to ask if it’s way too late for this “correction”?

[LostWirhoutYourLove]

Hi, over fifty five years ago, whilst a school kid, I was instructed (like everyone in my year) to sit on the floor cross legged.

Me being a little rebel, decided I wasn’t gonna do as I was told, and I sat with both knees crossed to the left.

I have found that as an adult, I cannot sit crossed legs in the traditional way, and it’s also affected how wide I can “open” my legs.

So is it way too late to be able to correct this?
i cannot find any specific exercises that I might use to gradually loosen up that pelvic area.

I am active in every other way, and I use weights to exercise, and I also perform squats.

I feel so bad that my childhood stubbornness has resulted in my present predicament 😱

Please be kind.

Try finding a Myofascial release practitioner. Worked wonders for my wonky hips.

Alternatively yoga generally has a few hip opening exercises you could build into a routine

maybe it is the other way round? maybe you didn't find it easy to sit cross-legged even back then and that's why you didn't do that at school?

I really doubt that the way you sat as a child impacted your ability to seat cross legged... You probably sat a different way because it wasn't comfortable for you at the time already.

The main exercices i can think of is pigeon stretch, frog stretch and butterfly stretch.

Really kind of you to suggest that, but no, it was definitely me being stubborn, and not want to “do as I was told”.

Nof much has changed really, as I still hate authority🤷🏻‍♂️

yoga Is good for hip opening poses-
goddess pose
happy baby
Yogi squat
pigeon pose
warrior 2

Also if you go to the gym there’s the hip machines

Thank you all for your replies.

Ill look them up on YouTube.

No, I don’t go to a gym? I “do” weights at home.

I really appreciate those saying perhaps I resorted to not sitting cross legged coz of difficulty as a kid, but I actually remember wanting not do as I was told like all the other kids.

@LostWirhoutYourLove what does crossing your legs to the left look like???

Yoga and Pilates both do a lot for flexibility. There’s also a stretch thats like a side lunge. Slowly but surely working on that is likely to help.

I was a very obedient child who crossed her legs when asked. I am now a very stiff and inflexible middle aged adult who can hardly manage it. I can confirm I can no longer do cartwheels either.

I am also very active but could probably do with some regular yoga.

It's old age that's done this to you not disobedience as a kid.

If you run (I do) your hips will be even stiffer...

I couldn’t sit comfortably cross legged even as a child and couldn’t open my legs wide either. I think there’s something “structural” going on as despite lots of yoga in adulthood and being quite flexible at times and actively trying to improve this it made literally zero difference/change. I used to sit with my legs bending outwards at the knee instead in childhood. Can’t do that now though in my 50s!!!

Take up horse riding..when I needed physio fof a problem I was told I was stiff everywhere except my pelvis.

I love a rebel.

Do some yoga for flexibility

I used to find cross-legged really uncomfortable at primary age, but it was insisted upon. I now find it very comfortable, and is my seating position of choice.

I have always found it nigh on impossible to sit cross-legged. It is really uncomfortable and I had to sit sideways like you at school. Sitting on the floor during assemblies and whatnot filled me with dread. My hip joints just don't rotate outwards like that. Most professional ballet dancers are the opposite, and have what they call flat turnout. It is something you are born with, and the way you sat as a child won't have affected it. I don't suppose you have ever been able to get anywhere near doing the splits either? I know I haven't.

Not sure if this is anything to do with the way you sat as a child. I’m 40 and very few men I know can sit cross legged, my husband included.

Well, mumsnetters, you’ve certainly made me think, and at least now I don’t feel quite so bad about being rebellious at school.

it’s strange coz I’m pretty flexible in my upper body, so it’s with some disappointment that it seems unlikely that I’ll. get my cross legged position.
im not giving up yet, though it’s a worry that I might finally be able to “do it”, then not be able to uncross them, and prepare myself for some serious pee taking from my oh.. 🤦‍♀️

Ask around and find a good physio. I’ve seen 3 in the last year, 2 ok & I outstanding. She has identified (& helped with) problems I thought were just me as well as the injury I first consulted her about. An initial diagnostic consultation will let you know if you’re on the right track.

Squat University is a YouTube channel with a lot of information on correcting imbalance in the hips (because it affects squats and thus weightlifting). Seems gimmicky at first look but he’s a physiotherapist and knows his stuff. You might want to actually go to one though and find out if something is seriously amiss. I went to one after many years with a dodgy knee and thought ”finally, I’ll get the answer to what’s wrong with me” - turns out the diagnosis was weak arse and the cure was do squats 😂

Thank you for telling me about squat university.

Thankyou everyone else for your words of wisdom.