General Health | 5 min read
How to Accurately Measure Your Height at Home
Medically reviewed by
- Table of Content
Synopsis
Learn about simple height measurement techniques to follow at home. With the knowledge of height measurement scale and how to convert height in inches and meters, track your growth easily.
Key Takeaways
- With timely height measurement, you can check your body mass index (BMI)
- Stadiometer is the height measurement scale you see in a doctor’s office
- Convert height in inches to height in meters through easy calculation
Measuring your height is crucial to track whether you are healthy or have some health complications. With timely height measurement, you can check your body mass index (BMI), which helps determine your overall fitness. Wondering how to measure height? When you visit your general physician, your height is determined against a height measurement scale called a stadiometer. It is a long ruler fixed with the wall that usually gives accurate results.
However, you may not have the time to visit a doctor’s chamber every time you want to check your height. In such situations, you can also measure your height at home. Read on to know about the height measurement processes you can follow at home for accurate results.
Additional Read: Height Weight Age Chart For Kids
Measure your Height Yourself
To start with, take a look at how you can measure your height all by yourself at home. Here are the steps you can follow.
- Get a flat and straight object like a book, ruler, or box to determine your height.
- Select a flat wall right opposite a mirror for height measurement.
- Stand straight opposite the mirror and hold the object with one hand. Then use another hand to indicate the spot on the wall where your head and the bottom of the object meet. Otherwise, hold the object in place, step out from underneath it, and mark the spot on the wall with your free hand.
- Make sure to keep the object parallel to the floor with the help of a mirror for accurate results.
- Use a measuring tape starting from the mark on the wall and going down to the floor to calculate your height.
You can follow these steps with slight modifications for easy height measurement at home. Just remember to not wear shoes or any headwear while checking your height. Ensure you aren’t wearing bulky attire, as this will not allow you to get close to the wall. While checking your height, make sure your feet are flat and horizontal against the surface, and your head, buttocks, and shoulders are aligned with the wall. That’s how you can get an accurate measurement of height in inches or meters.
Measure your Height with a Helper
You can also get your height checked with the help of a family member or friend. In this case, you can focus more on standing in the right way, and your helper takes the responsibility of placing the object above your head. In such cases, follow these steps:
- Stand straight against a flat wall and look straight ahead.
- Ask someone to place a flat object against the wall above your head, perpendicular to the wall. Then ask them to lower the object at the same angle until it touches your head.
- Let your helper mark the place where your head and the flat object meet with a pencil.
- Measure the distance from the floor with a tape to calculate your height
Convert Height in Inches to Height in Meters
While the imperial system is more popular in India for measuring height, sometimes you may need to convert your height to the metric system for better clarity, as many countries prefer it over the imperial system. To convert your height in inches to height in meters, just remember the following.
- 1 in. = 0.0254 m
- 12 inch. or 1 ft. = 0.3048 m
Now, take a look at the following table for a better understanding
4 ft. 6 in. = 1.3716 m | 5 ft. 10 in. = 1.778 m |
4 ft. 7 in. = 1.397 m | 5 ft. 11 in. = 1.8034 m |
4 ft. 8 in. = 1.4224 m | 6 ft. = 1.8288 m |
4 ft. 9 in. = 1.4478 m | 6 ft. 1 in. = 1.8542 m |
4 ft. 10 in. = 1.4732 m | 6 ft. 2 in. = 1.8796 m |
4 ft. 11 in. = 1.4986 m | 6 ft. 3 in. = 1.905 m |
5 ft. = 1.524 m | 6 ft. 4 in. = 1.9304 m |
5 ft. 1 in. = 1.5494 m | 6 ft. 5 in. = 1.9558 m |
5 ft. 2 in. = 1.5748 m | 6 ft. 6 in. = 1.9812 m |
5 ft. 3 in. = 1.6002 m | 6 ft. 7 in. = 2.0066 m |
5 ft. 4 in. = 1.6256 m | 6 ft. 8 in. = 2.032 m |
5 ft. 5 in. = 1.651 m | 6 ft. 9 in. = 2.0574 m |
5 ft. 6 in. = 1.6764 m | 6 ft. 10 in. = 2.0828 m |
5 ft. 7 in. = 1.7018 m | 6 ft. 11 in. = 2.1082 m |
5 ft. 8 in. = 1.7272 m | 7 ft. = 2.1336 m |
5 ft. 9 in. = 1.7526 m |
Additional Read: Ideal Height Weight Chart
The Average Height of Indians
The average height of healthy individuals differs across ethnicities and genders. Note that the average height of Indian males is 5.8 feet which are about 1.77 meters. Among Indian females, the average height is 5.3 feet or 1.62 meters [1].
When it comes to your children, opting for timely height measurement helps you track their growth. With the help of it, doctors can diagnose whether your child is suffering from any growth deficiency disorder. For adults, it helps to calculate your BMI and understand whether you have extra fat accumulation.
In case of any concerns, talk to health specialists. To enjoy the ease of access, you can book an online doctor consultation on Bajaj Finserv Health and resolve any health query related to height measurement and height measurement scale from the comfort of your home. Start tracking your height today to ensure a healthy life!
- References
- https://weather.com/en-IN/india/health/news/2020-09-29-national-institute-of-nutrition-changes-ideal-weight-height-for
- Disclaimer
Please note that this article is solely meant for informational purposes and Bajaj Finserv Health Limited (“BFHL”) does not shoulder any responsibility of the views/advice/information expressed/given by the writer/reviewer/originator. This article should not be considered as a substitute for any medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always consult with your trusted physician/qualified healthcare professional to evaluate your medical condition. The above article has been reviewed by a qualified doctor and BFHL is not responsible for any damages for any information or services provided by any third party.