Most of us were told off at some point for how we sat.

“Don’t cross your legs, you’ll ruin your knees.”

“You’ll get varicose veins.”

It belongs to that familiar pile of health warnings many of us heard as kids, alongside cracking your knuckles or sitting too close to the television. But is crossing your legs actually bad for you?

For most people, the answer is probably no.

There is little evidence sitting with your legs crossed damages your back, wears out your hips or knees, or causes varicose veins.

If anything, the bigger issue for many of us is staying in one position for too long, getting stiff or sore, and then assuming discomfort must mean something is wrong with the body.

Where did the idea come from?

Part of it probably grew out of older ideas about posture.

For a long time, sitting “properly” was treated as a sign of discipline, self-control and good character. Once that kind of thinking takes hold, it is easy for social rules to start sounding like medical facts.

It is also easy (and common) to confuse discomfort with damage. Sitting cross-legged for a while can make you feel stiff, compressed, or ready to move.

But it is usually a cue to change position, not a sign that you are quietly harming your body.

That........

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