Why is sitting cross-legged bad? Why can't you sit with your legs crossed? Leg to foot man psychology. Sexual gestures of women and men

The fact that you can not sit cross-legged, we hear from childhood. However, in childhood, neither prohibitions nor, moreover, stories about the benefits and harms of any things for health are perceived. Therefore, let's try to figure out why this seemingly ordinary habit is so dangerous.

The damage to the spine is obvious. In the normal position, the spine is not absolutely straight, but has two concavities (in the cervical and lumbar regions) and one convexity (in the thoracic region). If, sitting down, put one foot on the other, the position of the lumbar region changes and takes on an unnatural shape. The ischial tuberosities move forward and the vertebrae rotate.

In addition, the entire load in this position falls on the spine. And the back muscles, the main function of which is to support the spine, rest at this time. That is why, the posture seems comfortable to us. This false convenience will make itself felt after a while. For example, with the appearance of an intervertebral hernia. By the way, according to experts, office workers are more susceptible to this disease than those whose professional activities are associated with physical exertion.

Vessels suffer

The second common disease that makes life difficult for those who like to sit cross-legged is varicose veins. In order not only to understand this theoretically, but also to feel it for yourself, you do not need to delve deeply into the features of physiology. It is enough to stay in a certain position for a long time, and you will quickly feel it.

With constant squeezing of the veins, the venous wall is stretched, the outflow of venous blood worsens and the general blood circulation is disturbed. As a quick consequence, everyone feels that the legs begin to swell, get tired quickly (even in the absence of physical exertion), heaviness appears in the lower extremities, and convulsions often occur at night.

When varicose veins appear, the next step may be thrombosis, and its consequences, alas, are more deplorable - from limb amputation to death. In addition, people with heart disease and high blood pressure should not cross their legs, since in this position the pressure rises even more.

Harm for men

In addition to the negative consequences for the spine and blood vessels, there are a number of reasons why men and women should not take a cross-legged position.

Harm to the male body is also associated with circulatory disorders, but not only in general, but in the inguinal region. Due to circulatory disorders and venous blood stagnation, the risk of various inflammations in the pelvis, legs and genitals increases. Inflammation, which does not develop rapidly, but gradually, often does not cause concern, and in vain. Over time, it will still lead to a violation of the sexual function of a man, the loss of the ability to conceive, or even impotence.

It should be noted that such factors have not only a physiological basis, but also greatly affect the psycho-emotional state of any man. This can become a very real basis for depression and other personal problems.

Harm for women

Women who like to throw one leg over the other get no less harm. For them, it is also fraught with inflammation in the pelvis, varicose veins and problems with the spine. But experts pay special attention to the period of pregnancy and explain why it is so harmful.

In the first months of pregnancy, with this position of the mother, the child in the womb experiences a lack of air and oxygen starvation. Hypoxia has a very detrimental effect on the development of the baby and can even lead to irreversible consequences: developmental delay, low weight, etc.

In late pregnancy, a lot of pressure is created on the uterus. If the mother constantly sits cross-legged, the child becomes uncomfortable to move and turn. He will not be able to roll over and take the desired position with his head down immediately before delivery. This will lead to difficult childbirth and great complications.

In addition, any problems with the intrauterine development of the child will have a bad effect on the health of the mother - both from a difficult birth, and until the next conception and bearing another child.

Violation of energy and aesthetics

Moving away from the topic of official medicine, let's see how representatives of confessions and secular education explain the harm from sitting in a cross-legged position.

An experienced psychologist will explain this situation by the complete isolation of a person. And if a person is closed and keeps a defense against everything and everyone, then he is more vulnerable and weak, first of all, before his own fears and complexes.

Adherents of aesthetics have long criticized this "comfortable" position and have always argued that neither men nor women should sit in such a position. It's ugly and vulgar.

Orthodox norms also speak of vulgarity and sinfulness. This is explained by the fact that such a pose was a favorite among harlots. On one knee they had written the cost of their services for wealthy people, and on the other - for the less wealthy. One leg was thrown over the other, depending on who addressed them.

In Orthodoxy, it is said that sitting cross-legged is to swing a demon on your leg. Such a pose speaks of a lack of humility and pride, and where pride is, the demon is right there.

As you can see, there are many different versions, from medical to religious in nature, which are quite accessible and reasonably explain why it is worth giving up cross-legged sitting. Take care of your physical and spiritual health, and you will feel that it is worth it very soon!

Sitting cross-legged is comfortable, but is it safe? What the signs and doctors say about this, they said in the article.

