How to Choose a Healthy Backpack for Your Child

November 1 2018 Karien Jordaan

Features to look for in a backpack

“You can help your kids avoid back problems by encouraging back-healthy habits, starting with shopping for a new backpack:

  • Pick lightweight materials. You don’t want the backpack itself to be any heavier than necessary, so cross leather off your list

  • Have your child try it out. Make sure the backpack is a good fit. When loaded up, the top of the backpack should extend higher than the shoulders, and the bottom should be above the waist. Those sagging backpacks you may have noticed some kids wearing can lead to back stress.

  • Check the padding. Look for shoulder straps that are wide, padded, and adjustable. Hard, narrow straps can cut into your child’s shoulders, leading to tingling or numbness in the arms and hands. Some larger backpacks have waist or chest straps, which provide extra support. The back of the backpack, where it will be against your child’s back, should also be padded.

  • Look for compartments. Having separate sections for different items can keep the backpack’s weight from shifting, which could throw your child off balance.

  • Don’t overdo it. Buy a backpack large enough for the necessities, but not too big. Extra space in the backpack may tempt your young pack rat to fill it up with unneeded items, adding to the weight.

Getting the most out of your backpack

Recommendations vary on how much weight in a backpack is too much, but the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons says it shouldn’t be more than 20% of your child’s weight. The ideal weight is no more than 10%. You can test the weight on your bathroom scale.

Try these other tips for back safety:

  • Get a good fit. Make sure the straps are tightened so the backpack is close to your child’s body without being uncomfortable

  • Pack it right. The heaviest items go in the backpack first, so the weight is lower and close to the body.

  • Easy does it. Show your kids how to lift the backpack using the legs while keeping the weight close to your body. Emphasize that the body should be straight—not bent at the waist or twisted—when putting on the backpack.

  • Use both straps. There’s a good reason backpacks have two straps—it distributes the weight equally without straining one side of the body.”

 

Reference and picture: http://www.spine-health.com/blog/back-school-can-mean-back-trouble?source=3tab

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