I recently had a parent talk with me about w-sitting. If you are not familiar with the term “w-sitting,” it refers to a sitting position much like kneeling except instead of having the legs and feet directly under the body they are out to the sides, giving the legs the shape of a “W”. You have probably seen this before to some degree or another but may not have known it had a specific name. Today I wanted to write a little about why I recommend avoiding the w-sitting position. I hope you find the information interesting and useful.
W-sitting tends to be seen more commonly in children, and it is not just because they tend to be more flexible than adults. One thought for w-sitting in children is that it is an adaptation by children due to poor core stability. W-sitting does give a wider base of support and requires less core stability to stay sitting upright than other ways of sitting. However w-sitting then does not allow for greater core stability to be developed. And poor core stability can affect coordination as well as making back and other injuries more likely. If w-sitting becomes a habit that continues into adulthood, it can even lead to permanent changes in the alignment of the legs.
To obtain the w-sitting position, the thighs need to be rotated inward while the lower leg is rotated outward. This position puts considerable stress on the knees and can lead to misalignments of the legs. Over time, if not corrected, the bones will adapt to the stresses placed upon them potentially leading to conditions such as increased femoral anteversion and external tibial torsion. I know those are probably unfamiliar terms, but basically they mean the femur (thigh bone) or the tibia (the big lower leg bone) actually get a twist in them. This is concerning because it can lead to further problems by changing the biomechanics of walking.
Overall, my advice is to encourage children to sit in a different position. Sitting with the legs crossed in front is a good position. It does not place any large amount of stress on the legs like w-sitting. It requires a little more core stability than w-sitting, helping to strengthen the core muscles as well. And it is usually familiar to most children and an easy position to get into. Correcting the problem usually just consists of making the child aware and encouraging them to sit differently. This is something we deal with at home with our three-year-old. When he starts to w-sit we tap him on the leg and he knows he needs to change the way he is sitting.
If you know someone who likes to w-sit, send them my way. I would be glad to evaluate their legs to see if any changes have taken place that may cause problems down the road. And if there have been some changes, I can work with them to help correct them and allow their body to function better.
