Crossing your legs over the knees is a very common sitting pose. We do it automatically, but not too many people know that it is injurious to your health, for example to your posture.

What Can Happen To You, If You Spend Too Much Time With One Knee Crossed Over The Other:

#1 Palsy

Maintaining a particular posture for hours can lead to a condition called Peroneal Nerve Paralysis or Palsy. The position that is most likely to cause Peroneal Nerve Paralysis is crossing your legs.

#2 Increased Blood Pressure

In 2010 various studies proved that when you sit with your legs crossed for a long time, the blood pressure in your body increases. When you put one knee over the other, it sends blood from the leg up to the chest. Resulting a larger quantity of blood being pumped out of the heart. Another possible explanation is, that the blood pressure rises, because the isometric exercise of the legs increases the resistance to blood flow. Even if you don’t have blood pressure problems, avoid sitting in this position. It can help you to be healthier and prevent further circulatory disorders. Although crossing the ankles does not have the same effect to blood pressure as crossing your legs, we recommend to stop crossing the ankles as well, as it leads to an unbalanced pelvis.

#3 Pelvic Imbalance

Crossing your legs makes the inner thigh muscle shorter and the outer thigh muscle longer. It puts your joints at risk of moving out of place. Remember, legs crossed can lead to pelvic imbalance.

#4 Varicose Veins

The biggest contributed factor to varicose veins is your genes. Still, frequent leg crossing increases the pressure on your veins and impedes your blood flow, causing a backflow of blood. It makes your veins swell.

#5 Neck Pain

Sitting in the position of your legs crossed make develop a

• Hollow back
• Stoop and bad posture
• Neck pain
• Discomfort in your hips