Lythgoe explained: "When sitting, many people naturally cross their legs and, irrespective whether this is for comfort or modesty, this position can impact our heart health and increases our chances of getting blood clots."
In fact, "sitting for long periods of time with our legs crossed has the same risk as sitting on a long plane journey," she warned.
What's more, the cross-legged position can spur on other heart disease precursors.
"Crossing the legs at the knees induces a temporary spike in your blood pressure that increases the pressure to your heart," warned Lythgoe.
She continued: "The increased pressure not only affects our blood flow but also our nervous system and joints – who’d have thought sitting could be so dangerous?
"Whilst it certainly doesn’t mean you’re at immediate risk, how you sit can pose harm to our health."
If you do change one daily ritual, Lythgoe advised being more mindful about how you sit.
"Instill a ritual to sit with both feet placed on the floor, rotate the ankles occasionally and ensure you get up every 90 minutes to walk around."
Source: www.express.co.uk
