Restless Legs Syndrome: What if Yoga Could Help?
There you are, tucked in bed, ready for a good night’s sleep. And suddenly, you start feeling weird sensations in your legs that make you want to move.
Welcome to the club! It happens to me too.
Honestly, I’ve never consulted a doctor about it because I can usually fall asleep fairly quickly even when it happens. But after digging around to understand what it might be, I discovered Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS), also called Willis-Ekbom disease, or simply “the jitters.”
I know this syndrome can really mess with some people’s lives. Since it affects 5–10% of the population, even kids and pregnant women, I want to share my experience and how I use yoga, myofascial release, and acupressure to ease it.
So, if you’re looking for restful nights or want to help someone in the same situation, read on. You’ll find an explanation of what RLS is, some natural strategies, and a quick routine you can try to reduce those restless legs.
What is Restless Legs Syndrome?
RLS has been classified by the WHO as a sleep-related movement disorder. It’s a neurological condition that usually affects the legs, though it can also involve the arms or other parts of the body.
The Symptoms
As the name suggests, RLS gives you an irresistible urge to move your legs (or the affected limb) when you’re at rest. That’s why it often shows up in the evening or at night, though it can also happen after long periods of inactivity, like on a plane.
The good news? Symptoms usually ease, at least a little, when you move.
The sensations can be hard to describe but may feel like:
Tingling, prickling, or electric sensations
Internal itching
A “tightness” in the legs, almost like the start of a cramp (this is what I feel)
And these sensations make you feel like you have to move to calm them down.
Other possible symptoms exist, but they’re not required to diagnose RLS, things like involuntary movements while resting or periodic limb movements during sleep.
What Causes Restless Legs Syndrome?
Scientific data doesn’t always give a clear answer (as usual), but RLS may be linked to:
Dopamine imbalance (dopamine helps regulate movement in the brain)
Family history (thanks, genes)
Iron metabolism issues
Stress
Medical Treatments
To relieve RLS, medicine offers several options:
Dopamine agonists: drugs that mimic dopamine in the brain to compensate for imbalance
Anti-seizure medications or muscle relaxants
Iron supplements, if there’s a deficiency
However, these treatments don’t always work and can come with side effects.
That’s where alternative therapies come in!
Natural, Effective, Side-Effect-Free Solutions for RLS
Personally, I always try natural solutions before turning to medication. I’ve noticed that the combo of yoga, myofascial release, and acupressure dramatically reduces the restless feeling in my calves.
I’ve tried it myself, but it turns out that science backs it up too. Studies published in 2013 and 2020 demonstrated yoga’s effectiveness in reducing RLS symptoms. There’s also research from 2007 on myofascial release and a 2022 study on the benefits of acupressure (I’ve listed the references at the end if you want to check them).
Yoga for Restless Legs
Since RLS is neurological, it’s not surprising that yoga can help reduce the jitters. From my experience, restorative yoga works best here, focusing on deep relaxation through gently held postures supported by props.
Yoga, combined with breathing, helps fight RLS symptoms by:
Supporting good circulation
Gently stretching tight muscles
Activating the parasympathetic nervous system (the “calm down, everything’s fine” system), which counteracts the sympathetic system that involuntarily tenses your muscles when stressed or tired
Myofascial Release
Research shows that massage can reduce RLS symptoms by improving circulation and relaxing muscles, which, if too tight, can irritate nerves.
Myofascial release is a massage technique targeting fascia, the connective tissue around muscles, organs, and nerves.
For RLS, you can use a ball or foam roller on calves, thighs, or any affected area. This technique boosts the relaxation you’d get from a standard massage by releasing tension in the fascia, which helps the nerves function better, easing restless legs.
Acupressure
Acupressure is like acupuncture but without the needles—you simply use your fingers to press on acupuncture points. This can restore balance to your body’s energy flow, improving how your body and mind work.
For restless legs, acupressure can:
Improve leg circulation
Regulate the nervous system
Help digest stress
Extra Benefits of Natural Techniques
Besides reducing RLS symptoms, yoga, myofascial release, and acupressure can improve sleep, mood, and inner restlessness, making it easier to handle symptoms when they pop up.