Signs and beliefs

Since ancient times, the cross-legged pose has been banned. There are several explanations for this:

1. In the traditions of some countries, only women of easy virtue allowed themselves to sit in this position.
2. In Orthodoxy, such a pose is considered unacceptable, because it resembles the appearance of the crucified Jesus Christ.
3. Folk signs say: you can’t cross your legs and, moreover, swing them from side to side. It is believed that such behavior lures evil spirits, promises troubles and troubles.
4. During pregnancy, it is strictly forbidden to cross your legs. Many people believe that such a position is dangerous, and a woman will have a baby with crooked legs or entwined with the umbilical cord.

scientific point of view

Scientists say: long-term crossing of the legs negatively affects health and leads to the development of diseases:

1. Damage to the peroneal nerves, which are located close to the surface of the skin and are easily injured. In this position, the nerves are pinched - and their work is disrupted. There is weakness when bending the foot, tingling and numbness of the lower leg.
2. An increase in blood pressure due to an increase in the load on the vessels and circulatory disorders.
3. Displacement of the hip joint due to overstrain of the muscles and ligaments of the legs.
4. Varicose veins, which leads to impaired blood flow in the legs and increases the risk of thrombosis.
5. Stoop that contributes to the appearance of pain in the neck and lumbar spine.
6. Intervertebral hernia. In this position, the position of the pelvic bones changes, the load on the muscles of the back and abdominals increases. Over time, a hernia occurs, and back pain intensifies.

To avoid negative consequences, you should move more, do a little warm-up every hour for 5-10 minutes.

mystical point of view

It is believed that crossed legs do not let energy through. On the one hand, this is good - so you can protect yourself from evil people. On the other hand, positive energy will not reach you either.

In some countries, to be in such a position means to show disrespect. It is believed that in this way you move away from the interlocutor and do not hear his words.

Crossed legs can help guard against attempts to break into the subconscious. It is assumed that psychics and mediums will not be able to read your thoughts.

It is up to you to decide whether to believe in mysticism and signs, whether to listen to scientists, but folk signs and doctors do not recommend staying in this position for a long time. This position of the body can negatively affect your mood and well-being.

I like to sit on a chair with my legs crossed. Lately, I've noticed that my legs get swollen quickly. When changing the position of the legs, the result is the same.

The habit of sitting in this position has been developed since childhood, but I always felt good and did not cause any inconvenience to me.

Why is it now uncomfortable for me to sit in this position? After clarifying, I learned a lot of interesting things for myself. I would like to introduce you to some of them.

Sitting on a chair with one leg crossed is a bad habit.

Many people suffer from this bad habit. Why harmful, you ask?

Yes, because such a pose is harmful to our health. Everyone knows that the spine of a healthy person is not at all straight, it has three characteristic bends: cervical, thoracic and lumbar.

And in the normal position, the lumbar region is in a concave state. When a person crosses his legs, the lumbar arches in the opposite direction, which is unnatural for this part of the spine.

Depending on whether you put your right or left leg on top, the lumbar vertebrae also turn a little, and the ischial tuberosities go forward. At the same time, the entire load falls on the vertebral section, and the back muscles rest, they do not participate in supporting the spine.

Apparently, therefore, a person feels relaxed and comfortable in such a position. It is no secret that most people whose work involves a chair and a computer often sit in a similar position.

So why is the habit of sitting cross-legged?

A long-term habit of sitting in an unnatural position for the spine often causes the disease of the vertebral hernia. Of their total number, up to 60% arise precisely posterolateral.

Oddly enough, recently lawyers, accountants and other people suffer from vertebral hernias more often. Their work is associated with a long stay in the chair. And not those who are engaged in hard physical labor, for example, loaders. The back muscles of loaders are well developed, because every day they experience stress many times. Muscles are a good framework for the spine.

The second reason that will allow you to refuse a comfortable posture of staying on a chair is that from prolonged sitting in an unnaturally curved spinal region, nerve roots and blood vessels are squeezed. This leads to stagnation of blood in the lumbar region.

Slowing of blood circulation and lymphatic circulation makes it difficult to nourish all organs, tissues and cells, mental activity of the brain suffers, eyes get tired.

Frequent stay of a person in a similar position can be the cause of inflammatory processes of the pelvic organs in both men and women. This habit contributes to the occurrence of varicose veins and causes numbness in the legs.

It is especially harmful for pregnant women to stay in a similar position for a long time. For the same reason, blood circulation in the pelvic region slows down, which means that the nutrition of the fetus is disturbed.

In the old days, people said that this pose speaks of the pride of a person, and yet, such an expression was in use: to sit with one leg crossed over the other meant to swing the devil on the leg.

Back in the 17th century, a set of rules was issued for young girls, which stated how they should behave in society. One of the rules said: "Sitting decently is not an easy art ... and further it was said that you can not "cross your legs."

There are several exercises that restore blood circulation well in the pelvis and lumbar region. Lie on your stomach, alternately bend either the left or the right leg, trying to hit the buttock with the heel.

And one more simple exercise that disperses blood through all the veins, starting from the lumbar region and to the tips of the toes. Standing in the starting position: heels and toes together, hands can be lowered along the body or put on the hips. On the count - one, rise on your toes, lifting your heels off the floor, on the count - two, return to the starting position.

