Do you sit with your legs crossed while working at your desk or having lunch? Experts suggest you might want to change this habit for good because it can have some negative impact on your health. Here is what they say.
It can give you neck and back pain
We are supposed to sit with our back straight and feet planted squarely on the floor, but what we actually do is slouch and cross our legs. We begin by following all the rules of maintaining a good posture, but remain so only for a few minutes. What we don’t realize is that we are making our neck and back suffer in the longer run.
Also read : How to prevent upper back pain
Sitting with your legs crossed puts pressure on the pelvic bones
Sitting with legs crossed puts pressure on pelvic bones, causing the spine to rotate. Rotation of the spine may put unnecessary pressure on your neck, lower back and middle back. And, sitting for long hours with your legs crossed can put more pressure on your spine, making you prone to serious back problems in the future.
It is linked to spider veins
Sitting with legs crossed for long can cause spider veins. When you sit with your legs crossed, there is an increased pressure on the veins that carry blood back to the heart. Besides, when you put one leg over the other, it obstructs flow of blood resulting in weakened or damaged veins in the legs. If the veins get damaged or weakened, they are no longer capable of carrying blood without facing leakage, giving rise to spider veins.
Also read : Yoga postures for asthma patients
It increases blood pressure
You may find this one surprising, but its true. Sitting with crossed legs at the knee can temporarily cause your blood pressure to go up.
So, don’t keep your legs crossed when you sit for a long time.
Image Source: Getty
Read more artiles on Healthy Living
For more such stories, Download Onlymyhealth app