Susan's Place Transgender Resources

So I haven't started hormone therapy yet, but at the moment I can't sit either with my legs crossed (image one), or with them together (image two); I can't get my leg far enough over my knee for it to be comfortable, and I just can't keep my legs together too long, my very tight hamstrings don't like it. Would this change? Does anyone else have this problem? If I put my legs off to the side (third image), I can sit with them together, and I can cross them at the ankles no problem.

Will this change? I can see it as being inconvenient in the future.

Also some of these images are from not so nice sites, I blame google.

(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.legsinskirts.com%2Fpics%2Fgallery09_03.jpg&hash=58a567eee4f1a809c4d25ad5ef5f227272873317)
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.collegecodeofconduct.com%2Fpt%2Fuploads%2F2005%2520pretty%2520girls%2FShavedBrunetteSmallTitsBlackSheerMinidressPerfectLengthBottomlessSexy06SittingDecentLegsTogether608a.jpg&hash=86ae1586d911e209dd13886acf14d4034f620fd0)
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcache2.asset-cache.net%2Fxc%2F200417309-001.jpg%3Fv%3D1%26amp%3Bc%3DIWSAsset%26amp%3Bk%3D2%26amp%3Bd%3D6C4008C0FD9EB5A57FE4424710DAA86786E427AD3A9A77EFCFC9A0692019A095EC7C5022FB410D56&hash=cc90581e27ea521fbbf2c05378a9e37706538907)

where's third image ???
also , the first image have always been my favorite sitting position (covered at least to knees of course ;D ) i don't know if it would change after HRT i havn't started on hormones and it's always been like this with me
so i think it might help if you do some stretching exercises , like sitting with legs straight and trying to touch your toes with your fingers repeatedly

Hi Samantha. Are you heavy? Or have big legs?

Here's what I see for the third image: http://logik.li/images/screenshots/arrakis/susans_third_legs_crossed_picture.png (http://logik.li/images/screenshots/arrakis/susans_third_legs_crossed_picture.png)

And nope! I'm slightly under 5'9" and 140 pounds. Been ridiculously thin up until recently, where I'm about a good weight, if a little over (I haven't exercised in a while).

Since we can rule out big thighs, stretching might help. 

When you sit cross-legged, sit a touch on the side of your a**/hip, it seems to be an easier way to keep them crossed.  Also, try and hook the knee just above the other so it won't move quite so easily--assuming this won't squish any bits painfully.

stretch! I lost about 55 lbs and I can cross my legs further. The further I stretch the easier it gets. My bestie is super skinny and is the most inflexible person I know, so weight doesn't always matter.

The first pic has always been my preferred method of sitting with my legs crossed.. Even when it was pointed out to me how effeminate it was.. I'm fairly flexible, so I think some stretching exercises for your legs would help you.

the simple reason we MtFs can't cross our legs properly or for long is because we have narrower pelvises than GGs and also our hip sockets are closer together...so we don't have the spread that allows our legs to cross...just go look for some bikini shots to see how GGs had a definite wide space between the tops of their legs...that spread allows the hip to articulate sideways a lot more.
Now we could do with some pix of Rudolf Nuryev dancing and doing the splits...or do we?

Practice stretching. I have no problems in looping my legs twice around each other. It's very comfortable. I cannot sit on my legs, as on a couch, curl up and sit on your legs underneath you.
A lot will be to do with size ::) The larger you are the less flexible you an be. Really good idea to exercise and diet.

Cindy

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Post Merge: July 22, 2010, 05:16:50 AM

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Quote from: lilacwoman on July 22, 2010, 05:08:00 AM
the simple reason we MtFs can't cross our legs properly or for long is because we have narrower pelvises than GGs and also our hip sockets are closer together...so we don't have the spread that allows our legs to cross...just go look for some bikini shots to see how GGs had a definite wide space between the tops of their legs...that spread allows the hip to articulate sideways a lot more.
Now we could do with some pix of Rudolf Nuryev dancing and doing the splits...or do we?

Definitely to RN.
Now I've got a tape measure and I need volunteers. Spread 'em and think of Susan, sorry Science.


He He
Cindy

At the risk of sounding glib, if you can't cross your legs, don't.

You have legs which I would give up an arm for.

But if you want to supple up, you could try some yoga, or perhaps dancing.

Well, I have no real restriction from crossing my legs that way, but I find it uncomfortable unless I have my boy parts well tucked. That's why I actually find it very comfortable to properly tuck things-- I can cross my legs, sit with them together or whatever. I've always had a skinny more girl-like structure, though. I suppose it depends upon your body shape. Anyway, not all women sit that way. But you might want to practice keeping your knees a bit closer together than the normal male way. A lady pretty much never sits with her legs bowed apart, for sure.