• The exercise developed by A. Mikulin well accelerates the blood, read:

Currently, special Zero corrector chairs have been designed for people in sedentary professions. On them, the seat is positioned in such a way that it allows you to keep the spine in a natural position without breaking its curve.

The ischial tubercles do not move forward, but are in the same plane with the spine, the muscles do not tense up. Most importantly, while sitting on such a chair, a person does not have a desire to sit comfortably and cross his legs.

Watch a short video on how S. Chechil, a well-known chiropractor, explains in an accessible way why you can’t sit cross-legged?

Be healthy, live long!

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If you pay attention, you will notice that many people like to sit with their legs crossed. Firstly, this is a comfortable position, and secondly, it is a great opportunity for the fairer sex to flirt and show men the beauty of their legs.

Men also sit like this, because this position pleasantly relaxes the spine and many muscles. Is cross-legged sitting really harmless, or is it a health hazard?

Harm to the body from the point of view of medicine

• varicose veins;
• thrombosis;
• increased blood pressure;
• insufficient supply of blood to the heart;
• paralysis of the small tibial nerve;
• hernia;
• inflammatory diseases of the pelvic organs.

Harm to the body of sitting in a pose, cross-legged, and the development of dangerous conditions and diseases, is caused by circulatory disorders and venous blood stagnation in the small pelvis. Vertebral hernia often occurs in lawyers, accountants and other people whose professional activities involve sitting on a chair. If you sit in this position, unnatural for the spine, the nerve roots and blood vessels are compressed, which leads to stagnation of blood in the lumbar region.

Most often, the habit of folding the legs “crosswise” causes the formation of a venous network on the body. In this position, the normal blood flow through the veins of the legs is disturbed, their blockage occurs.

Scientists have proven that if you sit cross-legged for more than three hours a day, a stoop appears, the spine is bent, posture worsens, back pain and discomfort in the hips bother you.

Ethics and aesthetics

Adherents of etiquette say that the cross-legged position looks very ugly and speaks of bad manners for someone who sits like this in the presence of other people. This statement is not accidental, it has its own long history. In ancient times, women of "easy virtue", who made money selling their own bodies, wrote the price of services for poor clients on one knee, and on the other - for the wealthy. Assessing the appearance of the man, they showed him a suitable knee, crossing his legs.

Thus, it was easy to recognize a woman of "easy virtue" by her manner of sitting. Decent girls chose more decent and modest poses.

What is the danger for pregnant women?

During pregnancy, experts categorically forbid women to sit cross-legged. In addition to all the health problems that people have when sitting cross-legged, expectant mothers can develop even more dangerous conditions.

Fetal hypoxia is a common consequence of this posture. Slowed blood circulation in the pelvic organs causes oxygen starvation of the tissues of the fetus, which can cause it to freeze or miscarry.

If a woman crosses her legs in late pregnancy, the baby will not be able to roll over to take the correct position - head down. If this recommendation is violated, a caesarean section is not excluded due to the breech presentation of the fetus.

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Many of us cross our legs when we sit down, and do so almost automatically. In this position, we seem more elegant and sexy, and it is often called "feminine." We accept this position of the body without hesitation, but only a few know what serious consequences this can lead to.

Although the woman in the photo above looks very attractive to most people due to the way she sits, it is still necessary for everyone to know what happens to the body when a person takes a long time in a cross-legged position:

• The tendency to stay in this position for hours can lead to such an unpleasant disease as peroneal nerve palsy or just paralysis. The same applies when you sit in the same position for a long period of time. It turns out that the posture that causes such health complications is the usual crossing of the legs.
• Back in 2010, numerous studies proved that sitting cross-legged for a long time causes an increase in blood pressure. Even if you have never had blood pressure problems, avoiding sitting in this position will help you become healthier and avoid circulation problems.

• This body posture can also lead to problems with the pelvic muscles. Crossing the legs for long periods of time makes the inner thigh muscles shorter and the outer thigh muscles longer, putting the joints at risk of misalignment.
• The habit of putting your legs crosswise increases the chances of getting varicose veins on your legs. Despite the fact that varicose veins in most cases are inherited, frequent crossing of the legs can cause inflammation of the pinched veins. There are tiny valves in blood vessels that prevent blood from flowing in the wrong direction. When the legs are crossed, the pressure in the veins increases and this prevents normal blood flow, causing narrowing and weakening of the elasticity of the vessel walls. As a result, the blood thickens and the veins in the legs swell.

Finally, studies show that sitting cross-legged for more than 3 hours a day can lead to slouching, lower back and neck pain, and hip discomfort.

Thus, we have given you some food for thought, and now you can give up this habit once and for all in order to avoid chronic health problems. Be sure that the next time you catch yourself crossing your legs, you will immediately stop doing it!