We may be well-informed of the benefits and importance of healthy eating and exercise
for adults but sometimes our kids' health is still taken for granted. Research shows that poor posture, pain and fatigue that can lead to long-term health problems could be caused by a child's school bag. So it is therefore important to invest in a robust, comfortable and sensible school bag for your children.
Many kids could be risking their long-term health by carrying around heavy books, gym/sports kit and sometimes their packed lunch too. Not only walking to and from school but also between classes, means a lot of lifting and carrying everyday. A survey carried out in the US found that nearly 25 per cent of children surveyed are carrying around the equivalent of 14% of their body weight. The research warned that such heavy loads greatly increase the probability of back injury and permanently affect posture in a negative way which could lead to more vulnerability to health problems later in life.
Obviously this carrying lots of things around is made worse or better by the bag your children use for school. The worst culprit is wearing a bag on one shoulder only and probably the habit will be to put it over the same shoulder all the time. Thus without realising it, one side gets a lot more stress and strain than the other leading to imbalances in posture and aches and pains in one shoulder in particular. So, more recently thankfully back to school backpacks have become more fashionable and popular. These, when worn properly (on both shoulders) are of course a lot better for spinal health and posture as they distribute the weight of the contents more evenly and ergonomically. It is also important to make sure the straps are not too tight and therefore affecting circulation or making wearing school jackets such as childrens fleeces uncomfortable.
When purchasing back to school backpacks there are a few things to consider. Check the construction and quality of the backpack. The pack should be lightweight to avoid adding any extra weight to what your child already has to carry around. Then make sure the shoulder straps are wide and padded as thin straps can dig in to the shoulders making it uncomfortable and painful. And multiple compartments can help distribute the weight more evenly in the pack and avoid having to rummage around in order to find contents. Outdoor clothing stores stock high quality and durable rucksacks and backpacks that are ideal for healthier kids' school bags.