Amelia Week 4: Why Do People Bounce Their Legs?

     In any classroom, you can see students bouncing their legs up and down. In fact, right now, there are five people I can see bouncing/shaking their legs/feet while in class. I, too, have fallen victim to this. But what does it mean? Why do we do it? According to metro.co.uk, “Counselling Directory member Dawn Templeton says that leg tapping is caused by 'a buildup of surplus stress hormones in the body, namely adrenaline and cortisol'”. She explains that it is a response to being anxious or stressed. On another hand, Kenny Weiss, founder of the Greatness University, thinks that it is a response to trauma and that people let it out by bouncing their legs. It can be a way to soothe tension and help you feel relaxed. Michael Durtnall of Sayer Clinics London says you can be more prone to leg bouncing if you’re just a high-energy person. Santhosh A. Thomas, a doctor at the Center of Spine Cleveland Clinic thinks that if you only bounce one leg, that leg might have more muscle definition on one side than another. Some of these opinions contradict, but most sources point to anxiety as the main cause. 

      Howcast says that as you get more comfortable around someone, your leg stops bouncing, but this doesn’t quite relate to the people that do it every day as an instinct. Metro.co.uk concludes that once it becomes habitual, you start bouncing your leg even when it's not to reduce stress and anxiety. It can be seen as another way to fidget instead of twirling your pencil or clicking on your pen; it is another outlet of energy. Metro.co.uk recommends finding a physical activity to do which will reduce your stress levels and stop your leg shaking. When bouncing your leg or moving your foot from side to side, you may not even realize it. Even though Weiss thinks it is because of trauma, I don’t think that is true. 

     I approached two people that bounce their legs: one that bounces their legs in class sometimes, not too much, and one that shakes their legs constantly and excessively during class. I asked the first one why they bounce their leg and they said that they do it just because they have a lot of energy/ ADHD. They agreed with me that it's definitely not linked to trauma. The other person, who bounces their legs a lot, has no anxiety, ADHD, or trauma that links to their leg bouncing. They bounce their leg even when they’re not energized or stressed: so why? After reading through all of the previously mentioned sources, none of these “reasons” described why this person bounces their leg. I suppose this person remains a medical mystery; there is no clear answer. At the end of the day, though, bouncing your leg does not lead to any negative effects. It won’t lead to future muscle problems or foot cramps or restless leg syndrome. If you do it, you don’t need to stop. I will still always look at the people around me, though, especially the person that has no reason for doing it, and wonder why. 

    If you often catch yourself bouncing your leg, why do you think that is? And even if you don’t, which of these reasons do you think is the most correct? 

Sources:

https://metro.co.uk/2019/04/20/anxious-leg-bounce-happens-deal-9277508/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fk3bmevQxo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHhFssHUbQ4