#63 - Why Crossing Your Legs Might Be Bad For You

Vintage Photo from CassiesTaleVintage on Etsy, $3.29

Many of us women (and men too!) were taught that crossing your legs is the proper way to sit. However, yesterday in my nursing assistant class (more on that later) the instructor was talking about the circulatory system and as side note commented that crossing your legs may cause varicose veins. So, always on the lookout for blog fodder, I scribbled in my notes to check into this.

Reasons To Stop Crossing Your Legs:

1. Crossing your legs puts pressure on the veins in your leg and may cause the pressure in the veins to increase and bulge – translation it can cause those horrible looking varicose veins and poor circulation in your lower legs.
2. Crossing your legs can cause lower back pain. Sitting crossed-legged puts pressure on your lower spine.
3. Sitting with your legs crossed tilts the pelvis and may cause muscle imbalances (especially if you cross your legs with the same one on top each time)
4. You can look lady-like without crossing your legs and not risk possible adverse effects of sitting unbalanced. In fact, in England queens and princesses do not cross their legs. They cross just their ankles. 

Photograph of Kate Middleton by Samir Hussein/Getty

I've been trying to stop crossing my legs since last night and my goodness, it's nearly impossible! Good luck!