Why can't you cross your legs? Or is it possible? Protective barrier formed using legs

Sitting with your legs crossed is very comfortable; the spine and many muscles of the body relax. But isn’t this harmful to health and doesn’t this pose have a hidden anti-sacral meaning?

What you will learn from the article:

Why you can't sit cross-legged: Medicine

Some doctors are categorically against this position. Allegedly, it threatens with a bunch of health problems - from varicose veins and blockage of veins, blood clots to cardiovascular problems, increased blood pressure and lack of blood flow to the heart. It is strictly forbidden for pregnant women to cross their legs high. And the rest are recommended to change the position of their legs more often - right and left leg at the top, if it is no longer possible to abandon this position altogether.

This is in two words. I won’t write any more words on the topic of cross-legged posture and health. The reason is all unproven things, rather from the realm of guesswork and myths. I didn’t find any ironclad scientific confirmation.

Why you can’t sit with your legs crossed: Ethics and aesthetics

Etiquette adherents claim that this pose is very indecent, especially for the fair sex. By the way, I found two “stories” related to this. The first is that in the old days, women who earned their living with their bodies wrote the price for the poor on one knee and the price for the rich on the other. And assessing the clients’ external data, they put the right knee to the top accordingly. This service and understanding of your target audience will make some marketers simply jealous.

The second story is also connected with women of easy virtue. Allegedly, it was in this way - through the manner of sitting, crossing her legs, that the harlot gave herself away. Decent girls chose more attractive poses.

Well, here too it’s up to everyone to judge. Personally, this pose is quite acceptable to me, unless of course you are wearing a miniskirt from Basic Instinct. Moreover, for many it is so familiar that it doesn’t even catch the eye. But it seems something ordinary.

Leg to Leg Pose: Psychology

Psychologists also paid attention to this pose and claim that the pose reveals a person who feels awkward, uncomfortable and is trying to “disown” other people with this pose. Perhaps they are unpleasant to him or he is afraid of something. In any case, such crossing of legs or arms shows that the person has closed himself off, fenced himself off, and is trying to isolate and protect himself. Again, unless it is a simple muscular habit of crossing your legs.

Cross-legged - is it possible to sit like this: Religion and superstitions

IN Christian tradition They also don’t like this position of the legs. It is considered unhumble. In this position, one leg is on top, and it is believed that the devil is hanging on it like a swing. Therefore, in order not to roll the demon and thereby attract it, believers try not to cross their legs, and especially not to dangle the leg that is on top.

By the way, according to statistics, the majority of people who prefer this position while sitting throw their left leg up - about 70% of all respondents.

Do you take this pose? And which leg is on top? Tell us in the comments!

Mark sits with his legs wide apart, fiddling with his tie and twirling a salt shaker with his other hand. He did not notice that for the last 20 minutes his companion's legs had been crossed and pointed to the nearest exit

The further away a body part is from the brain, the less aware we are of its action. For example, most people have a good idea of ​​their own facial expressions. We even know how to adopt certain expressions intentionally, hiding our true thoughts behind them. But we are less aware of the movements of our arms and hands. We imagine the actions of the chest and abdomen even worse. And we don’t understand at all what our legs and feet do.

It follows that the legs and feet are an important source of information about a person's true feelings, since most people are not aware of their actions and do not intentionally try to change them, such as facial expressions. A person may appear focused and interested, but their foot will tap the floor impatiently or swing in the air, indicating depression and boredom due to the inability to escape.

Tapping and swaying of the feet indicates an attempt to escape away from what is happening to the person at the moment.

Everybody's talking about a new way of walking

The way a person moves his arms when walking says a lot about his personality or how he wants to appear to others. Young, healthy, energetic people walk faster than older people. Their arms fly up energetically. It appears that people are marching, which is explained by the high pace of walking and muscle elasticity. This is precisely the purpose of a military march: the soldiers look young and full of energy. Many politicians and public figures walk the same way. They want to appear young and vibrant in order to win the hearts of voters. This is why many politicians tend to take long, sweeping strides. Women's arms are thrown back strongly when walking. This happens because women's arms are turned outward from the elbow to more securely hold babies.

Feet tell the whole truth

We conducted a series of experiments asking participants to deliberately lie during interviews. We have found that people, regardless of gender, begin to make unconscious movements with their feet when they tell a lie. Most of the experiment participants consciously changed their facial expressions, tried to control their hands, but did not feel at all what their legs and feet were doing. The results of our experiment were confirmed by psychologist Paul Ekman. He found that when people lie, their lower body becomes significantly more active. From this we can conclude that to detect lies, one should observe the entire human body. This is why many executives only feel comfortable sitting behind a closed desk that hides their lower body.

