How to Accurately Measure Height in Adults

Due to well child visits, school records and parental pride, most parents know how tall their children are. However, adults may not always be aware of their height. Perhaps you haven't checked your height since before you stopped growing; adults, especially males, can continue to grow until about age 25. On the other hand, perhaps due to age, you're getting shorter.

From knowing your clothing size for online and catalog orders to determining your body mass index (BMI) or figuring out your ideal weight, your height is useful information to have.

Things You'll Need

• A friend
• Empty wall, free of pictures and decorations
• Ruler
• Pencil
• Measuring tape
• Paper

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Instructions

• 1

  Remove your shoes and socks before measuring your height. Though it may seem insignificant, shoes and socks add a little to your height, making your measurements inaccurate.

• 2

  Stand against a wall. Keep your feet flat, do not bend your knees and do not lean against the wall. Stand up straight. Adjust your head so that your eyes focus straight ahead of you, parallel to the ground.

• 3

  Have your friend place the ruler flat on top of your head, with one end touching the wall. Mark the wall where the ruler touches it with the pencil. Ask your friend to make a mark that is dark enough to see, but is not so dark that it will be difficult to erase.

• 4

  Step away from the wall. Have your friend set aside the ruler and pencil for now. Place the metal end of the measuring tape against the pencil mark on the wall. Have your friend hold the measuring tape end in place. Extend the tape down the length of the wall so that you can measure how tall you are. Stop extending the measuring tape when the tape hits the floor. Write down the measuring tape's measurement on the paper.

• 5

  Erase the pencil mark on the wall. Put your tools away.