Tailor Sitting: A PT's Opinion on Sitting Cross Legged - NAPA Center (2024)

If you know what “criss cross applesauce” sitting looks like, you have seen tailor sitting position. The tailor sit position is when a child sits on their bottom with both legs bent in front with one leg crossed over the other.

Is Sitting Criss Cross Bad?

Like all positions and postures for our bodies, sitting cross legged for a long period of time is not great. It can cause excessive stretching of inner thigh muscles, shorten muscles on the outer thighs, and put more strain on the inner aspects of the knees. However, in short bouts of time (like when a child is reading a book, watching a show, playing with peers/siblings) this is a great position for them to be in.

Are There Any Benefits to Tailor Sitting?

Tailor sitting can help with a gentle stretch along tight inner thigh muscles, improve positioning of the hips, and challenge their core muscles while sitting up tall in criss cross applesauce. This position is a great alternative to W-sitting.

3 Tips to Help Your Child Maintain Tailor Sitting

The following are some great activities, or tailor sitting exercises, to help your child gain the strength and stability to stay upright while sitting criss cross applesauce:

1. Core Strengthening Exercises:

To be able to sit with an upright trunk, your child needs to have a strong core. Working on performing sit ups/crunches, Supine Flexion (curling up like a ball, holding onto their knees with both hands, and maintaining a chin tuck), and planks (both regular and side planks are GREAT for core strengthening!) are ways to start to work with your kiddo to improve their core strength. Each child will benefit from different exercises depending on their skill level, so check in with your PT to see which activities are appropriate to increase core strength, and check out this blog: 5 Core Strengthening Exercises by a NAPA PT

2. Hamstring Stretching:

To be able to attain criss cross applesauce sitting, your child needs to have hamstring flexibility. If their hamstrings are too tight, it will cause them to tilt their pelvis and possibly lose their balance backwards in this position. There are SO MANY variations of hamstring stretches to complete at home. One of the most common passive stretches is a supine hamstring stretch.

Have your child lie on their back with both legs flat on the floor. Choose which leg you are going to stretch first, then slowly lift that leg off the floor, keeping their knee straight, until they feel a stretch at the back of their thigh. Hold in the position that they start to feel a stretch for 30 seconds. You can complete this 3-5 times on each leg to get a sufficient hamstring stretch.

3. Repetition:

Some kiddos require repetition of positions to really learn how to master them. If this is the case, help them practice getting into tailor sitting by assisting with crossing their legs, and giving them support at their trunk as needed. The longer they are able to tolerate the position with support, begin to lessen the amount of support you may be giving them at the trunk and move down to assisting at the pelvis or legs.

One key to this is that the child has good support surrounding them. You want to make sure that there is a good amount of padding around your little and that they are not near any surfaces they may contact and get injured. If they fall out of the position, support them in the amount they were able to maintain it and assist them into the position again to continue with more practice!

Find Additional Resources in the NAPA Blog:

About the Author:

Meghan O’Toole is a pediatric physical therapist at NAPA Center. She enjoys dancing and playing with her dogs and cats when not at NAPA. Meghan also enjoys going on adventures with her fiancé and family to explore new places and cultures!

TAGS: Blogs, PT

Tailor Sitting: A PT's Opinion on Sitting Cross Legged - NAPA Center (2024)

FAQs

What is the cross leg position of a tailor? ›

If you know what “criss cross applesauce” sitting looks like, you have seen tailor sitting position. The tailor sit position is when a child sits on their bottom with both legs bent in front with one leg crossed over the other.

Why did tailors sit cross-legged? ›

Back then, tailors often sat cross-legged on the table across from their sewing machine. This prevented any cloth or material from falling onto the ground. This position also made it easier to work with heavier material.

What is the tailor's position? ›

This exercise stretches your hip and thigh muscles as you sit comfortably. Sit on the floor. Bring your feet close to your body while crossing your ankles. Hold this position for as long as you are comfortable.

What is the point of tailor sitting? ›

Tailor sitting encourages good posture, which, in turn, may ease back pain and improve circulation along the midline of your body. Good posture also helps move the uterus forward. Why is this important? Well, extra wiggle room may help your baby move themselves into a more favorable position for birth.