If you are not sure whether the person sitting at the table is telling the truth, look under the table.

Sitting at a glass table, a person is much more nervous than sitting at a wooden table, because our legs are visible under the transparent glass, and we do not feel full control over the situation.

Purpose of the legs

Human legs serve two purposes: they allow us to move forward to get food and to run away from danger. Since the human brain is programmed to do this - to strive for what we want and to run away from what we don't want, the legs and feet immediately show where a person wants to go. In other words, you can tell by the legs whether a person wants to continue the conversation or would prefer to leave. Open or uncrossed leg positions indicate openness or a desire for dominance. Crossed legs are a sign of closedness or uncertainty.

If a woman is not interested in a man, she can cross her arms over her chest and point her crossed legs away from him. An interested woman will definitely take an open pose and point her legs towards the man.

Four basic standing positions

1. Attention

This is a formal position demonstrating a neutral attitude with no intention of fleeing or staying. When communicating between men and women, women most often stand this way because it allows them to close their knees. Schoolchildren take this pose when talking with teachers, junior officers stand up in front of their senior officers. This is how subjects stand before the queen and subordinates before their boss.

Attention pose

2. Spread legs

As mentioned earlier, this position is predominantly characteristic of men. This is a kind of demonstration of the groin. In this position, the man stands firmly with both feet on the ground, clearly showing that he has no desire to run away. This is a signal of male dominance because it emphasizes the genitals. A man in this position feels real macho.

Showing your groin - flaunting your masculinity

Demonstration of the groin is typical of real machos and tough guys

Male athletes often stand in this position, one opposite the other during competitions, drawing attention to their groin area. This pose allows men to emphasize their masculinity and show team spirit.

3. One leg forward

In this position, the body weight is transferred to one leg, and the other is put forward. In the Middle Ages, people in high positions were often depicted in this pose. At the same time, the artist could depict thin stockings and luxurious shoes, indicating wealth.

One leg is put forward, the toe points in the direction where the person unconsciously wants to go

This posture allows us to immediately understand the person's intentions, since we usually point the toe where we would like to go. This pose can be regarded as the beginning of walking. When in a group, we point our toes towards the most interesting and attractive person. When we want to leave, our toe ends up pointing towards the nearest exit.

4. Crossing your legs

The next time you find yourself in a group of men and women, notice that some of them are standing with their arms and legs crossed. Take a closer look and you will notice that such people stand a little further from their interlocutors than required by the rules.

If they are wearing raincoats or jackets, then most likely outerwear will be buttoned. This pose is usually taken when surrounded by unfamiliar people. After talking with such people, you will definitely be convinced that some or all of those present are unfamiliar to them.

While open legs convey openness or dominance, crossed legs convey a closed, submissive, or defensive mood, since this position prevents any access to the genitals.

If a woman adopts such poses, the interlocutor can draw two conclusions: firstly, she intends to stay and not leave; secondly, access to it is closed.

Crossing your legs while standing

When a man stands in this position, it means that he is staying, but wants to be sure that you will not “kick him in the middle.” vulnerable spot" Open legs are a demonstration of masculinity. Crossed legs - protection of masculinity. If a man feels superior to his interlocutor, showing his groin will be quite appropriate. If he is in the company of males who suppress him, such a gesture will make the man feel vulnerable. Research shows that people who lack confidence are more likely to cross their legs.

Scissors - “No comment”, but this person is not going to leave

Spread legs prove a man's self-confidence, crossed legs show secrecy and vulnerability.

Imagine that you see a group of men standing with with open hands, in unbuttoned jackets. The men are relaxed. Each one has one foot forward, with the toes pointing towards the other members of the group. Men gesticulate and constantly invade each other's personal space. It immediately becomes clear that these people know each other well. You can even call them friends.

Try a little experiment. Join a group of strangers, cross your arms and legs, and put on a serious face. One by one, the group members will begin to cross their arms or legs and will remain in this position until you, a stranger to them, leave. Stand back and watch the group. Men will gradually return to their previous position, feeling much calmer.

Crossing your legs not only conveys a negative, defensive mood, but also disrupts general feeling security. This attitude is immediately felt by all members of the group.

Is the posture defensive, frozen, or “just comfortable”?

Some people claim that they do not cross their legs because they are in a defensive or irritable state. They're just cold. But when trying to warm our hands, we tuck them under our armpits, rather than wrapping them around our elbows, as in a defensive cross. When we are cold, we hug ourselves, and when we cross our legs, we straighten them and press them tightly together. The defensive posture is more relaxed and calm.
People who frequently cross their arms or legs would rather say that they are cold than admit that they are nervous, anxious, or worried about something. Others say they feel “comfortable” this way. And at the same time, they most likely are not lying. When a person is worried or anxious, he is much more comfortable with his arms and legs crossed, since this position allows him to hide his true emotional state.

