Backpack Basics
Smart Solutions : Episode SSL-454 -- More Projects »
Susanna Althoff, executive editor of Natural Health magazine, discusses good back health for children and shows how to choose a backpack and pack it in order to lighten the load.
- Some warning signs that a backpack is too heavy: overall sorenes, back pain, tingling hands, neck spasms, headaches and dizziness.
- This is a backpack don't (figure A). Both straps should be utilized when wearing a backpack. Researchers have found that when children use only one strap, the spine twists to accommodate the uneven weight and one shoulder is higher than the other. The uneven weight can cause a child to shorten his or her stride and take more frequent steps.
- Backpacks should weigh between five and 10 percent of a child's body weight. For a young child, stay around the five-percent mark, while an older child can handle up to the 10-percent mark. Teenagers can handle a backpack that is up to 15 percent of their weight. Although it may seem insignificant, a 13-pound backpack on a 60-pound child is too much weight, and the child will have to struggle at times to handle it.
- Be critical of a backpack's contents. For instance, a plastic supply container can be replaced with a zippered pouch. Leave the hardbound dictionary at home and replace it with a pocket dictionary. Talk to the child to determine what books are necessary for homework to weed out unnecessary books whenever possible.
- Don't be afraid to ask school administrators what the locker policy is and how the issue of heavy backpacks is being addressed. Some instructors copy chapters from workbooks so that students don't have to travel heavy. Publishing houses have also undertaken producing more paperback books to reduce the burden.
Look for backpacks that have a shelving system (figure B). This enables books to be stored across the length of the back without piling them on the bottom. Take advantage of the specialized compartments that are available in some backpacks to better distribute the weight.
Some backpacks are modified with wheels (figure C) and a pull-out handle.
Wide, padded straps are a must! Be sure that the pack fits snugly across the back. Adjust the straps so that there is no space between the backpack and the child's back and make sure it is carried properly--at the belt level (figure D).
Guests Susanne Althoff
Executive Editor,
Natural Health magazine
Toll-free: 800-526-8440
Website:
www.naturalhealthmag.com
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