What are the benefits of sitting cross-legged? ›

But research does indicate that sitting with legs crossed can be beneficial for some people. One small study from 2016, for example, found that for people who have one leg longer than the other, sitting crossed-legged can help to adjust the height of the two sides of the pelvis, improving alignment.

What muscle is cross-legged position? ›

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.

What is the personality of people who sit cross legged? ›

If you like sitting cross-legged in the form of a chokdi, you are one carefree person. You are open to new ideas and are also flexible to changes. You know how to keep your emotions balanced and for you, comfort comes first. You are not too shy and most likely are unorthodox and radical.

What does a tailor do answer? ›

Sewing is the primary duty of tailors. They sew garments with different methods such as by using a needle and thread or with sewing machines. Tailors are responsible for constructing clothes similar to the clients' specifications.

What is the summary of tailoring? ›

Tailoring is the art of designing, cutting, fitting, and finishing clothes. The word tailor comes from the French tailler, to cut, and appears in the English language during the fourteenth century.

What are the qualities of a good tailor? ›

To become a Tailor, you need:
  • a steady hand.
  • to pay attention to detail and be precise in your work.
  • a thorough knowledge of fabrics and design.
  • pattern-cutting skills.
  • good eyesight.
  • some business skills, as many Tailors are responsible for their own book-keeping.

What are 3 things a tailor does? ›

fit the toile to the customer and make alterations. assemble fabric pieces to make the garment. fit the garment to the customer and mark final adjustments. stitch clothes by hand or machine.

What is the goal of a tailor? ›

Tailors are responsible for constructing, altering, repairing, or modifying garments for customers based on their specifications, needs, and preferences. They take customers' measurements, assist in fabric selection, and arrange fittings to determine whether additional adjustments are needed.

What muscles are stretched sitting cross legged? ›

Here are some of the reasons why Seated Cross-Legged position is good for you: Strengthens back muscles. Stretches knee and ankles. Opens hips, groin and outer thighs.

Is sitting cross-legged healthier than sitting on a chair? ›

Spinal structure

When sitting on the floor, the lumbar lordosis is relatively low, which is closer to our natural position and posture. Sitting cross-legged could also bring about the natural and correct curvature both at the upper and lower back, effectively stabilising the lower back and pelvis region.

Does sitting cross-legged improve circulation? ›

AFFECTS BLOOD CIRCULATION: Cross-legged position greatly impacts your blood circulation. This is because when you put your one leg over the other, it pumps larger amount of blood into the heart. This, in turn, negatively impacts blood circulation.

What are the disadvantages of sitting cross-legged on floor? ›

If done incorrectly, sitting cross-legged can worsen low back pain and poor posture. To prevent this, avoid hunching your back while sitting cross-legged. Keep your spine in a neutral position. Also, keep your weight on your hips instead of your feet.

Is cross-legged sitting ergonomic? ›

Overall, the answer is no. There's no good reason to sit cross-legged, and while it can feel comfortable for a short time, it will eventually lead to more damage and more pain to your muscles and tendons. The short-lived comfort you get is not worth the long-term pain.

What muscle hurts when you cross your legs? ›

Uneven stress and strain across the body caused by sitting cross-legged can eventually lead to aches and pains. Prolonged sitting can shorten your hip flexor muscles which can tighten the muscles in the lower back. You might eventually notice other problems too, such as weaker gluteal (bottom) muscles and core.

What is cross-legged sitting called? ›

Easy Pose (Sukhasana ) is the name for any comfortable, cross-legged, seated position, and one of the most basic poses used in yoga practice and meditation.

Why is sitting with legs crossed considered feminine? ›

It's probably just a “feminine modesty” thing, because stereotypes dictate that only women wear skirts or dresses, and crossing your legs while wearing a skirt makes it much harder for others to see up your skirt.

What is a fact about tailor? ›

The art of tailoring began as early as the 12th century, as people began to look at clothing as a way to accentuate the figure, instead of as a means of concealing it. The word “tailor” first appeared in The Oxford English Dictionary in 1297.

What are tailoring skills? ›

Skills and knowledge

knowledge of a range of sewing equipment. understanding of garment construction, and pattern-making skills. knowledge of human body shapes. clothing design skills. knowledge of different fashions.

What is tailoring content? ›

Tailored content is all about personalization.

