We all have the habit of sitting in a particular way. Some people sit straight, some people with their legs spread, some people keep moving their legs while sitting, and some people sit with their legs crossed. Similarly, we have different ways of sitting on chairs and sofas. But most people cross one leg over the other while sitting. There is no harm in sitting like this occasionally, but if your work is such that you have to sit cross-legged in this position for several hours a day, then this habit can be dangerous for you.
Effect on the nerves of the legs
Sitting with your legs crossed or bent can pose a threat to your neck and back as well as the nerves in your legs. Sitting like this puts pressure on the peroneal nerve of the foot. This nerve goes below the knee and from the outside of the leg. Sitting with bent legs puts pressure on this nerve due to which the muscles start stiffening and there is a possibility of temporary paralysis.
Blood circulation
Due to sitting with legs crossed, more blood reaches the heart. Because when you sit with your legs crossed, the blood stops flowing from top to bottom and the heart starts pumping in reverse. Due to this blood circulation in the body gets impaired.
Body posture deteriorates
The habit of sitting with your legs crossed can worsen your body posture. In fact, when you sit with your legs crossed, a part of your pelvis has to bend to sit in this position. Apart from this, sitting like this for a long time increases the pressure in the pelvis area. Due to this, you may complain of back pain within a few days, and in the long run, it may also have a negative effect on your spine. In some cases, there may also be a problem of tension in the nerves.
Has a bad effect on the heart
When you sit with your legs crossed, the nerves in your legs get compressed. In such a situation, the blood circulation starts coming back towards the heart instead of going towards the legs, which can be harmful to the heart.
Risk of nerve paralysis
If you sit with your legs crossed for a long time, it can damage the nerves of your legs. Because while sitting like this, the pressure on the veins of the legs increases due to which there is a risk of the veins getting damaged. Not only this but sitting in this posture can also make a person a victim of parapleural nerve paralysis.
Danger of spider veins
Sitting with one leg crossed over the other for a long time can make you a victim of spider veins. Because by sitting with one leg crossed over the other, the blood reaching the legs stops and circulates back to the heart. Due to this your feet start swelling. Also the veins in your legs become weak.