Which of us has never put a leg over a leg? There is no such case. Ladies like to cross their legs, they feel more distinguished then. From a medical point of view, however, this is not a healthy habit.
We put a leg on a leg, in other words we cross them, often out of sheer convenience. Famous is the position of TVP reporter Elżbieta Jaworowicz, who for years has been leading the program “Case for a reporter”. The journalist has already become an icon, associated with the famous crossing of legs. A leg put on a leg, especially in case of women, is associated with sex appeal, especially when a woman is wearing stiletto heels. Many women also cross their legs completely unconsciously, out of habit. However, such a habit can have serious consequences on our health. What are they?
It would seem that cross-legged position is like any other and we can confidently sit like this. Unfortunately, this is not entirely true. Crossing your legs is a bad habit for several reasons
When you cross your legs, your abdominal muscles relax quite a bit, which causes your back muscles to have to work extra hard to properly support your spine. So if we stay in this position for a long time, unfortunately, our back will start to hurt. Since we strain the spine by crossing our legs too often, we do the same with the disc, because usually when we sit with our leg on the leg, we are slightly bent, because it is impossible to keep the back straight in the long run. To make matters worse, the habit of crossing your legs can cause problems with your veins. Namely, there is a greater tendency to develop varicose veins, which is aggravated by, for example, being overweight.
Remember that when you sit for too long with one leg on top of the other, you put more strain on one of them, you hinder the proper blood flow and at the same time you cause dilatation of blood vessels, and this is a direct way to the appearance of varicose veins on legs. When we put our leg on the leg, blood pressure increases significantly in this position, because veins are compressed – this can result in high blood pressure, for example.
Crossing legs frequently also has a negative effect on the entire posture. Sitting for several hours in such a position can cause pain discomfort, especially in the lower back, hip area and neck. And recurring back pain resulting from poor sitting posture can lead to spinal herniation, which is a bothersome and painful condition that often requires therapy with injections.
Long and frequent crossing of the legs can also contribute to nerve damage. What does this actually mean? It means that we can feel unpleasant numbness in our limbs, which can sometimes take the shape of pinching or even strong stabbing. Do not underestimate such symptoms, the immediate relief will bring for example massaging the stiff place, but if the situation will be repeated regularly, it is worth to consult a specialist
The way you sit is of great importance for your silhouette! Therefore, especially if you have a sedentary job, for example at a computer, do not “freeze” in one position – the one with crossed legs – for long hours. Of course, a few minutes of sitting with your leg on the leg will not hurt, but if it becomes a habit, you can do yourself harm. So if during work you start to feel pain or unpleasant tingling, it is necessary to change the position, but you can also think about visiting a masseur or physiotherapist. The specialists will provide you with professional massage therapy to relieve the pain, but they will also tell you how to exercise at home. Acquired knowledge will certainly help you to prevent troublesome consequences resulting from the adoption of incorrect posture.
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