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Though the Karnataka High Court in its recent response to a RTI stated that there's no rule or order prohibiting people from sitting cross-legged during court proceedings, one might think whether doing so in our daily lives has any bad effects on the human body.
Several people prefer to cross one leg over the other while being seated but the consequences of spending too much time with one knee crossed over the other can lead to health issues including raised blood pressure, nerve damage and back aches, among others. It's a known fact that if anyone spends too much time in exactly the same position, eventually your leg or your foot can go numb. This is because crossing legs can put pressure on the peroneal nerve behind the knee, which supplies temporary sensation to the lower legs and feet. Research published in the Journal of Clinical Nursing suggested a link between crossed legs and high blood pressure. It caused a spike in blood pressure and though these levels returned to normal after the legs are uncrossed, but obviously one shouldn't pump up their blood pressure for hours on end without getting up to stretch or walk every 15 to 20 minutes. Further, maintaining a particular posture for too long can also lead to a condition called peroneal nerve palsy where one can't lift the front part of their foot and toes. A study published in the Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society examined a series of patients' notes in order to identify the chief causes. It was found that sitting on a chair with one knee over the other didn't feature but sitting cross-legged on the floor for hours at a time did. Another study published in the Journal of Physical Therapy Science found that people who sat with their legs crossed for more than three hours a day had poor posture. Sitting for long periods of time with your leg over your knee can cause your pelvis to rotate and tilt. This can cause pain in the lower back. It could also lead to a misalignment of your spine over time. So, there are plenty of ways to improve your posture, but when it comes to what to do with your legs, specifically, it's typically recommended to sit with your feet flat on the ground as much as possible. All in all, the bottom line is that though crossing your legs mostly won't have any long-term adverse effects on the body but for optimum health, try to avoid sitting in any one position for too long and do take breaks in between for stretching. (ANI)
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