Whether it be in class, studying at a desk, or watching a movie, the leg shake is ever-present. Its rhythmic beating brings percussive irritation to those around us and in a lecture hall, it could dictate the mood of the whole bench. So why do we shake our legs? Why is it necessary for me to keep my toes planted and have my leg bouncing up and down and out of sync with all my other actions? Seriously.
I spent the last week noticing kids in class who fidgeted while sitting. With some research into human behavior, I now have a pretty good idea of why people shake their legs while sitting.
Upon my first searches, I came across articles detailing a condition called Restless Leg Syndrome. All right. Sounds ominous. After looking into the effects of the syndrome, I realized that RLS was a bit of an extreme self-diagnosis. When afflicted with RLS, your legs convulse and seize up causing sporadic and volatile spasms. I sure hope I don’t have that. Onto the next theory.
According to Web M.D., shaking my leg is a big indicator of Attention Deficit Disorder. Really? Just for shaking my leg up and down in class? That doesn’t really match up with any other aspect of my life, and I don’t think everyone who fidgets while sitting has ADD. The search continues.
Here we go. I’ve struck the gold mine. Shaking a leg is a sign of concentration (ever notice that Sherlock Holmes paces a room to solve a mystery?). I shake my leg which releases nervous energy and helps me focus on the mental task at hand. Shaking a leg helps focus -- got it -- but could it also be a tell for some negativity?
Not surprisingly, shaking your leg is a sign of boredom or restlessness. If you were bored in class because your phone was dead and you couldn’t get on Pinterest or your "Clash of Clans," the next best thing is to shake your leg like you are trying to burn enough calories from that bag of Doritos you ate earlier (guilty). It’s true: by rapidly expanding and contracting your leg muscles you are burning calories and exercising your muscles. You burn more calories while sitting and fidgeting than you do standing motionless. I know, right? Welcome to 2016.
Some articles tried to say fidgeting is all about releasing anxiety, though these opinions are contradictory to more notable analysis. Thinking about this on a personal level, I shake my leg quite a bit, and I would say I am not a very anxious person. I wouldn’t doubt that some people are anxious when they shake their leg, but I am choosing to believe that my leg fidgeting is compulsive and a sign of my focus and dedication to burn calories.
So there you have it. When I shake my leg, I am becoming focused and as a byproduct, burning calories. I’ve gone my whole life shaking my leg and not paying attention to the odd action or wondering why I always do it. This has been a fulfilling journey for me. To all the other leg shakers out there, shake on.
