Am I still growing?

Last updated on October 23, 2020

Question:

I am female, soon to be 15. I am currently 169 cm (5’6″) tall and have a foot length of 26 cm (10 inches). My parents are both roughly 170 cm (5’7″). But my big brother is roughly 186 cm (6’1″) tall. While my mother’s sisters are all roughly between 173 cm (5’8″) and 177 (5’9″) cm. My hands are slightly bigger than my mum’s. Am I still growing? Are there any yoga stretches that are good for growth? I have also noticed that over the past three years I have grown about 4 cm (1.5 inches) a year. So far this year I have grown 2 cm (just under an inch). I do get bone “ache” and I often feel the need to stretch my limbs. Is it possible that I’m still growing? I have read that some girls are just late bloomers.

Thank you kindly, Godspeed.

Answer:

If you take your parent’s average height, most girls end up somewhere between six inches (15 cm) shorter than that average up to equal to that average. Most boys end up equal to his parent’s average height up to six inches (15 cm) taller than their average height. Your older brother is at the high end of that range. You are well within that range.

Age only roughly determines whether you will continue to grow. The real test is an x-ray to see if your growth plates are still open, which a doctor can perform. Alternatively, you can estimate your stage of development using the Tanner Stage Calculator for Girls. An estimate of 5 or above means you are basically done growing in height.