How do we move from a closed pose to an open one?

As people become more comfortable in the group and become familiar with those around them, they gradually move from a closed, defensive posture with crossed arms and legs to a more open and relaxed posture. The “disclosure” procedure is the same almost everywhere.

At the beginning of the conversation, the interlocutors are in a closed position with their arms and legs crossed (see Figure 1). As they get to know each other and begin to feel more comfortable and relaxed, their situation changes. First, the legs move into a position of attention, then the arm, which was in a crossed position on top, is released and the palm becomes visible. The arm is no longer used as a barrier, although the other one still remains in the same place. After this, the second hand is also freed, which may end up on the hip or in the pocket. And in the end, the interlocutors move to a position with their leg put forward, which indicates complete mutual understanding (see Figure 2).

Crossing legs in Europe

Approximately 70% of people place their left leg on top of their right when crossing. This is a normal situation for residents of Europe, Asia and most countries under English influence.

When a person crosses both arms and legs, he thereby emotionally separates himself from the conversation. While your interlocutor is in this position, there is no point in convincing him of anything.

This woman is closed to any communication

In a business setting, you may notice that people in similar positions speak more in short sentences, reject more proposals and remember fewer meeting details than those in an open position.

It is believed that in this way a person protects his genitals. In comparison, crossed arms indicate a more negative attitude than crossed legs. But you can also draw conclusions from the lower extremities about how your interlocutor is configured. There are two main variations of the cross-legged pose - standard and lock.

Standard cross-legged pose

The standard pose is when one leg is crossed over the other, usually right over left. This is a common posture used by Europeans, Australians and New Zealanders. It can be interpreted as an expression of nervousness, defensiveness, or reserve. However, this pose is also auxiliary, which should be considered solely in context and in conjunction with other gestures. For example, people often sit in this position during lectures or when they are quite stressed. for a long time spend in an uncomfortable chair.

If a person is cold, then he will also instinctively take this position. If crossed legs are combined with crossed arms, then the person adopting this pose clearly wants to avoid conversation. It would be very foolish for a sales agent to ask a buyer sitting with his legs and arms crossed to make a decision. It will be much more useful to ask some questions to find out the reason for the negative attitude. This position is also common among women in most countries around the world. This is how they show their disapproval to their husbands or boyfriends.

American cross-legged pose - "lock"

If a person crosses his legs in this way, i.e. one leg remains on the floor, and the other half-bent lies on the other leg, which means he is competitive and negative. This position is very common in the United States, especially among men who have a strong competitive spirit. Therefore, it is very difficult to determine the mood of an American who crosses his legs in this way, but if a British person adopts this pose, then his mood becomes completely obvious.

If we're talking about about sales, it would be unwise to end the presentation and ask for an order if the buyer is positioned in such a position. Most likely, the agent needs to change tactics and become more open. The American pose is often adopted by women who wear trousers or jeans.

"Lock" with hands fixing the thrown leg

This posture is typical of people who have a certain point of view, which is difficult to change during the discussion. As a rule, they sit with their legs crossed and held with one or both hands. This pose indicates stubbornness. To break the resistance of such a person, a non-standard approach will be required and quite long time.

Crossing your legs while standing

The next time you attend a meeting or reception, notice small groups of people standing with their arms and legs crossed. You will probably notice that they are much further apart than everyone else. If they are wearing jackets or suits, they will most likely find themselves buttoned up. If you talk to these people, you will find that one or all of them are new to this society. This is exactly the position that people often take when they find themselves in the company of people they don’t know well enough.

Now pay attention to another group, whose members stand without crossing their arms, with their palms open, in unbuttoned jackets, in a word, they feel completely free. They lean slightly towards each other and boldly invade the intimate areas of their interlocutors, and also allow them into theirs. intimate area. A closer acquaintance with these people will show that they have all known each other for a long time or are even friends with each other. Interestingly, those who stand with their arms and legs crossed often maintain a completely calm expression on their faces, and the conversation between them can go quite naturally. But their posture reveals that deep down they do not feel calm and confident.

"Revelation" technique

As people begin to feel calmer in the group and get to know their interlocutors better, they gradually move from a defensive position with crossed arms and legs to a relaxed open posture. This is evidenced by instinctive movements and gestures. Research shows that the “revelation” technique is almost the same in all countries, writes “Goroscope.ru”.

Defensive position or simple coldness?

