# Are you a "foot shaker"? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 18, 2008, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-foot-shaker/473264 "2008-11-18T09:14:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Rascal\_s\_Mom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a698b9/32.png) [@Rascal\_s\_Mom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rascal_s_Mom)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2008, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-foot-shaker/473264/21 "2008-11-18T18:31:12Z")
No, I do none of this. However, my son is ALWAYS jiggling something. His hands are in constant movement. If there is nothing to tap, he’ll tap his finger tips together. It’s almost OCD’ish. I cannot ride in a car with him. ---
**Author:** ![simply\_cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8c91f0/32.png) [@simply\_cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simply_cats)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2008, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-foot-shaker/473264/22 "2008-11-18T20:33:53Z")
Jiggling my foot at the moment (though it is more as corkboard describes). I have a theory on it, actually. I’ve always felt like there was too much of my conscious brain trying to work at the same time (often at odds with itself). Therefore, the foot jiggling (or singing to the radio when I am listening to someone talk) allows me to divert a small part of said conscious brain so that the larger part can focus on my top priority (reading, listening, typing, etc). Or, perhaps I’m just crazy (most likely a benign craziness). ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2008, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-foot-shaker/473264/23 "2008-11-18T20:47:18Z")
No, I don’t. And while I know it’s not really a conscious thing for most of you, it drives me absolutely crazy to be in a classroom with people who do this, in a set-up where all the seats are connected together (or connected to one long desk or whatever). I can’t stand doing my work when my seat or the table is shaking and I actually consider it to be very rude of people who constantly shake the seats/tables. Today I actually had one guy basically kicking the back of my seat “unconsciously”. It makes me stabby. ---
**Author:** ![Stauderhorse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Stauderhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stauderhorse)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2008, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-foot-shaker/473264/24 "2008-11-18T21:45:49Z")
When I was in high school I was a constant leg shaker, and now I’m only an occasional foot shaker. Usually I do it when I get antsy (five minutes left in a boring class, for instance). ---
**Author:** ![Omegaman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e480ec/32.png) [@Omegaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omegaman)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2008, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-foot-shaker/473264/25 "2008-11-18T21:51:56Z")
I do it when I wake up and am trying to go back to sleep. ---
**Author:** ![caveman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/caveman/32/7242_2.png) [@caveman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caveman)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-foot-shaker/473264/26 "2008-11-19T02:37:29Z")
I was doing it when I came to this topic in the list, then suddenly stopped. I do it idly, without rhythm, and fairly rapidly. I kinda like the sensation of feeling the play of the shoe on my foot; I don’t think I do it when I’m barefoot. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-foot-shaker/473264/27 "2008-11-19T02:42:19Z")
No. I sit very still. My husband is a shaker. Uh, not the religious kind. He isn’t a celibate who makes nice furniture. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-foot-shaker/473264/28 "2008-11-19T02:46:30Z")
I find myself doing it all the time, especially if I’m slightly bored. It is definitely not conscious and in fact requires a rather valiant effort of will to suppress. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-foot-shaker/473264/29 "2008-11-19T02:58:50Z")
I am constantly in motion. Feet, legs, fingers, shoulders, head, you name it. Not all at once (because \*that \*would be weird…), but it seems to be a rare occasion that my body is completely still. \*\*Rhiannon8404 \*\*generally puts up with it without complaint, but has on occasion pointed out that it DRIVES HER COMPLETELY NUTS!!! ---
**Author:** ![conurepete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e57/32.png) [@conurepete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/conurepete)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-foot-shaker/473264/30 "2008-11-19T03:46:43Z")
I have been told I have restless leg syndrome. My legs and feet are always moving: my feet and legs jiggle and tap, my toes flex with my speech, I only found out about the toes when I had broken one. I found I would sudden severe foot pain every time I tried to talk. I had not previously noticed, on account of shoes. My legs keep going without conscious effort, which results in me swaying when I stand still. I can stop it, but I don’t really notice it. ---
**Author:** ![lynxie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e99b99/32.png) [@lynxie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lynxie)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-foot-shaker/473264/31 "2008-11-19T06:41:18Z")
Nope. My husband is, though. It’s tremendously annoying so to all of you - stop it, or I will stare at your feet too. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-foot-shaker/473264/32 "2008-11-19T08:48:20Z")
> [@corkboard](#): > > Yes, always have been. Only when seated in a chair with feet on the floor. My method is to rest the ball of my foot on the floor or on the chair base and sort of bounce my right (usually) heel up & down in the air, without my heel actually touching the floor or base. It makes the chair jiggle slightly. I do this too, sometimes with both legs. But one is slightly faster than the other . . . so they’re in sync / out of sync / in sync / out of sync . . . . I also have restless leg syndrome, so my legs are lots of fun. ---
**Author:** ![Hamadryad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6de8d8/32.png) [@Hamadryad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamadryad)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-foot-shaker/473264/33 "2008-11-19T12:42:02Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > I do this too, sometimes with both legs. But one is slightly faster than the other . . . so they’re in sync / out of sync / in sync / out of sync . . . . Heh heh - I’ve noticed this with me, too. I’ve even tried to sync them up, but they always end up offbeat again very quickly. I also shake my legs/feet when I’m trying to fall asleep, and sometimes rub my feet together. And I rock. Not like, “WOO, I friggin’ ROCK!!” but as I’m typing this I’m swaying about slightly. I also rock when I read. ---
**Author:** ![bink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/439d5e/32.png) [@bink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bink)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-foot-shaker/473264/34 "2008-11-19T16:25:58Z")
I don’t, but I’ve always kind of wished I did. Seems like over a lifetime it’d burn pounds and pounds’ worth of calories without even thinking about it! Does it work for you foot-shakers? Are you in better shape than non-shakers? Do you think the shaking is a symptom of a more nervous metabolism in general? ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-foot-shaker/473264/35 "2008-11-19T21:25:22Z")
I do that. I have a lot of nervous energy, so I’m always doing something. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-foot-shaker/473264/36 "2008-11-20T11:28:21Z")
> [@bink](#): > > Does it work for you foot-shakers? Are you in better shape than non-shakers? Do you think the shaking is a symptom of a more nervous metabolism in general? Not at all. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-foot-shaker/473264.md?page=1)