I would of thought biology would like us to be symmetrical for maximum comfort. But after sitting down for some time humans tend to put one leg over the other? Is there a biological reason for this?
In: 122
[removed]
My assumption (from my own experience) is that it is just comfortable because it allows you to take all the weight off one of your legs, letting it hang freely in the air.
It’s been a while, but as I recall: humans aren’t actually designed to sit. The human body is really good at walking. Like really really good. Hunters used to literally walk their prey to death. We can walk multiple times farther and longer than other animals.
Before there were real settlements, people weren’t carrying chairs around. So they would camp wherever they ended up. Humans are really good at lying down as well. There was not much time spent sitting.
Now a lot of people sit 8+ hours for work, plus eating and watching tv/gaming and whatever else. We just weren’t built for that. It causes tension in our lower backs. Sitting with one leg crossed shifts that tension and temporarily feels better. That is why people will have to shift legs every now and then because we aren’t really designed to sit with one leg crossed either.
>thought biology would like us to be symmetrical
No not really, and we arent. There’s always a dominant side, and thus our bodies are very much asymmetrical
[removed]
It shifts the compression of your glutes and thighs and feet, the same reason hospital beds have moving air mattresses these days to prevent bed sores.
In addition to the answers above, women tend to do it more often because we don’t have external anatomy. Men will do it occasionally, especially after sitting for a while. But women will cross their legs or ankles pretty much any time they sit down; they don’t have anything to compress/squish between their legs.
I do it because it’s soothing to feel my knee push my calf out of the way and hold pressure against the inside of my shin. I do it laying down too. I fall asleep like that quite often.
I’m not sure if there’s a biological reason for this.
I do know that crossing your legs at the knee while sitting is not the best if you have low back issues. You’re better off crossing your legs at the ankles.
When I put both my legs down while sitting, both legs tend to swerve to the sides, so ideally I would need to counter that, so my legs don’t spread too far. This problem does not occur when I move my one leg above the other one, now they’re both in the middle, I don’t inconvenience other people sitting next to me with my legs ( you know, man spreading or something like that ), it’s just overall more comfortable for me.
Latest Answers