Self Improvement

For sociologists, such as Saul Feldman, your height ultimately gives credence to the kind of life you will live.

In Feldman's paper, entitled "The presentation of shortness in everyday life - height and heightism in American Society: Towards a Sociology of Stature" which he presented to the American Sociological Association in 1971, he coined the term heightism, which was to mean the proliferation of a kind of discrimination based on height, "the presence of a prejudiced attitude about human height that results in discrimination - it is based on the belief that short stature is an inferior trait and therefore undesirable".

Indeed, if you were to glean over this subject matter, you would, in some way, concur with Feldman and conclude that for the most part, he has not been erroneous in his views. Evidence of this is everywhere - in most professional sports such as tennis, basketball and volleyball, in fashion modeling such as Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, America's Next Top Model etc., in business (a survey conducted by Fortune magazine in 2005 revealed that most CEOs in its Fortune 500 list were on "average 6 ft tall, which is approximately 4 inches taller than the average American man") and even in dating (for some people, height is "a major factor in sexual attractiveness and that quantitative studies of women-for-men personal advertisements have shown strong preference for tall men, with a large percentage indicating that a man significantly below average height was unacceptable.")

And, now, on a lighter note, you might be asking, are there secrets on growing taller or exercises which could enable you to improve your height (possibly gain even an inch or two) in order for you to avoid being a subject of inadvertent and inevitable discrimination?

While you may already know that height is predominantly a matter of genetics, there are stretching exercises which you could perform to improve your height and your posture as well:

1. Hanging

It has been emphasized that hanging increases a person's height by one to two inches. It allows the "weight of your lower torso to stretch your spine and reduce the tension between your vertebrae."

2. Dry Land Swim

Also known as "the Alternate Leg Kick, this exercise focuses on your lower back." It helps lengthen your spine as a result of the opposing forces caused by your arms stretching in one direction and your legs kicking in the other.

3. Pelvic Shift

In this exercise, you will quickly feel the stretching that occurs up and down your spine and in your hips. you will "begin this exercise by lying on your back with your shoulders and arms planted on the floor. Then, make an effort to bend your knees and draw your feet as close to your buttocks as you can. Next, you'll need to arch your back so that your pelvis thrusts upward.

Indeed, given the importance ascribed by society to height, a shorter stature can sometimes be erroneously considered a liability, hence, it is important to measure up to your maximum height, in order for you to, ultimately, live out your life as you deem it best.

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Rafael Blake Robinson is a very curious writer who wants to explore the truth behind height and getting tall. For almost a year now, Rafa keeps himself busy by researching and creating contents on how to grow taller. You'll read his articles here on EzineArticles and in his site http://grow-taller-quickly.com/