure on these discs causes them to leak water again and you get a little smaller.

So, if you really want to be as tall as possible (maybe you’ve been picked for a basketball team?), Try measuring your height right after you get out of bed in the morning.

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