• MAIN
  • BLOG
  • ABOUT
  • Body Burn® 28 Day Quick Start
  • CONTACT
  • Privacy Policy

Fit Tip Daily

Lose Weight One Tip At A Time

  • TIP OF THE DAY
  • CELEB DIETS
  • EAT IT
  • WATCH IT
  • BUY IT
  • TOSS IT
  • SUPPLEMENTS
  • EXERCISES
You are here: Home / Today's Tip / 4 Reasons to Stop Crossing Your Legs NOW

4 Reasons to Stop Crossing Your Legs NOW

October 22, 2015 by Adria Ali 1 Comment

 

From the time we were young, women were taught to cross their legs.  Men do it merely out of comfort, but they are just as likely to suffer the consequences of this social habit. I recently went from being a full-time trainer (standing and bending all day) to being a full-time  web master (and part-time trainer).  You can image my surprise when I realized for the first time in my life, what it was REALLY like to have a desk job.  I had trained thousands of clients who were desk workers. Now it was my turn to feel the aches and pains of sitting 8 hours a day with a 3-hour commute.   Boy, was I in for a surprise!  I realized very quickly that the smallest postural distortions in my day had a HUGE impact on my body over time. One of the biggest culprits for decreased circulation, poor posture, and imbalanced muscles was crossing my legs!

how to stop crossing your legs

In the beginning, I did everything I could to stay at my desk.  My nature was to get up and move (like I had done the last 14 years as a trainer).  Yes, I actually had to train my body to be sedentary!  I allowed myself to do anything to stay comfortable.  Unfortunately, this meant crossing my legs.  By the end of the day my back was twisted into knocks, I couldn’t feel my right foot very well, and the right side of my hip had been hiked up for so long that I walked with a slight limp.   OMG!

“Crossing one leg over the other leads to increased pressure, and if your vein systems are closer to the surface, they will certainly show up more prominently. Spider veins are more common in women than in men because of crossing the legs (source).”

As a trainer, I am able to evaluate my body in an instant.  It was clear to see that I needed to stop crossing my legs ASAP.   After week 4 of the seated job I had a new prominent broken blood vessel, and my whole right side seemed to be pinched.  I started to research if crossing your legs was bad.   I found mixed results, which was shocking since I knew first had that my body was reacting negatively.  Here are my observations and why everyone should stop crossing your legs immediately!

Why You Should Stop Crossing Your Legs NOW

(my personal observations mixed with research)

1.) Overly tight butt muscles, leading to lower back issues.

* Whichever leg you cross – that hips is actually in a higher position.  This tilts your lower back making one side tighter than the other.

Dead butt

Long Term Affects – lower back problems, and butt issues.   One side of the butt will be tighter than the other. This means that over time, that side of your but will not be able to contract the way it should.

droopy butt

Overall effect: droopy butt syndrome.

2.) Poor circulation:  Afraid of varicose veins, spider veins, and pinched nerves?   Then you definitely DON’T want to cross your legs!  Research shows that crossing your legs increases your blood pressure!

“According to a study published in the journal of Blood Pressure Monitoring, sitting with your legs crossed at the knee can raise your blood pressure. The study finds leg crossing increased systolic blood pressure nearly 7% and diastolic by 2% (source).”

3.) Tight IT Bands – This is the band that runs from your hip past your knee (on the outside) then connects at your calf (see image below).  I noticed that crossing my legs, made my somewhat relaxed IT band into an angry monster.  It also became so tight that it threw my knees out of alignment.  This aggravated my already sensitive knees causing inflammation and discomfort.

Stop crossing your legs

4.) Twisted Back Syndrome.  While it may feel comfortable to give you body a little twist, long-term leg crossing can lead to a detrimental curve in the back.  This also causes imbalances, pinched nerves and upper back/neck  issues as your body fights to maintain somewhat of a normal posture.

why you should stop crossing legs

Sitting at a desk for hours on end is already horrible for your body.  Crossing your legs makes it even worse.  Do yourself a favor and use these fitness tips to remind yourself why you should keep both feet planted firmly on the ground.

 

Adria

SHARE:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
  • Print

Related

Filed Under: Today's Tip, Toss It Tagged With: dangers of crossing legs, dangers of crossing your legs, how to stop crossing your legs, why you should stop crossing your legs, why you shouldn't cross your legs

About Adria Ali

I am the author of this web page and I have been a personal trainer for over 13 years. I currently hold a Bachelors of Science in Kinesiology (exercise science), as well as all of the certifications from National Academy of Sports Medicine. I also have a background in sports training as well as internships in physical therapy and Occupational Therapy. I got into personal training to help people like my mom who struggled with her weight her whole life.


DISCLAIMER: The purpose of FitTipDaily.com is to promote broad consumer understanding and knowledge of various health topics. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

Comments

  1. prithi says

    April 21, 2021 at 10:17 am

    Great info, Most of us don't know about this , Thank you for the info

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

To Verify You\'re Human, Please Solve The Problem: * Time limit is exhausted. Please reload CAPTCHA.

SEARCH FIT TIP DAILY


Daily Fitness Tips on iPhone





Join the Body Burn 28 Day Challenge

SOCIALIZE WITH FIT TIP DAILY

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

AS SEEN ON

SUBSCRIBE TO FIT TIP DAILY


The Latest

  • 10 Benefits of Shilajit and How it Could Improve Your Life
  • Holiday Giveaway from Everyday Essence
  • Privacy Policy
  • Get Better Fitness Results – Strengthening Neural Pathways
  • Fit Talk – Experts Weigh In – Why Deodorant Is Bad For Your Health

LIKE FIT TIP DAILY

FOLLOW FIT TIP DAILY

Tweets by @FitTipDaily

PEOPLE ♥ FIT TIP DAILY

Rebecca Cardon from Bravo's hit reality show Workout loves Fit Tip Daily!

SHOP FIT TIP DAILY

SHOP FIT TIP DAILY

ABOUT FIT TIP DAILY

Fit Tip Daily is brought to you by Adria Ali. She is a personal trainer with a Bachelors of Science in Kinesiology (exercise science) plus she holds three certifications from the National Academy of Sports Medicine. Adria has dedicated her life to changing peoples perception of fitness inside and outside of the gym with great fitness tips daily!

AS SEEN ON

GET SOCIAL

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

TAGGED

ab exercises biggest loser butt exercises celebrity diets celebrity fitness celebrity weight loss Decoration diet exercise Exercises exercise tips fat loss Fit fitceleb fitness fitness tip fitness tips fit tip gluten free recipes health Healthy healthy recipes jillian michaels leg exercises lose weight losing weight low carb recipes low fat recipes Metabolism paleo recipes Pinterest trainer trainer tip trainer tips Weight weight gain weight loss weight loss recipes weight loss tips weight training working out workout workout routine workout routines workouts
Weight Loss Disclaimer

* The purpose of this website is to promote broad consumer understanding and knowledge of various health topics. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

©2017 Fit Tip Daily | Lose Weight—One Tip at a Time!

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.