What if I sit cross-legged?

Plenty of people sit cross legged all the time; I’ve never heard of this happening. I think it is an urban legend.

You’re fine. Stop doing it if it is hurting your knees. Knees hurt for many different reasons, probably they are growing pains, or putting stress on your knees from physical activity. That is more likely than them hurting from sitting cross-legged. If your legs fall asleep while sitting with your legs crossed then I would say best not to do it for long periods. Most kids can sit cross-legged with no problem. Kids are generally thinner and more flexible. It is likely an old wives tale to get children to sit like young men and ladies.

Would you ask your doctor about the role of Ishmael in Moby Dick?

Don’t take medical advice from your English teacher.

If you’re flexible enough to sit that way without anything falling asleep, then so be it.

It can reduce the circulation to the extremities and if you’ve had a hip replacement then crossing your legs is a no-no but otherwise you should be fine.

I don’t think sitting cross legged makes a long term difference.

Welcome to Fluther. Be thankful your English teacher isn’t teaching you health, biology or phys ed. (And if you have questions about whether she may be an idiot in English, you can check that here, too.)

Any pain in your knees is most likely a joint problem, a ligament issue or other skeletal defect or injury. Veins are under lower pressure than arteries (always, or your circulatory system wouldn’t work) and I’ve never heard of them causing pain in any way. If I’m wrong, then I’ll be sure to be corrected momentarily. Watch this thread.

If it posed a major health problem, then kids in kindergarten wouldn’t be encouraged to sit criss-cross-applesauce

..odd though how my grade school English teacher told me it was bad to cross my legs (when sitting in a chair) since it was bad for your back. Hmmm… what’s going on with these English teachers? ;)

btw – WELCOME!!

Japanese sit like that all the time and they are in way better shape than most Americans.

I’d say your English teacher is jealous. ;-) Unless you are sitting that way in the classroom – then it might be considered a little childish or rude.

I sit cross legged all the time and I’m 50.

Go for it.

Buddha love….

Yeah, don’t take medical advice from an english teacher. Better off taking medical advice from strangers on a social networking website :-p

Seriously, if your legs aren’t tingling (a.k.a. “falling asleep”), you’ll be fine. But if you do feel your legs tingling, uncross your legs. That tingling is caused by restricted blood flow, and while unlikely, it could cause damage if you ignore the tingling for prolonged periods.