Backpack Awareness for Back to School
The following tips are designed to promote and preserve good posture. When backpacks become burdensome, it compresses the spine decreasing one's strength and stability. Overtime, one may learn to slouch, develop pain and it may affect the performance of one's abilities. This can start when your kids or as adults. The following provides a template for tasks that may be incorporated into you are your family's routine. I've learned to practice them myself. Of course, it can be a challenge adding another step to the rush of waking up and getting on the move, so pick the strategy that works for you and try to tackle it a few times a week. You can do this after your kids go to bed or as a family on Sunday night, simply select the time of day that works for you and bear in mind the following.
Routine Recommendations:
- Backpacks should weight about 10% of one's total body weight. 100 lbs=10 lbs. load
- do a scan of the bag and remove any immediate items which you know will not be needed for the day
- adjust the shoulder and/or waist strap if you have one, so pack rests nestled at the top of your hips, snuggly to your back
- load heavy items near the back of the pack so the weight is closer to the spine
- if the backpack is full and the items are important for the day, carry a book in one's hands to decrease the load
- arrange the pack so items are snug so they do not slide around over the course of the day
Additional Recommendations:
- wear your backpack on both shoulders avoiding weighing down the lode on one side of the body
- when choosing a back pack, find one with padded shoulders
- if the school allows, utilize a pack on wheels
- backpacks are generally easier to distribute the load more evenly than over the shoulder bags.
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