# Why am I always shaking my legs?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-always-shaking-my-legs/415436
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [August 13, 2007, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-always-shaking-my-legs/415436 "2007-08-13T15:00:42Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2007, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-always-shaking-my-legs/415436/1 "2007-08-13T15:00:42Z")
I realized something yesterday. I shake my legs. All the time.
Well, actually, I’ve known that since I was a kid. But what I realized yesterday (because it was forcefully and humerously pointed out to me by some friends) is that most other people don’t do this. But me, when I’m sitting down, one or the other or both of my knees is sure to be bobbing rapidly up and down. I don’t even have to think about it–in fact, I have to think about it in order to make it _stop_.
I suspect this may be related to the fact that when I am standing, and not doing anything else, I tend to sway, sometimes quite widely. Apparently, my body _needs_ to be moving in some way, and I have to exert effort to make it _stop_.
What’s up with this? Is there anything else this kind of behavior correlates with? Do I have a brain tumor? 😛
-FrL-
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### Author:  [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2007, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-always-shaking-my-legs/415436/2 "2007-08-13T15:09:28Z")
[Restless Leg Syndrome?](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restless_leg_syndrome)
but probably not. More likely a nervous tic. Usually happens to me at restaurants after I’m done eating. Like I’m anxious to leave or something.
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### Author:  [@Sir\_Oinksalot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Oinksalot)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2007, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-always-shaking-my-legs/415436/3 "2007-08-13T15:11:55Z")
First of all, you’re not the only person who does this. I’ve done it since I was a kid, almost always without realising it, and my friends have made fun of me about it too 🙂
I’m not a doctor, but I think the answer has something to do with the fact that when you’re sitting you’re resting your leg on the ball of your foot and putting pressure on a nerve or musle or something which triggers the reflexive leg shaking.
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### Author:  [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2007, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-always-shaking-my-legs/415436/4 "2007-08-13T15:19:23Z")
It may be part of some anxiety disorder. I have had something similar off and on throughout my life. I have also used the terminology of it taking effort to stop rather than keep doing it which many people can’t understand. It isn’t that unusual in any case.
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### Author:  [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2007, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-always-shaking-my-legs/415436/5 "2007-08-13T16:01:14Z")
I’ve heard it called “sewing machine leg”, although Googling that comes up with an issue rock climbers have with shaking legs. I do it, too, but I can only do it with my right leg. Usually when I’m bored or restless.
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### Author:  [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2007, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-always-shaking-my-legs/415436/6 "2007-08-13T17:34:57Z")
I did this too, starting in elementary and then tapering off my freshman year of college, and then it went away. But I don’t know how old the OP is.
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### Author:  [@Wheeljack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheeljack)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2007, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-always-shaking-my-legs/415436/7 "2007-08-13T17:55:16Z")
I’m doing it right now.
Why not? It feels better than not doing it.
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### Author:  [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2007, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-always-shaking-my-legs/415436/8 "2007-08-13T17:57:29Z")
Same here. Been doing as long as I can remember. Have to stop doing when eating with others because it bothers them.
It’s a sign of great sexual stamina.
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### Author:  [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2007, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-always-shaking-my-legs/415436/9 "2007-08-13T18:10:16Z")
I do it too although not all the time. At work if I am not bouncing my leg up and down then I am fidgeting with something in my hand. I have a couple of different fidget toys at my desk.
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### Author:  [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2007, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-always-shaking-my-legs/415436/10 "2007-08-13T18:26:32Z")
I have read that people who fidget are skinnier than people who don’t.
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### Author:  [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2007, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-always-shaking-my-legs/415436/11 "2007-08-13T18:46:46Z")
I’ve done it since high school. It’s just a nervous habit.
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### Author:  [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2007, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-always-shaking-my-legs/415436/12 "2007-08-13T18:49:07Z")
I do it on and off. It’s kinda fun but annoying if you cant stop.
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### Author:  [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2007, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-always-shaking-my-legs/415436/13 "2007-08-13T18:50:44Z")
I recently saw [a hit movie](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0366548/) about someone with this condition.
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### Author:  [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2007, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-always-shaking-my-legs/415436/14 "2007-08-13T19:51:11Z")
Not to offend anybody, but I’ve noticed that there is a _very_ strong correlation between this behavior and tendencies towards substance abuse, which might back up the anxiety disorder hypothesis. I used to do it quite a bit myself in my younger ‘party animal’ days, but when I outgrew the partying, the behavior stopped.
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### Author:  [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2007, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-always-shaking-my-legs/415436/15 "2007-08-13T19:58:31Z")
I never consume coffee, drugs or alcohol and I do this all the time. So there.
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### Author:  [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2007, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-always-shaking-my-legs/415436/16 "2007-08-13T21:05:03Z")
[QUOTE=Hampshire]
[Restless Leg Syndrome?](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restless_leg_syndrome)
but probably not.
[/QUOTE]
Very probably not. RLS is not about unconscious leg wiggling, it’s about a very conscious desire to move the legs to avoid that horrible feeling.
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### Author:  [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2007, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-always-shaking-my-legs/415436/17 "2007-08-13T21:14:38Z")
[QUOTE=Washoe]
Not to offend anybody, but I’ve noticed that there is a _very_ strong correlation between this behavior and tendencies towards substance abuse, which might back up the anxiety disorder hypothesis. I used to do it quite a bit myself in my younger ‘party animal’ days, but when I outgrew the partying, the behavior stopped.
[/QUOTE]
Nope - never done any drugs at all, weaned myself off caffeinated soft drinks, and only drink socially.
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### Author:  [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2007, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-always-shaking-my-legs/415436/18 "2007-08-13T21:23:47Z")
I’ve done it for about 50 years, on and off. It’s really neat when you can get a syncopation going between the two legs, especially when one is moving slightly faster than the other, so they phase in and out of synch.
I also sometimes have RLS, which is an entirely different thing.
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### Author:  [@TupeloHoney](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TupeloHoney)
#### Post date: [August 14, 2007, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-always-shaking-my-legs/415436/19 "2007-08-14T03:25:02Z")
I also do it… All the time! My father does too. It makes me think of when I was younger and how my dad used to do it while I was sitting beside him at church and it would drive me crazy. And then I realized that I also do it too.
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### Author:  [@BaneSidhe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BaneSidhe)
#### Post date: [August 14, 2007, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-always-shaking-my-legs/415436/20 "2007-08-14T03:49:12Z")
The hubby does it too and has a couple of other mannerisms that I’ve been told are Tourettes related.
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