Ready or Not … It’s Back to School Time!Our Top 5 Tips to Remember While Picking Out Your Child’s Backpack!
Did you know you should only carry a backpack weighing 10-15% of your body weight? With September around the corner, and back-to-school shopping lists taunting us, we are often reminded how important it is to choose the right backpack. The right size bag will help mitigate future back, shoulder and neck issues for our kids.
Here are a few tips to remember when picking out the proper backpack for this school year:
- Choose the right fit.
Bigger isn’t always better, the bigger the bag the more your child will be putting in it making it much heavier than it should be. The backpack should fit from shoulders to waistline, and ideally be no wider than they are shoulder to shoulder. - Choose the right straps.
Pick a bag with two, wide and padded, adjustable straps instead of one. One strap bags such as sling bags and messenger bags can cause alignment issues including back, shoulder and neck injuries. - Compartments can help with organization & weight distribution.
- Wear it right!
Use the adjustable straps to ensure the bag is as close to the body as possible & load heavier items nearer your child’s body. The bag should not sway side to side when walking. If the bag moves too much or sits too far away it will affect your child’s balance and posture. - Don’t forget to lighten the load.
Pack only what is needed, and encourage them to use their lockers to unload items they don’t need to have with them all day long.
Good luck finding the backpack that not only meets your child’s needs (colour, theme), but also the important things we care about as parents.
If you think your child is experiencing lower back, shoulder or neck pain caused by their backpack; or need help choosing/fitting a backpack, call us or send us an email, to schedule an assessment with one of our physiotherapist. Prevention is better than reaction!