This pressure can lead to circulatory problems and ultimately contribute to vein disease, or venous insufficiency. When you sit for extended periods, you may notice that your feet, legs, or buttocks begin to tingle and sometimes may become completely numb. This occurs because of constricted blood flow to these areas of the body. Sitting with crossed legs or crossed ankles can make it even harder for your blood to keep flowing. These positions can strain your circulatory system and damage your veins.
The good news is that crossing your legs or ankles is simply a bad habit and behavior can be changed relatively easily. For instance, if you work in a job that requires long periods of sitting, you may need to take frequent breaks to move around. If you cannot leave your desk, you can try stretching or massaging your legs in place. These actions can help get your blood properly flowing again.
Arteries pump blood away from your heart and veins carry it back. Varicose and spider veins happen when tiny one-way valves inside your veins become damaged and are unable to pump blood back to your heart. Another study, published in the Journal of Hypertension , found a slightly bigger spike in blood pressure when participants crossed their legs by putting their ankle on their knee.
While these studies support the claim that crossing your legs can raise your blood pressure, they only showed a temporary increase. However, if you already have high blood pressure, try to avoid spending long periods of time with your legs crossed just to be safe. For many years, rumors have circulated that crossing your legs can cause varicose veins.
This is a myth. Varicose veins are those bulging, twisting, cord-like veins that pop out of your legs. Anyone can get varicose veins, but they tend to be more common in older women and pregnant women. Varicose veins form because of a problem with the valves in your veins, which work very hard to pump blood up toward the heart.
As the blood moves upward, one-way valves open and close, preventing blood from leaking back down. When these valves are weakened or damaged, however, the force of gravity pulls blood back down. This is known as venous insufficiency. Veins become varicose when that blood gets backed up, collects, and causes bulging. Sitting for long periods of time with your leg over your knee can cause your pelvis to rotate and tilt.
This can cause pain in the lower back. It could also lead to a misalignment of your spine over time. When you have improper posture, your muscles are forced to compensate. This means they work harder then they need to, which can lead to pain and stiffness. Learn more about the best postures for sitting. But how is this related to crossing your legs, especially if you exercise and eat right? Here are some reasons that may surprise you:. When we cross our legs, we are putting compression and pressure on our leg and knee joints and nerves.
The way we sit is a huge determinant of our health and the way our body moves and functions. Sitting with our legs crossed leaves your hips uneven and forces your pelvic bone to rotate. The pelvic bone is the base of support for the spine; if left unstable, it can produce unnecessary pressure on the neck and the lower lumbar and middle thoracic sections of the back.
Therefore, the longer you sit in this uneven position, the more pressure is placed on your knee and spine, increasing the likelihood that it will develop into a long-term issue.
While unlikely to cause permanent nerve damage, this specific and common position does have a direct effect on the peroneal nerve just behind the knee joint.
0コメント