Is crossing your legs bad for your posture?

Sitting with your legs crossed is a common habit among both women and men. Because it feels comfortable, many people do it until it becomes a habit. But sitting in a way that puts more weight than normal on one side of the body continuously for too long can harm the body in many ways, for example:

Image: Comparison of spinal alignment when sitting cross-legged (left) and sitting upright (right)

1. It can lead to rounded shoulders Crossing your legs bends the hip joint more than normal, so the back bends and the trunk leans further forward, which can lead to a rounded-shoulder habit.

2. Back or hip pain When you cross your legs, one leg is lifted over the other, so weight is distributed unevenly across the hips and the trunk is twisted. As a result, the muscles on the two sides work unevenly, which can cause waist and back pain.

Image: Tilting of the spine and hips

3. Spinal abnormalities or scoliosis Rotation of the spine can create an S- or C-shaped curve. Crossing your legs twists the spine and pelvis so that weight can be shifted to keep you balanced while sitting, which tilts the spine. If you do not change your sitting habits, the structure of the spine may change over time and develop into scoliosis.

4. Spinal degeneration Crossing your legs twists the spine and, combined with uneven weight-bearing on the two sides, puts the side bearing more weight at greater risk of degeneration.

5. Knee pain Crossing your legs puts more weight than normal on one leg and knee and also twists the knee joint, which directly affects the bones of the knee. Because of these factors, people who cross their legs are more prone to knee pain than others.

Image: Example of correct sitting posture

We should therefore correct our sitting posture: sit up straight with your bottom against the back of the chair, distribute your weight equally on both sides, keep your feet flat on the floor, and change position often for good health. If you have back, hip or knee pain from sitting incorrectly, Rehab Care Clinic can help.

Author: Punnapha (Pan), PT
Reference
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5140821/ 
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10450120/