If you can't sit cross legged even for a minute, here is what your body is telling you

 

For some people, sitting cross-legged even for a few seconds is not possible. In many people, it leads to pinching pain, numbness and cramps, which is a sign that something is miserably wrong with your health, especially with the muscles of your lower body. Being unable to sit cross-legged for a long time is a clear sign that you have tense muscles.

Benefits of sitting cross-legged

- It improves the range of motion

- It improves blood flow

- A great way to stretch your muscles

- Good for your knees and joints

- Improves your posture

- Boosts your bowel movement

- When you sit cross-legged, your ankles put more pressure on the arteries of your inner thighs. This makes your heart pump more blood, leading to a better blood supply to all parts of the body.

Here is what your body is trying to tell you if you cannot sit cross-legged for more than one minute.

You have weak glutes

When you sit cross-legged, your body weight lies on the glutes and if your glutes are not strong enough, the area will start to feel numb. For this, you need to indulge in exercises that are good for your glutes.

If you cannot do that, ensure that you get up every other hour and walk to improve your blood circulation.

Your thighs are not strong enough

Your thighs bear the stretch when you sit cross-legged and not having a stronger thigh will not help you hold the pose for a long time. Thus, it's absolutely important to work out your legs at least once a week.

Your pelvic muscles are weak

Having loose pelvic muscles is worse than having way too tight pelvic muscles. When your pelvic muscles are way too tight, it becomes hard to mobilize them. The only solution to both problems is to be regular with your pelvic exercises.

You have a poor blood circulation

Stiff muscles are a sign that your blood is not circulating properly and that is the only reason you feel numb in the lower body. As you age, the problem becomes even worse. Muscle stiffness also leads to stiffness in your ankles and joints. All this hampers your movement.

Ways to rectify the problem

There are various exercises and yoga poses that one can do to bring more agility to the lower body.

Here are six yoga poses and stretches that can help you sit cross-legged for longer

1. Child pose - Helps in making your hamstring and quads more flexible

2. Pigeon pose - The pose improves the hip mobility

3. Toe touch - Helps relax your leg muscles

4. Vajrasana - The pose helps stretch your thigh muscles to the max

5. Lung pose - The pose makes your glutes stronger

6. Bridge pose - It helps align your pelvic muscles properly

You can perform all these poses daily for 10 seconds for a month to see the difference.