Did you find out recently that sitting cross-legged isn't as easy as when you were a kid? How come?
That could be because you may be less active and spend most of your days sitting, causing your hips and knees to stiffen. There can be several reasons why you cannot sit cross-legged. We explain them to you and give you exercises to tackle these causes.
… you probably suffer from poor hip mobility. To sit comfortably in this position, you need to be able to rotate your hips fully. When there is tension on the muscles that connect your hips to your legs, it becomes difficult – and perhaps even painful – to sit in this position.
To solve this problem it is important to guide the femur back into the correct position. The best way to do that is with the pigeon pose.
Hint: place a rolled towel under your buttocks for extra support. It also helps to do this exercise on an elevated surface, such as a bench or step, with your front leg resting on the edge of the platform and your back leg resting on the floor. Or use this meditation cushion .
Read also :'7 foam roller exercises you absolutely want to try'
… you probably suffer from weak arches or glutes. Although you feel the pain in your knees, the cause is probably in a different place. Weak arches and glutes can cause pain and discomfort in your knees, such as swelling, small tears in your meniscus and even osteoarthritis. If the arches in your feet are weak, you will falter and your foot will slump. This will cause your lower leg to compensate by turning out, so that your leg is no longer in line and you can get knee problems. So are your glutes:If these are weak, your thigh can sag as your lower leg twists out, creating a twisting effect in your knee. What can you do about it? Build strength with this arch activation exercise and squeeze exercise.
… you probably suffer from tight pelvic floor muscles. Your pelvic floor muscles run from your tailbone to your pubic bone and support your gut and bladder (and in women, the uterus and vagina). When your pelvic floor muscles are tight, it can cause tension in your hip and pelvic muscles. This pulls your tailbone down, making it difficult to sit up straight. Tight pelvic floor muscles can be caused by weakness; if you have weak muscles, you tend to cramp, while a strong muscle can relax before contracting. Your pelvic floor is also a huge compensator:if your glutes, hip rotators or abs are weak, your pelvic floor will absorb this. So you may need to strengthen the surrounding muscles to solve this problem. Mild yoga poses, such as the happy baby, can help you relax your pelvic floor muscles.
