Is Crossing Your Legs Bad for You and Your Health?

You've probably heard that sitting with legs crossed at the knees might be harmful to your health. But it's a habit most people have, and it's a tough one to kick whether you're working at your desk, dining at a restaurant or waiting in a waiting room.

In addition to that, we generally sit much more in this modern age, with fewer people working physical jobs and choosing sedentary work. Some people sit up to 8 to 10 hours a day, or more.

Many women have also probably heard their teachers or grandmothers scold them for sitting with legs crossed, and this etiquette rule may have come from the potential negative side effects for health.

Many patients bring this question to their doctors and physical therapists, unsure what to believe. For other frequent questions that patients make to their therapists, see our dedicated guide.

We've put together a full guide that answers the question, is crossing your legs bad for you and your health?

Why is crossing your legs bad for you?

1. Pain in the neck and back

One lesser-known side effect of sitting with legs crossed is neck and back pain. The mechanism is straightforward: crossing the legs creates pelvic imbalance that transfers pressure up the spine.

The reason is that when we cross our legs, there's pressure and compression on our knee, leg joints and nerves.

Sitting with one leg over the other for a long time means your hips are uneven, and your pelvic bone rotates and creates an imbalance in the pelvis and pressure on the lower back. When that happens, pressure on the lower, middle parts of the back and the neck might occur.

If leg crossing is a long-standing habit, what starts as a short-term pain can develop into a long term problem, the longer you wait to change your habits.

2. It is bad for your knees

We're sitting much longer than our bodies are designed to do. Sitting in poor positions, including crossing one leg over the other, stretches the ligaments and muscles around the knees beyond their intended range.

This then leads to increased pressure on the knee joints and potential swelling and pain.

So when a person asks is crossing legs bad for knees, the short answer is yes, especially long term. To avoid that, it is important to regularly stretch out the legs and give your knees a break.

If knee pain is already an issue, our guide to knee pain causes and treatment covers what to expect and when to see a therapist.

3. It may cause hip pain

Sitting with one leg over the other could also be adding extra stress to the hip joint as this joint is not allowed to relax. Long term, this sitting posture may cause hip pain.

Crossing your legs or leaning over to one side while you're sitting can put more pressure on one or both hips.

Sustained poor sitting posture over months or years gradually weakens the hip muscles, leading to discomfort, tension, and pain.

Regular hip stretching and correcting your sitting posture are the first steps toward prevention. If you are already experiencing discomfort, our hip pain treatment team can help identify the cause and build a recovery plan.

4. Crossing one leg over the other is not good for your blood flow

You probably have experienced your legs going numb after sitting with your legs crossed for a more extended period. And while it goes away quite soon, the long term effects can be serious.

When you sit with one leg over the other, you put pressure on your veins that are pumping and returning blood to the heart. Once you cross your legs, you create more pressure that hinders the blood flow and eventually can lead to vein inflammation and damage in the legs.

The effects are both medical and cosmetic. You might be at greater risk for a blood clot, higher blood pressure and varicose (spider) veins.

More than 40 million people in the United States suffer from varicose veins, and the prevalence of varicose veins is greater in women (55%) than men (45%).

Reducing prolonged leg crossing is a low-effort step that may lower your cumulative risk over time.

5. It can affect your posture

Our sitting poses greatly influence our health, how our body moves, and our general posture.

Since sitting with the legs crossed at the knees puts pressure and compression on the knees, leg joints, keeps the hips uneven and rotates the pelvis long term, the shape of our body and general posture changes.

There are also other negative side effects. The thighs get tighter; the hip joints lock, the inner leg muscles get shorter, making the knees go in. When shifting our weight side to side (switching legs), we're also throwing the pelvis off balance.

Lastly, people either hold their upper body too stiff or collapse when sitting cross-legged, which also alters the posture long term.

6. It can affect your nerves

Finally, sitting with one leg over the other can compress the peroneal nerve just behind the knee joint. This nerve is a part of the sciatic nerve, and when pinched, it can cause great pain.

Any pressure on this nerve, such as leg crossing, can cause numbness and tingling, and over time may damage the nerve. This damage can result in long-term numbness and foot drop.

Permanent foot drop from leg crossing is rare and typically requires prolonged, sustained pressure on the nerve. If you experience persistent numbness or weakness in the foot, consult your physician rather than attributing it to sitting habits alone.

How to break the habit of crossing your legs?

Breaking the habit of sitting with legs crossed is not easy. Most people do it without thinking and have been sitting this way for years.

That's why you should try to practice mindfulness whenever you sit. When you notice poor posture, adjust by crossing at the ankles instead, with both feet flat on the floor. This way, your pelvis and the entire spine is in a neutral position. There's also no negative tension on the ligaments, joints, and discs.

Another thing to remember is to keep your weight slightly in front of the sit bones. Both feet should be flat on the floor with your knees and hips as close to 90 degrees as possible.

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Final Thoughts

o build the habit of checking your posture, try to take breaks when sitting, go for a walk around the room and stretch the legs.

Lastly, get an ergonomic chair that supports your lower back. If you need help from a professional physical therapist, contact Miracle Rehab Clinic to book an appointment at our Farmington Hills or Warren locations.

Our specialists will help you manage pain and provide personalized guidance to correct your posture over time.