I thought of something.  If you want to sit with your legs closed, close your legs and kind of angle your feet inwards.  It can help to keep the legs closed.  It's hard for me to sit with my legs closed if I don't do some sort of tweaking to get them to stay shut.

I must say, I was not able to cross my legs until I was on hormones for a good month or so, I was relatively flexible, my problem was my legs kept going "dead"
After hormones for a while, I am now able to comfortably cross my legs, and sit with them together, even some other things that I used to not be able to do, such as sitting cross legged, or tucking my knees up under my chin.

I don't know, Maybe I am a lucky freak or something, because it seems, my pelvis is kind of wide, I can actually tuck a full size drinking glass between my legs, and cross them with no pain or anything. *has hips*

*Glares enviously at Sarah*

I've been sitting with legs crossed any time I can for many months now, and I still get dead legs, though it can take up to 10 minutes now for that to happen. I just switch to 'knees closed, legs slanted' sort of '77' position. That's really quite comfortable, and my only option when I'm wearing clompy goth boots or at risk of wedging my knees below the table. :P

Never had an issue with sitting with my legs crossed...or together. I do get dead leg when I'm at work, but I tend to be squashed under a desk, so it's a bit different. outside work I'm fine.

The other thing I do, which really freaks people out is if you imagine if you were kneeling on the floor sitting on your feet, but then rather than sitting on your feet, you just splay them out to the side so your bum's on the floor. I only know a few girls that can sit like that.

Quote from: Helena on July 22, 2010, 05:23:55 PM
Never had an issue with sitting with my legs crossed...or together. I do get dead leg when I'm at work, but I tend to be squashed under a desk, so it's a bit different. outside work I'm fine.

The other thing I do, which really freaks people out is if you imagine if you were kneeling on the floor sitting on your feet, but then rather than sitting on your feet, you just splay them out to the side so your bum's on the floor. I only know a few girls that can sit like that.

;D I sit like that often.

it freaks out out one guy at work when I sit on the floor like that during our daily huddles. hehe

I sit and have sat all three ways all my life.  I never found it hard to do at all.

you ladies are halarious LOL LOL a lady always sits with her legs closed and crossed at the ankles  :angel: :angel:

By the way you have very nice feminine legs and you are very passable. Are you sure you are not on HRT. If not you will most likely respond well. If I were you I would stay out of the mens bathroom. They don't like girls in there.

Quote from: Suigeniris on July 22, 2010, 09:34:51 PM
you ladies are halarious LOL LOL a lady always sits with her legs closed and crossed at the ankles  :angel: :angel:

OK so why do so many pre and post-ops sit with their legs open even when wearing short skirts?
A clue: these usually have very little femaleness about them.

I can cross my legs but have found it uncomfortable, however, the shifting your weight to one side trick really works, so thanks for that. :)

This is interesting. I never thought about it before. I have crossed my legs like a female ever since I can remember. It has always been my most comfortable sitting position.

Hmm I've never really had a problem crossing my legs. Although it was much more comfortable once I figured out how to tuck right.

I always cross my legs because I have very feminine legs and like to show them off by wearing short skirts. It is unladylike to sit with you legs open especially when wearing a skirt or dress
and I wear them most of the time.

Pam

I've found that since HRT my legs have reshaped so much.. the inside of my thighs have less muscle and bulk and it seems to have moved all around to the outside of my legs. Less bulk on the inside makes crossing my legs so much more comfortable and I can now keep them crossed for so much longer than before! ^____^
HRT will help even if your thighs are already thin they'll still reshape ;)

Quote from: lilacwoman on July 23, 2010, 01:03:38 PM
OK so why do so many pre and post-ops sit with their legs open even when wearing short skirts?
A clue: these usually have very little femaleness about them.

Like Britany Spears, Paris Hilton,and Lindsay Lohan?

I personally think the "legs open" thing is only a problem if you really should be avoiding drawing attention to residual male qualities.. something cisgender females don't really need to worry about so much. I mean damn angelina jolie in "girl, interrupted" did it and I never questioned your femininity while watching that movie!! lols :P
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbahcecikdevekusu.com%2Fangelina%2Fangelmovies%2Fgirl%2F9f9f28f0.jpg&hash=cea1b7bf903318185f0c34b98efb5a38d8ac8fa4)

Before I outed myself at the Lodge, I found myself noting something unexpected....

Many of the guys routinely walked, sat, etc. in ways that are stereotypically feminine, although nothing appeared effeminate when they did it.

In a couple of months' observations, I saw some perfectly crossed legs, for example.

