What exercises can be done to improve abdominal muscles and increase height

Exercising abdominal muscles and promoting height growth can be achieved through exercises such as swimming, pull ups, skipping rope, basketball, yoga, etc. Abdominal muscle training should focus on core strength, while height training should stimulate bone growth plates, with more significant effects before puberty.

1. Swimming

Swimming is a whole-body exercise, and freestyle and breaststroke can effectively stretch the spine and strengthen the core muscle group. The buoyancy of water reduces joint pressure and is suitable for long-term persistence. Butterfly swimming stimulates the rectus abdominis muscle significantly, but requires a certain level of skill foundation. Three times a week, each session lasting more than 30 minutes, can balance height promotion and abdominal muscle shaping.

2. Pull up

Pull up the spine through a hanging motion to stimulate the secretion of growth hormone. At the same time, it is necessary for the core muscle group to continuously exert force to maintain stability, which has a prominent effect on the transverse abdominal muscle exercise. In the initial stage, elastic bands can be used to assist, 8-12 times per group, completing 3-5 groups. The best effect is achieved when the bones of adolescents are not closed.

3. Jump rope

Vertical jumping during rope jumping can activate the lower limb growth plate, and intermittent impact force promotes an increase in bone density. Rapid rotation of the rope requires coordinated force from the abdominal muscles, especially to exercise the oblique muscles. It is recommended to practice in groups for 10-15 minutes every day, with the forefoot cushioning when landing.

4. Basketball

The combination of running and jumping movements in basketball can fully stretch the spine and stimulate the proliferation of epiphyseal chondrocytes through vertical jumping movements such as grabbing rebounds. When dribbling in a changing direction, the abdominal muscles need to maintain body balance, and the three-step layup has a dynamic load on the rectus abdominis muscle. Team training 2-3 times a week, combined with collaborative movements such as passing, yields better results.

5. Yoga

Backward bending postures such as cobra and bow can improve spinal extension, while inverted postures promote blood circulation. Ship style and flat support directly enhance abdominal muscle endurance, while respiratory control helps with growth hormone secretion. It is recommended to practice in the morning and maintain each posture for at least 30 seconds.

Exercise should be accompanied by sufficient sleep and balanced nutrition. During adolescence, it is recommended to ensure 8 hours of deep sleep every day, supplemented with calcium rich dairy products and high-quality protein. Avoid excessive weight training and limit a single exercise to no more than 90 minutes. The critical period for height growth is before the closure of the epiphyseal plates, and in adulthood, physical activity can be used to improve body posture. The appearance of abdominal muscles also requires controlling body fat percentage, which is recommended to be below 15% for men and below 22% for women. Perform dynamic stretching before and after exercise, gradually increasing strength.