Try This Tonight: My 15-Minute At-Home Routine for RLS
Here’s a quick routine I do right before bed. You can even do it in bed to prep your body (and mind) for sleep.
Note: You can do the exercises in any order you like.
Leg Stretch (3–5 min)
Lie on your back, bend one leg, and stretch the other toward the ceiling, hands behind your thigh. Exhale to bend the knee, inhale to extend the leg with foot flexed. Hold your thigh with hands (or a towel). Another option: keep the leg straight, foot flexed, lift your head as you point the foot. Both should be comfortable stretches.
Repeat 3–5 times per leg. This soothes your legs and mobilizes nerves, especially the sciatic nerve.
Calf Myofascial Massage (1 min per leg)
Roll a ball gently under your calves to release deep tension.
Reclined Butterfly (Supta Baddha Konasana) (5 min)
Lie on your back, soles of feet together, knees open outward. Support with cushions if needed. Breathe with slightly longer exhales, feeling your lower belly expand and stretch on inhales. This opens the front hips and deeply relaxes.
Acupressure (30 sec per foot)
My favorite points are on the top of the foot, in the groove between the first two toes—liver 2 and 3. Press along this groove with your index finger, back and forth. You can also press the hollow you feel along this line just past the toes. These points relax and help drain toxins.
Box Breathing (2 min)
Inhale for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4. Visualize drawing a square as you breathe. This slows your mind and prepares your body and head for sleep.
Note: Keep the breathing comfortable. Skip holds if you’re uncomfortable or pregnant.
Conclusion
If your legs feel weird when you lie down or stay still, it could be RLS. It’s not dangerous, but it can seriously affect sleep. If you’re not ready for medication—or if symptoms aren’t too bad—I suggest trying yoga, myofascial release, and acupressure, or even just one of them, to see if it helps.
Start with my quick routine and see if it brings relief, but remember, consistency is key; it’s not magic!
Also, head to my special RLS sequence on my YouTube channel. It’s free!
Feel free to ask questions or share your experience in the comments or via email. I’d be happy to help you find postures and acupressure points that work if my routine isn’t enough.
Disclaimer: My advice is based on research, practice, and experience. I can’t guarantee results for you specifically, because RLS is personal. For tailored guidance, you should consult a doctor.
Sources:
Kim E. Innes, MSPH, PhD, Terry Kit Selfe, DC, PhD, Parul Agarwal, MPH, Kimberly Williams, PhD, and Kathryn L. Flack, MPH, Efficacy of an Eight-Week Yoga Intervention on Symptoms of Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS): A Pilot Study, The Journal of alternative and complementary medicine, Vol. 19, No. 6, 2013, pp. 527-535
Kim E. Innes, MSPH, PhD; Terry Kit Selfe, PhD, DC; Caitlin Montgomery, MPH; Nicole Hollingshead, PhD; Zenzi Huysmans, MA, MS, PhD; Roshini Srinivasan; Sijin Wen, PhD; Madeleine J. Hausmann; Karen Sherman, MPH, PhD; Maryanna Klatt, PhD, Effects of a 12-week yoga versus a 12-week educational lm intervention on symptoms of restless legs syndrome and related outcomes: an exploratory randomized controlled trial, Journal of clinical sleep medicine, Vol. 16, No. 1, 2020, pp. 107-119
Hafiza Iqra Rubab, Hafiza Muriam Ghani, Hafiza Sara Wafa, Amon, Muhammad Farid Nasir, Effects of Stretching Exercises and Myofascial Pain Release on Pain and Sleep Quality in Antenatal Restless Leg Syndrome, Journal of health and rehabilitation research, 2024, pp. 194-199
Li-Hung Tsaia, Chuan-Mei Chenc, Li-Mei Lina, Ching-Ching Tsaia, Yi Han, Lai-Chu See, Acupressure reduces the severity of restless legs syndrome in hemodialysis patients: A cluster-randomized crossover pilot study, Biomedical Journal 45, 2022, pp. 533-541