How To Choose A Healthy Backpack For Your Child

A Healthy Backpack For Your Child In San Diego

A healthy backpack can reduce the chance that a child will develop early back, shoulder, neck and muscle strain. Adds Paisley, which can lead to more serious structural problems such as lower back pain, scoliosis, kyphosis or reduced spinal mobility later in life. A healthy backpack leaves with your child in the morning and stays with him until he gets home and it’s essential for holding supplies, books, and lunch.

The key to a healthy backpack is thinking small, lightweight and kid-friendly and will make it easier for you to bring the necessities. It is most important for proper handling that the healthy backpack has a very easy location to grab that is strong enough for grabbing, and that all the loose straps be tied or clipped together. Regularly wiping down your backpack will help minimize dirt build up but sometimes only a proper clean will do.  The sort of healthy backpack is meant to safely carry knives, cooking tools, and other miscellaneous equipment such as notebooks, towels, and uniforms.

Kids’ Backpacks 101

Just about the time your child enters middle school, his or her backpack burden starts to grow. Laden with everything from textbooks to sports gear to cell phones and laptops, kids’ backpacks get weighed down with some of their most prized possessions.

But do overloaded backpacks carry serious health risks? Experts give WebMD a lesson in kids’ backpacks, covering their effect on your child’s muscles and bones, the right backpack to look for when the new school year is about to begin, and how to pack and wear it to reduce pain and maximize comfort.

Kids’ Backpacks: A Real Risk?

School backpacks are a staple, holding all the essentials kids need to make it through the day. But when the backpack starts to weigh your child down, could it be causing long-term damage?

“A lot of parents come in to my office thinking that their child might have scoliosis because of a heavy backpack,” says Lori Karol, MD, a spokesperson for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS). In reality, explains Karol, scoliosis is not a danger. But kids’ backpacks can cause back, shoulder, and neck pain when they’re too heavy and worn for the better part of eight hours a day. Read more here.

What healthy backpack is right for your child? But you need help finding the right one, this will help you find the size to fit into your child’s backpack.

How to Choose a Healthy Backpack for Your Child

Whether it’s lugging a backpack stuffed with heavy textbooks or toting a tuba in the marching band, your kids probably put their backs to the test at school. All that extra weight can take a toll on growing bodies. You may notice your child isn’t standing up as straight as before, or maybe the child has pain in the shoulder, neck, or back.

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. If you have trouble finding what you need, check with online retailers such as Lands End or an outdoor-oriented retailer such as REI for lightweight—but sturdy—options.
• 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. See more here.

A healthy backpack is well padded, but just to be sure put something soft like a jacket, towel or pillow here to make sure nothing is a pain in the back.

Help your kids avoid being overburdened by backpacks

Your little scholar carries a lot of weight on their shoulders. Textbooks, notebooks, binders, lunch and other school necessities can quickly create a heavy backpack. While all of the gear may be necessary, over time heavy backpacks can have negative effects on your child’s back and body. Backpacks that are too heavy can increase kids’ risk of injury, result in curvature of the spine, cause pain, and result in poor posture. At the same time, if their bag is too large and heavy, they can also bump other kids with it! Keep your kids and their friends safe with these tips.

Buy a light backpack. Choose a simple, lightweight backpack to ensure it’s not heavy from the get-go. Avoid one-shoulder or messenger bags, which don’t allow the bag’s load to be properly balanced on your child’s back. Look for backpacks that have:

• Two wide, padded straps to protect shoulders
• Waist belt to distribute weight evenly
• Padding where their back touches the backpack for comfort from things that may poke through

Check the size. Size matters when it comes to children’s’ backpacks. A backpack that is too large can be unsafe. The National Safety Council recommends avoiding backpacks that are longer or wider than your child’s torso. Read full article here.

Choose The Right Healthy Backpack For Your Child

So it’s no surprise that kids prefer picking backpacks that show off their personality and interests. Even if your child gravitates toward a backpack with his favorite character or color, it’s important to give it a test run to inspect the quality and see how much the backpack comfortably holds. Look for a pair of wide, padded shoulder straps to help distribute weight evenly and reduce the risk of muscle strain or injury, It’s important that the healthy backpack can easily fit a 2- or 3-inch, three-ring binder and other classroom essentials and bigger is not always better.

It’s hard to think about school supplies while you’re still enjoying homework-free days at the pool. Whether your child is on the hunt for a backpack with a favorite cartoon character or in a preferred color, it’s important to help him choose one that is the right size and shape for his body and what he needs to carry. This guide aims to provide you with all the information you need to make an informed decision about which healthy backpack is best for your needs or for more information you call us here: (619) 831-8777.

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