A
Crossing your legs is an extremely common habit; most people don’t even notice that they’re doing it when they sit down. While you may find it comfortable to sit with one knee crossed over the other, it might be causing health problems that you are not aware of.
A study published in Blood Pressure Monitoring stated that sitting with your legs crossed can increase your blood pressure. The reason this happens is because the blood in your legs has to work against gravity to be pumped back to your heart, crossing one leg over the other increases resistance, making it even harder for the blood to circulate. This causes your body to increase your blood pressure to push the blood back to the heart. You won’t feel any immediate effects, but if you sit for long periods of time it’s important that you take note of how long you have your legs crossed for. You shouldn’t have your legs crossed for more than 15 minutes, and it’s important that you get up and walk around at least once every hour.
Crossing your legs can also lead to neck and back pain. Ideally, it’s best for our bodies to sit with our feet planted flat, hip width apart, on the floor, but it’s not easy to maintain perfect posture all day at the office.
You also might notice that when you sit with your legs crossed for long periods of time your feet and legs get tingly(刺痛的) or have the feeling of being asleep. While the feeling of discomfort may only last a minute or two, repeatedly crossing your legs until they feel numb can cause permanent nerve damage.
So next time you sit down, try to get yourself in the habit of sitting with both of your feet on the floor. Not only will it help your posture and stability, but it will also save your health in the long run.
1. Crossing legs affect your blood pressure because___________.
A. it causes your body to push the blood back to the heart.
B. you can not feel any immediate effects.
C. it is harder for the blood to circulate.
D. you don’t have enough time to walk around.
2. To solve the problems caused by crossing legs, you’d better_______.
A. sit with your feet planted flat on the floor for hours.
B. keep your sitting posture and stability permanently.
C. try to be aware of whether you are comfortable or not.
D. pay attention to how long you have your legs crossed for.
3.Which word can not describe the feeling when you cross your legs for a long time?
A. tired B.nervous C.numb D. painful
