According to JustStand.org, we spend anywhere from 7.7 to 15 hours sitting down every day. Furthermore, people who sat for hours with their legs crossed increased their risk of death by a whopping 40 percent, according to a study published in Archives of Internal Medicine. Scary, right?
Although the solution may seem simple – stop sitting down – it’s much easier said than done since more of us are performing sedentary desk jobs. Sitting for long periods of time can lead to obesity and other serious health issues. Health authorities warn that prolonged sitting in general “is the new smoking.” This has led to a surge in the popularity of standing desks, enabling people to work while standing, and apps that alert you when you’ve been sitting too long.
But don’t just take our word for it, here are five ways your desk/sitting at-home job is seriously jeopardizing your health.
That “pins-and-needles” feeling usually means the position is placing temporary pressure on a nerve. Crossing one knee over the other can compress the common peroneal nerve near the outside of the knee.
Most sensations disappear after changing position. In rare cases, prolonged or repeated compression can injure the nerve, causing persistent numbness, leg weakness or “foot drop,” which makes it difficult to lift the front of the foot. Medical reports have documented peroneal nerve palsy following prolonged cross-legged sitting. Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
Crossing your legs at the knees can compress blood vessels and temporarily alter blood flow through the legs. You may notice:
The greater concern is often not leg-crossing alone, but remaining still for several hours. The calf muscles normally help push blood back toward the heart when you move. Long periods of inactivity allow blood to circulate more slowly.
Crossing your legs can briefly raise a blood-pressure reading because the position compresses blood vessels and changes circulation. It does not necessarily mean that crossing your legs causes chronic hypertension, but it can produce an inaccurate reading.
For the most reliable result, sit with your back supported, feet flat on the floor and legs uncrossed for at least five minutes before checking your pressure. American Heart Association
Crossing one leg over the other rotates and tilts the pelvis. Remaining that way—particularly with the same leg on top—may place uneven pressure on the hips, buttocks and lower back.
Over time, this can contribute to:
Crossing your legs is unlikely to permanently “misalign” a healthy spine, but staying in any asymmetrical position for hours can aggravate existing pain.
Crossing your legs briefly is unlikely to cause a blood clot in an otherwise healthy person. However, the CDC lists sitting for a long time—especially with crossed legs—as a risk factor for dangerous clots called deep vein thrombosis, or DVT. CDC
Your risk is higher if you:
If a clot moves to the lungs, it can cause a potentially life-threatening pulmonary embolism.
Despite a common myth, crossing your legs does not directly cause varicose veins. These veins are more strongly associated with genetics, aging, pregnancy and weakened valves inside the veins.
However, staying still or keeping pressure on the legs may worsen aching, swelling or heaviness in someone who already has vein problems. Mayo Clinic Health System
keeping the legs tightly crossed for long periods may raise the temperature around the scrotum—and repeated heat exposure can interfere with sperm production.
The testicles hang outside the body because healthy sperm production requires them to remain slightly cooler than normal body temperature. When a man crosses his legs tightly, the thighs may press the testicles closer to the body, restrict ventilation and trap heat.
One study found that sitting with the legs crossed significantly increased scrotal temperature compared with standing or sitting with the legs apart. Journal of Andrology study Other research has connected higher scrotal temperatures with lower sperm concentration and total sperm output, although the relationship between ordinary sitting habits and semen quality remains less certain. Human Reproduction study
Frequent or sustained testicular overheating may temporarily affect:
The NHS confirms that increased scrotal temperature is associated with reduced semen quality, but the evidence does not prove that occasionally crossing your legs causes infertility.
There is no single cutoff that applies to everyone. A good rule is to change positions whenever you notice numbness, tingling, pain or pressure. During long periods of desk work or travel:
The CDC recommends walking every one to two hours during prolonged sitting and performing simple heel, toe and leg-muscle exercises. CDC blood-clot prevention guidance
Contact a healthcare professional if numbness, tingling or weakness continues after changing position, particularly if you cannot lift your foot normally.
Seek urgent medical care for:
These can be warning signs of DVT or a pulmonary embolism and should not be ignored.
The bottom line: Crossing your legs occasionally is usually safe. The real danger comes from prolonged immobility, sustained nerve pressure and repeatedly sitting in an uncomfortable, uneven position. Your healthiest posture is often your next posture—move and change positions regularly.up and walk around, always sit with your feet flat on the ground, keep your back straight and make sure your shoulders are relaxed and your arms are rested on the arms of your chair.
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