Make your business one that's concerned with satisfying the particular needs of your customers to hyper-charge the customer experience you provide. Tailored content is all about delivering experiences that speak directly to each individual customer.

What is the most important tool for a tailor? ›

Tape Measure

It has markings on the whole length – usually in both centimetres and inches – and is used for many tasks such as measuring the body in dressmaking, the length of fabric pieces in home furnishing sewing and many more. It's an essential sewing tool!

What is a female tailor called? ›

Tailor is a gender-neutral word. But, the word seamstress refers to a woman who makes dresses.

What are the two types of tailoring? ›

There are basically two types of tailoring: traditional work with tedious hand stitching or fusible tailoring where you let technology do the “stitching” for you. While the former is worthy of the effort, most first-time tailoring adventures are successfully done with fusible techniques.

How much do you tip a tailor? ›

If you do decide to offer a gratuity, first ask if the seamstress accepts gratuities; if they do, offer them an additional 15 percent to 20 percent of the total bill.

Does crossing legs cause tight hip flexors? ›

Aside from claims that it raises your blood pressure or that it can cause varicose veins, regularly sitting with your legs crossed may result in a stooped posture, lower back pain, neck pain, and/or hip discomfort.

What does crossing legs mean? ›

Depending on the context, sitting cross-legged can mean a person is either relaxed or defensive. Body language experts note that if you see someone sitting this way in a meeting, it may indicate they have emotionally withdrawn from the conversation.

What is a leg cross? ›

Leg-crossing refers to the preferential tendency for individuals to sit with one leg crossed over the other. In this study about 62% of the population are right leg-crossers, 26% are left leg-crossers, and the remaining 12% report that they have no preference or are indifferent.

What is the applesauce position? ›

Legs crossed – Child sits on their bottom, crosses their legs, bends their knees and tucks their feet underneath. Sometimes referred to as criss-cross applesauce.

What is the meaning of a cross legged? ›

/ˌkrɒsˈleɡd/ /ˌkrɒsˈleɡ.ɪd/ having your feet crossed over each other, but your knees wide apart, usually while sitting on the floor. SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases.

Is crossing legs impolite? ›

It's okay to cross your legs in a casual setting, but in business relations it's seen as too casual and improper. It is preferable to sit in seiza, the traditional Japanese way of sitting where you sit upright and your legs are tucked underneath you.

How does crossing your legs affect your knees? ›

Sitting with your knees crossed or bent under you over-stretches the ligaments and muscles surrounding your knee. This can also increase the pressure on your knee joints, which can cause pain and swelling. To give your knees relief, limit the amount of time you spend with your knees bent or crossed.

Is cross legged and legs crossed the same thing? ›

Usage notes. In the sense “sitting in a chair, with one leg crossed over the other”, the phrase “with legs crossed” is more often used, but for sitting on the floor, one uses “cross-legged”, or a synonym (below).

Why do guys cross their legs when sitting? ›

What is this? Crossing the legs is thus a primitive defensive technique. People usually cross their legs when they feel uncomfortable and insecure. It's a 'closed' body language gesture that closes you off from other people.

What is figure 4 sitting body language? ›

Body language: Sitting cross-legged

If you sit with your legs crossed, ankle over knee, you're confident and dominate, says Driver. Known as “figure four” in body language circles, Driver says when you sit in this position you're opening up your “power zone,” or the nether region.

What is slang for applesauce? ›

Noun. (slang, US, dated, 1920s) Nonsense, balderdash, bunk, piffle.

Is applesauce good for acid reflux? ›

Apples are a good source of calcium, magnesium, and potassium. It's thought that these alkalizing minerals may help relieve symptoms of acid reflux. Acid reflux occurs when stomach acid rises into the esophagus.

Does apple butter have butter? ›

The cooked apples are then milled, pureed or blended to create apple butter's signature smooth texture. Although it's in the name, there is no butter in apple butter, meaning apple butter is generally vegan (but be sure to check the label if you're buying it).

Is it better to sit on floor or chair? ›

Sitting on the floor can be beneficial for posture, flexibility, and muscular strengthening, while chairs typically provide more back support and less strain on the neck and spine, Dr.

What is Indian style sitting? ›

What Is Indian Style Sitting? The Indian style sitting position is sitting with the legs crossed. This position is widely used in school settings when children are gathered for group exercises or reading time.

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