It's a habit some people have. When I'm really trying to get a lot of programming down I am trying to shut out distractions so I can focus on what I'm doing. For me this means having everything just so, my monitors a certain way, programs laid on it a certain way, headphones on, music loud, some sort of snack and drink right next to me. Anything that seems off bothers me and I'm sure I do some weird things physically while I'm programming, likely move around to the music I'm listening to, but I don't really think about it. Thats just what I do when I'm trying to shut everything out. People who shake their leg likely aren't thinking about it, it just happens.
I think it's a combination of factors, one of which might be that the lymphatic system requires motion to cause it to flow (it has no "pump"). So "fidgeting" feels good.
I think leg shaking is mostly harmless, the habits I worry about are:<p>1) Constant muttering stream of expletives.<p>2) Unconsciously drumming along on my desk to whichever song I happen to be listening to while waiting for code to compile / servers to start / etc.<p>I don't think I actually do either very often, but I worry about it. ;)
Amazing how you can almost always find a relevant xkcd: <a href="http://xkcd.com/228/" rel="nofollow">http://xkcd.com/228/</a><p>(also, why is this on the front page?)
I don't shake my legs.<p>Once in a while I scratch my balls (subtlety). I have found women in the office don't scratch their balls. They adjust their bra straps. Unfortunately I don't wear a bra, otherwise I'd join in. There do seem to be a lot of moles on people around here though. There also appear to be a lot of sex toys around (It's where I work, see my profile).<p>What I'm getting at is that you are asking an environmental specific question. You probably find that the 'leg shaker' has a higher metabolic rate or is possibly on the thin side (studies have shown some people are thin because even when sitting, they keep moving).
><i>It is just me or is it that when engineers are programming and sitting behind a desk, they constantly shake their legs??</i><p>It's just you. I've worked in several teams and maybe one in five does that. So no "engineers" as in "the majority of them".<p>Occasionally of course (once an hour or a couple of hours), all do it and SHOULD do it. For the same reasons you are told to do it in an airplane. Thrombosis et all.
Engineers usually drink a lot of coffee / tea, thus are hyperactive lots of the time. A lot of them are nervous, have a tick, find it relaxing. Sitting in the same position for hours on end also does not help.
For me it's not only shaking legs behind a desk. It's also walking in circles when talking on the phone. It's also doing something with my hands when I'm not at the computer (preferably with some item like pen or phone or anything what's nearby).<p>I consider it as a soft version of light ADHD, but I doubt it has anything to do with my profession. It might be the other way around - I chose a profession where I create new things because of that trait (which might also be connected to me being easily exited about new things).
I've made a google form to record every time my coworker sitting less than a meter away from me does something annoying (such as make "chugga-chugga-chugga-chugga" noises and whistle). I'm not proud of it but it keeps me sane.<p>Link if you're curious<p><a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/gform?key=0Amo8gQTQJ0NbdFJqNnZ6RXNFT3lmd1pLQmxveU92TlE&gridId=0#chart" rel="nofollow">https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/gform?key=0Amo8gQTQJ0Nbd...</a>
Venous and/or lymphatic systems use muscular contraction and movement for fluidity. It is specially important to counter gravity. The "need to move your lower extremities" is a natural instinct.<p>So it's not "an engineers thing". I'd say it's not even a "humans thing". Try "animals" (with lower extremities and veins and/or lymphs).<p>Disclaimer: I'm not a doctor or a vet.
I swear, I was shaking my legs when I read this. I'm a "software engineer" - you didn't specify which type of engineer.
I just had to comment because it felt like you were talking to me; like in some of those weird movies - "You! Yes, you - there's no one else in the room. YOU, the one leg-shaking. Listen up..." - kinda thing
Their brains work at a high rate and it puts the brain on an additional task to slow their processing rate as not to cause a jam up in the firing of the neurons. They would shake their hands (and some do tap) but they use them for writing. This is not a joke, this is why some of them do this.
I wondered about this for years - because I do it all the time.<p>The answer finally came to me from trial and error of something else. This is caused by caffeine - usually from coffee. Engineers dring lots of coffee, so often suffer from this. It is a type of "jittering".
I do, but I'm not an engineer. My brother does too and he actually is an engineer, though. I guess it depends.<p>I've noticed I'm more prone to nervously shake my legs (usually one at a time) when I'm being overly creative.
My girlfriend does this and she's not programming or engineering-minded.<p>It's just a habit that people seem to have adopted lately – we see other people do it and pick it up because it's comforting.
It's Klein syndrome. You can see a rather severe case at:<p><pre><code> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0L6t0xh-Dc
</code></pre>
(Warning: video may not be suitable for all audiences.)
No real answer to add, but when I was younger I used to play chess pretty regularly.<p>At every tournament there would be people shaking their legs like crazy under their tables.
To burn extra calories!<p>You'd be surprised how much the energy required for such a small movement, performed continuously over longer periods, adds up over time.
Fret not. It's normal. I do it too.
And I did it when I was not an engineer. As a primary school student and then as a secondary and then college student.<p>I think it's good for us engineers. It gets us little bit of movement for otherwise immobile ourselves.<p>I even move around my legs and I stretch it a lot and when stretching I forget that my workstation switch is right in the corner and I switch the entire damn thing off once or twice a month - that was the reason I had to get my (our corp) backup settings on my PC modified to a little more frequent period (15 mins from an hr).<p>Happy shaking!