Whilst crossing your legs may not affect your risk of getting varicose veins, there is a chance that it could be a small factor in a far more serious condition - deep vein thrombosis, or DVT. DVTs occur deep inside the body and can lead to a blood clot. They are usually associated with being immobile for a long period, such as sitting on a long haul flight, and some researchers believe that crossing your legs – particularly if you’ve just had surgery – can give you an increased risk of getting a DVT. Strong evidence to support this has yet to be established but it won’t do any harm to keep your legs uncrossed, just in case.