Most women and some men are known to cross their legs when they sit, for women when they are in a skirt or dress to be courteous and to be more lady like. Recently doctors are alerting people to stop this because the effects are horrifying. By doing this for just 30 minutes the spine and back are affected.
If you’re a type of person that doesn’t feel comfortable without your legs being crossed there are many different alternates for you. Or you can change your position more frequently. ‘Put up the leg that is below, and make more frequent shifts’ – explains the German orthopedist Reinhard Schneiderhan, president of the Association to promote the health of the spine, based in Munich. He rejects the usual advice that we should sit as much as possible upright, and to see as much as possible horizontal.
Leg Crossing Anatomy
‘No one can long endure in such position, because soon you feel the tension. In fact, people are not made for sitting, but the complete avoidance of this position for the modern man is not a practical option’, says Dr. Schneiderhan. It Causes Back And Neck Pain
In a perfect world, you’d sit facing forward with both feet planted squarely on the floor. Unfortunately, that rarely happens. Most of us shift our weight around, lean to one side or the other, or, yup, cross our legs.
According to orthopedic physical therapist Vivian Eisenstadt, crossing your legs is just asking for back and neck pain. Sitting with your legs crossed puts your hips in a torqued position, which can lead to the rotation of one of your pelvic bones, she explains. Since your pelvis is the base of support for your spine, it puts unnecessary pressure on your neck and lower and middle back when it’s rotated and unstable. And the longer you sit with your legs crossed, the more pressure you put on your spine, which increases the odds you’ll develop an issue. “Days and weeks of doing this are one of the main reasons we have back and neck pain, as well as herniated discs,” she tells Yahoo Health.
While it’s unrealistic that you’ll have perfect posture every time you sit down, she recommends sitting with your knees and ankles at 90 degrees with your pelvis balanced whenever possible.