Many people claim that they cross their arms and legs not because they feel insecure, but simply because they are cold. Very often such a statement is not true. There are differences between a defensive pose and a frozen person's pose.

First, if a person wants to warm his hands, he usually tucks them under his armpits, rather than placing his palms on his forearms, as in a defensive posture. Secondly, a frozen person usually wraps his arms around himself. His crossed legs are straight, they are tense and pressed tightly against one another. A more relaxed leg position indicates a defensive position.

Crossed Ankle Pose

Crossing your arms or legs indicates a negative or defensive mood in your interlocutor. The same is true for crossed ankles. If a man chooses this position, then most often he will clench his fists, put his hands on his knees, or clutch the armrests of the chair with all his might.

Women behave somewhat differently: they bring their knees together, their legs either stand straight or are slightly to the side, their hands lie parallel on their knees or one is placed on top of the other. This pose speaks of a negative attitude, negative emotions, fear or nervousness. For example, most people cross their ankles during an interview, that is, they try to control their emotions.

Women who were still teenagers during the miniskirt era cross their legs and ankles for obvious reasons. This position becomes familiar to them, but others may interpret it incorrectly and be wary of them. It is very important to take into account trends women's fashion, especially their effect on leg position. You can come to final conclusions only after considering all factors.

When we talk about non-verbal body language, we pay a lot of attention to the expression of the face, eyes and hands, but for some reason we are undeservedly offended by the legs. But in vain!

If a person can adapt and portray the emotion he needs on his face and more or less control his hands, then everyone forgets about his legs and they give us away completely.

“If you are not sure whether the person sitting at the table is telling the truth, look under the table.”
Allan Pease " New language body movements"

So let's go over the basic leg poses. I would like to immediately draw your attention to the fact that women and men will have different movements.

Treacherous feet

Four basic standing positions

1. Attention

This position means that you are listening attentively and the interlocutor is most likely lower in rank than you. This is usually how students stand in front of teachers and subordinates stand in front of superiors.

2. Spread legs

This pose is predominantly masculine. In this position, the man stands firmly on the ground and feels confident.

3. One leg forward

This pose makes it very easy to determine a person’s intentions. Usually, in which direction the toe is pointed, that is the direction the person intends to move. When in company, we will point our toes at the most pleasant interlocutor for us. And if a person feels uncomfortable, then the toe of the exposed foot will most likely be directed towards the nearest exit.

4. Crossing your legs

Crossed legs and arms are almost always evidence that a person has closed himself off from everyone and entered a defensive position. It is quite difficult to reach such a person and it is unlikely that he will easily accept your arguments.

Also, this pose is usually taken in the company of unfamiliar people. You can conduct an interesting experiment - approach the group strangers and stand nearby in a defensive position. Almost immediately after this, people will begin to cross their arms one after another. This pose is very contagious and conveys a certain anxiety and sense of danger.

Are you frozen or on the defensive?

Sign language must always be interpreted in context. Sometimes people justify crossing their arms and legs by saying that they are cold or need to go to the toilet. In some cases this is true, and in others they are simply hiding behind a convenient explanation.

In fact, if a person is really cold, he will not only cross his arms, but also tuck his fingers under his armpits, and not just wrap them around his elbows. We also cross our legs, but at the same time we try to straighten them and press them tightly together. The defensive posture is more relaxed and calm.

If a person says that it’s just convenient for him to stand like that, most likely he almost always feels as if there are only enemies around him.

"American Four"

This pose is typical for men. A person sitting in this position is perceived not only as more powerful and energetic, but also as younger. A person sitting in this position will most likely consider himself superior to you and is unlikely to immediately agree with your point of view.

If, having taken this position, a person also secures the raised leg with his hands, this means that she firmly intends to stand on her own and will resist external pressure in every possible way.

Research has shown that most people make their final decision when both feet are firmly on the ground. So don't rush your partner into making a decision if one of his soles doesn't touch the floor.

Crossing Ankles

Crossed ankles indicate that your interlocutor is suppressing negative emotions and disagreement and is trying to cope with them. This gesture can be compared to biting your lip.
People usually sit like this when visiting dentists, lawyers, and tax inspectors.

Short skirt syndrome

Usually girls who wear miniskirts sit like this. Despite their length, they give women an unapproachable and not very friendly appearance, since they have to sit all the time with their legs tightly clenched. People subconsciously interpret this gesture as negative and treat the interlocutor with caution.

Legs intertwined

This is a purely feminine gesture. Usually modest and insecure girls twist their legs this way. It’s unlikely that strong pressure will do here. In order to get such a person to talk, you need to be open and friendly.

