You just got home from a long day at work. Finally, you get to kick off your shoes, grab a refreshing drink, and sit down in your favorite chair in the living room. As you ease into the seat cushion, you automatically make the move to cross your legs. Crossing your legs has become synonymous with relaxation, and so many people do it when they sit down to rest.
Unfortunately, being comfortable isn’t synonymous with being healthy. Posture can have a major impact on your body’s health, and if it goes unchecked, it could cause some serious imbalances in the bones and muscles. As it turns out, crossing your legs is an example of bad posture. Here are three reasons why you should stop.
1. A Raise in Blood Pressure
When you go to the doctor, there’s a reason why he or she asks you to sit with your legs uncrossed and your arms flat during a blood pressure exam; crossing your legs raises your blood pressure.
In 2010, seven studies revealed that leg crossing causes a higher blood pressure, which can be incredibly problematic for people who already suffer from high blood pressure.
Cardiovascular disease and heart conditions are the number one cause of death around the globe, indicating that people are already prone to having high blood pressure.
When you cross your legs, you decrease your body’s ability to pump blood because you’ve constricted the vessels in your legs.
2. Muscle Numbness
When you cross your legs, not only do you constrict the blood vessels, but you also put pressure on the peroneal nerve at the back of your knee. This nerve supplies sensation to the lower extremities, so when it’s cut off, you may feel your feet going numb.
Having your foot fall asleep is no big issue, except when it happens all the time. If you tend to cross your legs when you sit down, your foot probably falls asleep more often than it should. This can indicate that the nerve behind your knee has some permanent damage that may need to be addressed.
3. Skeletal Issues and Poor Posture
Having poor posture now can mean several issues later.
Crossing your legs isn’t good for your posture, and it won’t just affect your lower body. When you cross your legs, your shoulders round and lean forward, your muscles become stretched in certain places, and can cause lower back and neck pain.
Over time, these issues will worsen, and have a permanent impact on your skeletal system later in life. Crossing your legs can also create a pelvic imbalance that makes the inner thigh muscles shorter, while making the outer thigh muscles longer. This puts unnecessary pressure on the joints.
source and courtesy: dailyvibes.org