The Austin Getz Active Seriez

The Proper Way To Wear A Backpack

In the midst of your weekday morning hustle to get your children fed and shipped off to school, minor concerns take a back seat to more pressing matters like taking the cereal bowl off of your son’s head and figuring out why your daughter can only find shoes to fit her left foot. If by some chance your kids even remember to grab their backpacks on the way out, they rarely remember the proper way to pack and wear them.

We all know that kids participate in activities that can injure them but we fail to realize that the backpack they carry five days a week could be causing more serious problems. Often times our kids’ backpacks are heavier than necessary and are worn improperly. This can cause severe back, neck and shoulder pain and lead to numbness, tingling and red marks.  It’s important to show them the right way to use their backpack.

The most important thing is to remember to use both straps in order to balance the books, Nintendo DS, Sharkies snacks, football, shoes and other items children need to survive during the school day. Secondly, learning to leave unnecessary items out and only pack what they’ll need for the day can minimize the heavy load. It is equally important to load items in the backpack in a manner that will keep them from shifting around during transit. If necessary, use the waist belt that most backpacks come equipped with or choose a backpack on wheels for easy transporting. A few minor changes can make a world of difference.

Lindsay Rosenthal
Owner, 1379

Click here for more Austin Getz Active Articles.