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Everyone crosses their legs when they sit sometimes. It’s comfy, it gives you something to do with your legs—but is it unhealthy?
There have been several medical rumors over the years regarding what kind of health problems crossed legs can really cause. Maybe someone has told you that sitting cross-legged will give you varicose veins, or raise your blood pressure.
Is there truth to these? Let’s look at them.
Will it make you lose circulation in your legs? Probably not, at least not in the long term. Sitting in basically any position can make you feel pins and needles in your feet eventually. Of course, if you feel that when your legs are crossed, you should switch positions. Sitting with good posture will help too. This will not only help you prevent that decreased circulation, but it’ll also improve your breathing, lessen back pain, and keep your brain sharp.
Will it give you varicose veins? No, not unless you’re prone to them. Varicose veins are enlarged veins that can bulge from the skin. But crossing your legs doesn’t cause them. Genetics, age, obesity, and pregnancy are all more likely to do that. Doctors aren’t even totally sure what the initial cause for them is, but it isn’t crossing your legs.
Will it raise your blood pressure? It depends. Several studies have found that crossing your legs can lead to a small, temporary increase in blood pressure. But even then, crossing your legs at the knee wasn’t seen to have any long-term effects on blood pressure. If you’re at risk of blood clots, however, you should talk to your doctor about how often you sit and in what position, since crossed legs may aggravate blood clots.
