Sitting with the legs crossed, a posture of sitting that is more deadly than you think
Why is sitting with the legs crossed dangerous?
Sitting with the legs crossed may look like a posture of sitting that helps make us look good, but in truth sitting like this has a bad effect on the body in several respects, both on the system of blood circulation, on the structure of the bones and the muscles, and on the nervous system. Sitting in this posture for a long time may lead to severe problems of health in the long term. But in which respects does it affect health? Let us go and see
The effect on the circulation of the blood
When sitting with the legs crossed, the blood vessels at the area of the leg and the hip are pressed on, making the blood circulate with difficulty, with the result that the heart must work harder in order to pump the blood to nourish the various parts of the body, which may give rise to symptoms of numbness and aching at the area of the leg and the foot. Besides this, it also increases the risk of a blood clot blocking a deep vein
The spine and the hip bear too much weight
Sitting with the legs crossed makes the body weight distribute unevenly, with the result that the spine and the hip must receive a pressing force that is too great. When sitting in this posture for a long time, it may lead to the problem of a degenerated hip joint, a tight hip, and symptoms of pain in the buttock. Besides this, it also increases the risk of chronic back pain arising, and may make the spine curved in the long term
The effect on the nervous system
Sitting with the legs crossed for a long time may affect the nervous system, particularly the nerves at the area of the leg and the foot, giving rise to symptoms of numbness, weakness, or even piriformis syndrome, which arises from pressure on the nerve at the area of the hip, giving rise to symptoms of pain radiating down the leg and the foot, because pressure on a nerve for a long time may affect the working of the muscles and the receiving of sensation of the skin
The dangers that follow from sitting with the legs crossed
Although sitting with the legs crossed is a form of sitting that helps strengthen the personality of the sitter so that they look good, sitting with the legs crossed regularly is followed by dangers in several respects, and there is also a risk of various diseases arising. Let us go and see what the dangers that follow from sitting with the legs crossed are
The pressure becomes higher
Sitting with the legs crossed may make the blood pressure higher, because the pressing on the blood vessels makes the heart have to work harder in order to pump the blood. Although the increase of the pressure may not be very much, if one sits in this posture regularly, it may have a bad effect on health in the long term, increasing the risk of diseases of the heart and the blood vessels, as well as other complications connected with high blood pressure
Back pain
Sitting with the legs crossed makes the spine and the muscles of the back work too hard, with the result that symptoms of back pain arise easily, particularly in people who already have a problem with the back. Sitting in this posture may make the symptoms worse. Besides this, it may also lead to the problem of a degenerated or slipped intervertebral disc, which is an important cause of chronic back pain that affects the quality of life
Symptoms of aching arise
Besides the symptoms of back pain, sitting with the legs crossed may also give rise to symptoms of aching along the various parts of the body, such as the thigh, the hip, and the buttock, because the muscles and the joints must work harder in order to maintain the balance of the body. These symptoms of aching may affect the effectiveness in working and the quality of life overall
Symptoms of a dropped ankle arise
Sitting with the legs crossed for a long time may give rise to a state of a dropped ankle, or Foot Drop. These symptoms arise from pressure on the nerve at the area of the leg, making the muscles that control the movement of the foot weak, with the result that walking is difficult and the risk of an accident arising increases. This state may be temporary or permanent, depending on the severity of the pressure on the nerve
The correct method of sitting, for a good quality of life and health
In order to reduce the risk from sitting with the legs crossed, the behaviour of sitting should be changed so that it is correct, as follows
- Sit with the back straight, the feet placed flat on the floor
- Use a chair that has a backrest supporting the lower back
- Adjust the height of the chair so that the knee is bent at an angle of 90 degrees
- Change position every 30 minutes, by getting up to walk or stretching
- If it is necessary to sit with the legs crossed, change the leg every 15 minutes
- Practise postures of exercising the muscles of the back and the core of the trunk regularly