Sitting with your legs crossed is bad for your spine.

Many people often sit with their legs crossed without realizing that this is a bad habit that causes many dangerous diseases and harms the spine and pelvic bones.

This sitting posture is especially bad for people with weak constitutions because it can easily cause leg cramps, especially when sitting for long periods.

Early onset of osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is commonly seen in people aged 40-60 due to old age, a history of joint injuries, congenital cartilage disorders, and joints under constant pressure from occupation or sports. However, it is now appearing in many young people, often due to frequently sitting with crossed legs.

Sitting in this position for a long time compresses the legs, forcing them to bear the pressure of the other leg over time, leading to degeneration and erosion of the knee joint, causing osteoarthritis.

Correct sitting posture

Furthermore, when sitting with legs crossed, the kneecap rubs against other bones, causing pain in the front of the knee joint. For those who already suffer from knee pain, sitting with legs crossed will put pressure on and twist the degenerated cartilage, worsening the condition. Therefore, this habit should be changed as soon as possible.

Poor blood circulation

Sitting with your legs crossed can cause blood to stagnate in your legs, leading to swelling in the ankles and feet. Therefore, gentle massage from the ankles up to the thighs is necessary to reduce the risk of blood clots forming in the leg blood vessels.

Increased risk of varicose veins.

Sitting with your legs crossed puts pressure on your legs, restricting blood flow and increasing the risk of varicose veins. It can even cause lower leg edema and hinder wound healing.

Impact on reproductive health

For men, sitting with crossed legs increases the temperature inside the legs and around the genitals, affecting sperm production.

Causes spinal curvature

Sitting with your legs crossed not only causes leg pain, swelling, and varicose veins, but more dangerously, it can lead to spinal curvature and disc damage due to prolonged and frequent incorrect sitting posture.

Correct sitting posture

To avoid the harmful effects of frequently sitting with your legs crossed, the best posture for relaxing your legs is to sit with both legs straight, feet flat on the floor, and your thighs perpendicular to your lower legs.

You can adjust the seat height, add a footrest, or choose a sitting position that allows your legs to be comfortably extended as instructed. If you want to change your posture, you can gently swing your legs for a few minutes to exercise, then lightly catch your feet at the ankles.

Furthermore, for office workers who spend long hours sitting, in addition to leg posture, other body positions can be adjusted to minimize health risks and promote better health, such as: keeping shoulders straight, sitting with a straight back, slightly tilting the pelvis forward, and avoiding bending the wrists, as frequent bending of the wrists while typing can compress the nerves in the wrist, leading to carpal tunnel syndrome.

According to VNN