Is it bad to sit with your legs crossed at your desk all day?

THERE is a lot of conflicting information available on whether sitting with your legs crossed for long periods can cause health problems, such as varicose veins, or not.

While there has been a suggested link between standing or sitting for long periods and varicose veins, there is, as yet, no definite evidence for this.

The link is related to varicose veins occurring where there is an increase in the pressure of the veins in the leg – like when you have one leg resting on the other, restricting the blood flow.

This can happen if someone sits or stands for a long period of time, because your veins have valves to keep the blood from flowing backwards. Sitting or standing can cause the blood to pool within the veins of the leg, which can lead to an increase in the pressure of the leg veins. In turn, this could lead to varicose veins forming.

That being said, your leg crossing might not be the definitive reason for the appearance of purple, enlarged veins on your legs.

There are other known risk factors which can cause them, such as being female, getting older, being overweight, having a family history of varicose veins, and being pregnant.

Back pain can also be common for those who sit down all day at work.

This can be linked to people not having the appropriate workspace or work station set up.

In order to compensate for the set up, you might adjust your positioning, which can put your back or neck under stress over time.

Crossing your legs is just one of the elements that can put your spine into a vulnerable position, so it’s important to think about your posture, the position of your computer screen, the position of your mouse and keyboard, the height of your chair and where your phone is placed.

Whether you cross your legs or not, if you are sitting for long periods of time then it is recommended to get up and move around for a couple of minutes every 20 to 30 minutes, too.

Having shorter, frequent breaks is more beneficial for your back than taking one or two longer breaks. It can help prevent your back, and other parts of your body, from becoming stiff, and there are also numerous stretches you can do at your desk to help avoid or tackle those aches and pains.

So, If you’re sitting down, try not to cross your legs, as this can restrict your blood flow and circulation.

It is also worth us being aware that crossing our legs can be something we may do when our work stations are not set up properly for us. In a bid to compensate for the set up, we cross our legs to naturally try to correct the balance.

If you’re worried about the impact that sitting at your desk each day is having on your body, speak to your employer about a health assessment – this can provide tailored, individual guidance on your desk posture.

That being said, it’s the sitting for long periods of time that’s likely to do more damage than crossing your legs – so get up, get moving and offer to do a regular office tea round instead.

Do you have an opinion to share in our First Person feature? If so, email an article (up to 400 words) to firstperson@hulldailymail.co.uk with a paragraph explaining your connection to the subject matter. We also need a head and shoulders picture and a daytime contact number.