Tao Fortune Lynch, the world's oldest yoga teacher, 98 years old / story in a minute
You all know old people who were taller in the past, and now how to say - shrunk a little.
The reasons for this gradual contraction are varied, with perhaps the most obvious being an increase in the curvature of the spine.
Age-related laxity is known as kyphosis, and occurs when our muscle fibers thin out over the years.
As a result, the muscles surrounding the spine weaken and we begin to lose the battle against gravity, eventually becoming unable to stand upright.
Fortunately, however, kyphosis is not an inevitable fate, and can be avoided by maintaining an active lifestyle and regular exercise.
Ideally, it's something we should all strive for throughout our lives, and it's much easier to avoid kyphosis by staying active as we age, than to try and fix it by exercising once we're older.
And while sagging isn't the same as shrinking, other age-related processes do make us literally smaller.
Among the most significant drivers of this shortening is a decrease in bone density, which is triggered by a decrease in estrogen and testosterone as we age.
It also leads to the contraction of our skull - which lowers the elasticity of the skin and causes wrinkles
.
An elderly couple with protective masks in Florida due to the fear of the corona virus after voting in the Democratic primaries for the presidential candidate in the United States.
March 18, 2020./Reuters
In addition, a lack of vitamin D and a decrease in calcium absorption by the kidneys in old age may worsen this process, and sometimes lead to a bone disease known as osteoporosis.
As the bones become weaker and hollow, the vertebrae that make up our spine can be crushed under our weight, creating fractures known as compression fractures.
Surprisingly, most compression fractures do not cause pain, which is why we tend not to notice when our spine becomes more and more compressed over time.
This effect often consists of the degeneration of the discs in the spine, which sit between our vertebrae and act as shock absorbers.
From our 30s onwards, these discs (23 in number) can start to dry out, becoming less and less firm as they lose water.
Unfortunately, stretching probably won't keep you at the same height, although a healthy lifestyle can prevent excessive shrinkage.
A diet rich in vitamin D and calcium, for example, can help bones stay young and minimize the risk of compression fractures, while regular exercise also keeps bones strong and reduces the possibility of developing osteoporosis
.
More on the same topic:
aging
old age
height