I've spent four decades swimming, bicycling, walking, even ballet (years ago), a bit of yoga & uncountable hours of zazen. And I can't sit in a classically feminine manner at all IMO. (Doesn't stop me from giving it a go, of course.)

Quote from: SydneyTinker on July 23, 2010, 10:12:27 PM
Many of the guys routinely walked, sat, etc. in ways that are stereotypically feminine, although nothing appeared effeminate when they did it.

In a couple of months' observations, I saw some perfectly crossed legs, for example.

I noticed this too! They do practically the same things but they manage somehow to do it slightly different, or maybe the clothes have something to do with it.

I'm very comfortable sitting in any of the ways mentioned above, legs crossed is kind of relaxing and it makes me feel better. And I know it depends on the surface you're sitting on, how high is it, is it flat, tilted or curved inwards, how much of your butt is resting on the chair.. etc

Hmm...I can't sit with my legs crossed like a "'lady" either. Never could, and I've never had large thighs or anything. Doesn't bother me though, but when i'd be forced to wear a skirt or dress, and my mom would yell at me to cross my legs, I always found it weird that I couldn't keep them crossed.

I have very shapely legs (knock-out legs  :D ) but it has never been comfortable to cross my legs above the knee because of the calf and thigh development (from being a skater). That is the case for just about ALL women who skate, swim, or are involved in similar athletics. (There is an old saying that you can always identify a former skater by her legs LOL! No matter what the shape of the rest of the body, you never loose the legs!)

Well. I can cross my legs twice: first in the thigh area, second in the ankgle area. I sometimes sit like this to stretch and relax my legs. I did not take any photo, but I believe many women also can do like me. I guess it depends on the body shape, not on gender. My little daughter sometimes scolds me when I sit while crossding my legs.

Also, I could sit in yoga lotus position without any practice. Last year, one old man saw my body shape, and said to me that I might be able to sit in lotus position without any pratice. Immedaitely, I tried it following his direction, and I was surprised that I could sit in lotus position.

(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fotosearch.com%2Fbthumb%2FFSA%2FFSA930%2Fx12306549.jpg&hash=4e9207f7f3939367251ca9d4382471c104430309)
yoga lotus position

Barbie~~

yeah i can do the lotus position too , i love it eversince i was a little kid
although i use my hands to actually set my legs into that position  , like i put the lower leg and then push the upper leg with my hand . i wonder if you can do it without your hands barbie?
anyway , i too think it's irrelevant to gender , but i do think that pelvic wideness has a factor in it. but if i like anything about my body it's flexibility,i'm pretty flexible ;D

Of course, I have to use my hands to push one of my feet to the thigh area of the other side. I am not so much flexible like gymnasts, but still fairly flexible compared with other ordinary men and women. When I stretch, people sometimes ask me whether I have ever practiced yoga, and I reply "Never".

Barbie~~

Apologies to the folks here who are not extra slender and smaller boned like Barbie, eNTROPY and me. I've been doing the lotus position since I was a teenager-- but I'll admit I have to pull my foot up with my hand. I can do the double leg cross, but I feel kind of like a pretzel.

As I've said before, I'd love it if I could simply retract my male anatomy completely inside for comfort and convenience, but for now my Victoria's Secrets control panties are the next best thing for leg crossing comfort.

Lyric

Yah I use my hand too hehe

I can't sit with my legs closed. It's actually hard - it requires some real muscle strength in the inner thighs - not to mention that it's miserably uncomfortable.

Legs crossed at the knee, though, is ok for a bit, although my legs do go dead. I don't necessarily know that it's a matterof hormones or flexibility, just your particular nerve/bone/muscle structure and how it interacts. I know more gay boys than women who are comfortable with legs crossed at the knee :)

Off to the side..can't do that. Hurts my hips.

I guess I'm kind of lucky since my hips are the same width as my shoulders.  I've never had any issue sitting with legs crossed or closed in any way and I can make myself a veritable pretzel if I so desire :P  Sometimes the leg on top does fall asleep if I have them crossed for too long, but at that point I just swap and put the other on top for a while.

I just took a photo of my double leg crossing at my office. It is rather comfortable for me, but I sometimes do it for stretching my leg muscles.

(https://www.susans.org/forums/MGalleryItem.php?id=2165)

Look like a pretzel? Maybe not.

Barbie~~

I do that too and for the same reason.  It helps to stretch out my calves.

So do I and I find it very comfortable. I'm usually sitting like that, it appears to be a subconscious way of sitting for me. The only bad thing about is that I have a cute pair of boot which have an ornamental buckle, and I've ripped my panti-hose to shreds  ::)