# Why do people shake their legs while sitting down? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 16, 2009, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-shake-their-legs-while-sitting-down/493266 "2009-04-16T04:50:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2009, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-shake-their-legs-while-sitting-down/493266/1 "2009-04-16T04:50:18Z")
Deep thoughts? Dancing to the songs in their heads? The onset of Tourette’s? Restless legs syndrome? Sheer boredom? ---
**Author:** ![Cyberhwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7993a0/32.png) [@Cyberhwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyberhwk)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2009, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-shake-their-legs-while-sitting-down/493266/2 "2009-04-16T06:58:36Z")
To be honest I have no idea why I do it. I’d gladly stop if I could but it’s a compulsion. ---
**Author:** ![wolf-alice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9e8a1a/32.png) [@wolf-alice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf-alice)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2009, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-shake-their-legs-while-sitting-down/493266/3 "2009-04-16T08:23:14Z")
Because it’s comfy, I suppose. Also it really helped when I took up drumming and discovered that for twenty-six years I’d conditioned myself to have a really speedy kick drum foot, so perhaps I was unconsciously training in speed metal :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2009, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-shake-their-legs-while-sitting-down/493266/4 "2009-04-16T09:39:57Z")
It’s not natural for humans to sit still for long periods of time. It’s a modern convention to just sit on our asses all day. And when doing so we naturally get restless sometimes. That’s my theory. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2009, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-shake-their-legs-while-sitting-down/493266/5 "2009-04-16T11:02:11Z")
Restlessness. It helps to stem off the desire to run away screaming from a situation where you’re forced to stay put for long periods of time. ---
**Author:** ![Stauderhorse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Stauderhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stauderhorse)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2009, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-shake-their-legs-while-sitting-down/493266/6 "2009-04-16T11:20:06Z")
Being restless, as others have said. I never start shaking my leg at the beginning of a class, but when there are ten minutes left and the teacher keeps going on and on and I just want him to finish so I can _leave_…that’s when it starts. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2009, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-shake-their-legs-while-sitting-down/493266/7 "2009-04-16T11:34:06Z")
They’re being forced to sit when their full of energy that needs to be used. ---
**Author:** ![Litoris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9f8e36/32.png) [@Litoris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Litoris)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2009, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-shake-their-legs-while-sitting-down/493266/8 "2009-04-16T13:05:54Z")
For me, it’s just pent-up energy, I think. Not that I’m so much restless as I just never stop moving. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2009, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-shake-their-legs-while-sitting-down/493266/9 "2009-04-16T13:07:23Z")
I’m the most appalling leg-jiggler. I tend to blame my low blood pressure - I figure my body’s just trying any way to keep the stuff circulating. I don’t know if this is related, but I also can’t bear to stand still for long periods of time. If there’s a long wait at the train station (ie more than two minutes) I’ll be the one pacing up and down the platform from end to end - I can do that for hours without a problem but ten minutes of standing still in one spot and I feel like my heart’s thumping out of my chest. I’m jiggling as I type this, of course… ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2009, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-shake-their-legs-while-sitting-down/493266/10 "2009-04-16T16:07:15Z")
Like other forms of fidgeting, I think it helps focus my mind - seriously. And unlike fiddling with something at hand, it leaves my hands free to type. There are a surprising number of hits on the subject! I googled “why jiggle leg when sitting” and one of the first hits (from the Google summary) suggested it looked like Parkinson’s!! (more info on the page said that nope, it was probably unconnected) I suspect it’s all a form of self-stimulating behavior - careful how you google that, some hits are for \>\>that\<\< kind, though most are for the neurological sort as seen in autism. One in particular was fascinating in that it discussed stims that had become acceptable - like playing with hair or with a piece of jewelry. Of interest -I find that when I’m jiggling a leg, or doing something else that takes just a _little_ of my attention (e.g. playing minesweeper or Bejeweled on my PDA), I do a MUCH better job of listening to a speaker. Strange. It’s almost like I need something focused - but not TOO much so - for my brain to keep it from wandering everywhere and totally ignoring the speaker. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2009, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-shake-their-legs-while-sitting-down/493266/11 "2009-04-16T17:49:26Z")