Parallelism

Looking at this picture, I immediately remember “Basic Instinct” and Sharon Stone sitting in the chair. This position is considered very feminine and 86% of men found it the most attractive. This is how models are taught to sit.

Right foot forward, right foot back

A person is given legs to perform two main actions - to catch up with prey and to run away from danger. If a person is interested in you, during a conversation he will put his right foot forward (a left-handed person will most likely put his left foot forward) in order to reduce the distance between you. If he is not in the mood to talk, he will most likely put his right leg back, as if preparing to retreat.

And the last thing! Advice for business ladies - do not cross your legs at business meetings if you are wearing a skirt that reveals your thighs. The sight of a woman's thighs can excite almost any man. As a result, he will remember your hips, but not the topic of the conversation.

And men should be more restrained and not fall apart on chairs with their legs spread in different directions. A restrained pose with knees together would be more appropriate.

Many girls cross their legs when standing. It may look nice or out of place. And men have a completely logical question: “Why do girls cross their legs when they stand?” In fact, everything should be perceived depending on the situation.

Common reasons

The explanation can be either completely banal or have psychological overtones. First of all, we should remember that little girls are taught to keep their legs together as children. And as you grow older, this habit can become so ingrained that it can cause a similar pose to appear.

There is another unremarkable option: the air temperature outside is sub-zero. Girls love to wear short skirts or shorts, regardless of the weather. Gradually this habit disappears, but as long as they want to show off the beauty of their legs, ladies may not notice the cold. Especially in winter time When everyone is dressed and bundled up, a short skirt instantly attracts attention. And in this case, you shouldn’t even think about why girls cross their legs when they stand, because the reason is obvious. But not all girls know that in this case they should radiate optimism and not shake from the cold, because then there will be no effect. And if it’s really cold outside, but it’s not at all winter clothes, then crossing your legs may be the only way to avoid shaking.

Psychological factors

Each of us knows that crossing any parts of the body indicates a desire to close ourselves off from the outside world. And the more pronounced this gesture is, the stronger the person’s internal desire to isolate himself. In what cases do people shut down?

Often a girl sits cross-legged not because she is trying to close herself off. She is sure that she is wearing excellent shorts, tights, shoes and shows them to others. But in this case, a positive rally mood emanates from her. But this position in itself is closed, and may indicate a reluctance to maintain any contact or touch on a certain topic in conversation.

It should also be taken into account that the position of crossed legs primarily indicates uncertainty and internal imbalance. A harmonious person has feet shoulder-width apart, and the load is distributed evenly between them. It is this idea that is key in the perception of the question that interests many men: “Why do girls cross their legs when they stand?”

Influence of specific reasons

Crossing your legs occurs when talking with an unpleasant interlocutor. And if this is the reason, then a person should under no circumstances be shown such a pose. Even if he is not an expert in psychology, he will read it on a subconscious level and also take a defensive or completely closed position.

A person may also close down if he expects to hear unpleasant news. The harder it is for him to perceive the news, the more closed his external position may be. If a girl stands with her legs crossed, this can happen before the announcement of exam grades, a diagnosis from a doctor, the amount of debt, or other information that is perceived as unpleasant.

Also, a girl can be in bad mood. And this position indicates her desire to close herself off from her own negative thoughts. She may be engrossed in thinking about a particular situation and maintain a friendly expression. But crossed legs signal internal discomfort.

How not to stand at a work meeting

If one of the girl’s legs remains straight and represents the center of gravity, then one can attest to the bored state of the interlocutor. The conversation is simply uninteresting or the girl is impatient.

Standing like this at any meeting in front of management is not recommended. People intuitively perceive such signals. But if management understands, the subsequent attitude towards an employee who does not take her job duties seriously will not be very friendly. You shouldn’t count on the fact that suddenly the boss doesn’t know why girls cross their legs when they stand. Now there are many trainings, many of which he, of course, managed to attend.

The most closed poses

When a girl crosses her legs and arms at the same time, this clearly indicates a desire to close herself off from what is happening. This position is usually taken by those people who feel so bad that they no longer consider it important for themselves to “save face” in front of others.

If the foot of one leg is located behind the other, then there is a “lock”. Thus, the girl takes a clear defensive position, while strengthening it with internal effort. That is, she is determined not to defend herself in a conversation, but not to give up her positions. It is not easy to reveal it in this case.

In most cases, the position of crossed legs indicates uncertainty and internal imbalance. Even if it’s simply cold outside, this pose is also evidence of discomfort. And if a girl crosses her legs during a conversation because she does not control this gesture or does not consider it necessary to hide it, then you should not blame her for disrespecting her interlocutor. In fact, the reasons may be completely different.