I have no idea. I don’t do it as much as I did when I was younger, but it’s a habit – I’m not aware I’m doing it until someone points it out to me. ---
**Author:** ![Kiber](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kiber/32/317_2.png) [@Kiber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiber)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2009, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-shake-their-legs-while-sitting-down/493266/12 "2009-04-16T18:08:09Z")
For me - it’s because of my Restless Leg Syndrome. Yes - If I didn’t have it, I’d make fun of it too. And to be honest, I do make fun of it pretty regularly since it sounds like I’m part of an SNL skit. Basically - it’s like the feeling you get when you sit in a tight airplane seat for 6+ hours without moving - a compulsion to move and try to release the tension. Except that when it’s bad - it happens all the time. Before I knew what I had - I would bounce my legs a lot in an effort to release the tension. Now I know it doesn’t help me any and actually seems to make it worse. Luckily - I’m able to control it through regular exercise, so as long as I’m running 4-5 times a week, it doesn’t bother me. Otherwise . . . . . . ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2009, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-shake-their-legs-while-sitting-down/493266/13 "2009-04-16T18:28:34Z")
Because the meeting…shake shake shake…just will not…shake shake shake…end! Oh god, more slides? I’m done reading the bullet points move on already…shake shake shake… ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2009, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-shake-their-legs-while-sitting-down/493266/14 "2009-04-16T18:31:36Z")
I try not to do it when other people are around. But when I’m alone in my office- hey, it’s exercise of a sort that I don’t find too difficult or boring (like I do most types of exercise- at least I can look at interesting stuff online while I do this). ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2009, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-shake-their-legs-while-sitting-down/493266/15 "2009-04-16T18:32:35Z")
Because I’m one those impatient, insufferable, fidgety people who gets annoyed when people walk too slowly down the grocery store aisles, and wants to cause bodily harm to people who use the [elevator](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=514050) to move up one floor. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2009, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-shake-their-legs-while-sitting-down/493266/16 "2009-04-16T18:54:27Z")
It keeps the circulation going in the legs to prevent deep vein thrombosis. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2009, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-shake-their-legs-while-sitting-down/493266/17 "2009-04-16T19:09:05Z")
I don’t do it nearly as much as I used to, but the funny thing is that I can only do the sewing-machine thing with my right leg. Not only can I not really do it with the left, the left is unsatisfying. ---
**Author:** ![PopeJewish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@PopeJewish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PopeJewish)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2009, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-shake-their-legs-while-sitting-down/493266/18 "2009-04-17T00:38:59Z")
> [@Stauderhorse](#): > > Being restless, as others have said. I never start shaking my leg at the beginning of a class, but when there are ten minutes left and the teacher keeps going on and on and I just want him to finish so I can _leave_…that’s when it starts. As a teacher I can honestly say we want the class to end just as much as you do, but I’m usually standing/walking around so I don’t need to shake my leg or anything I’m also one of those drummers that everyone hates. Sitting at a desk with nothing to do I tend to drum out little beats I have going in my head. That pisses people off 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Woo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7c8e57/32.png) [@Dr.Woo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Woo)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2009, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-shake-their-legs-while-sitting-down/493266/19 "2009-04-17T01:02:18Z")
I do it all the time, and always have. My husband says I even do it in my sleep. I assume it’s because of the ADHD, but it could be I’m just fidgety. I also pace rather than stand still and fiddle with stuff endlessly. Like **Zsofia** , my right leg is the dominant fidgeter. ---
**Author:** ![Kyrie\_Eleison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kyrie_eleison/32/7682_2.png) [@Kyrie\_Eleison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyrie_Eleison)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2009, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-shake-their-legs-while-sitting-down/493266/20 "2009-04-17T01:37:44Z")
Interesting fact: Leg shakers and other fidgeters perform better on standardized tests. But don’t ask for a cite – I remember this being reported in a credible news source years ago, back when I fidgeted more. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-shake-their-legs-while-sitting-down/493266.md?page=2)