EP 725 – Backpack Injury

Backpack Injury. Should Parents Be Worried About Their Children?

With all of the stressors that parents have to worry about when their young children are going back to school, a backpack may be far down the list of priorities.

When you place a heavy backpack filled with books, binders and gym clothes, the stress can pull you backwards. Research shows that up to 60% of children will experience back pain by the time they are 18 years old.

So here are today’s Hot Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Backpack Safety Month:

The maximum weight of a loaded backpack should not exceed 15% of the child’s body weight.

Pick the right backpack that fits your child’s size and strength. If they can’t stand up straight, then they may be carrying too much weight.

Choose a pack with a hip strap or waist belt and a padded back. A strap or belt can take as much as 50-70% of the weight off the shoulders and spine, and will equalize the strain on the bones, joints, and muscles.

There is a free app featuring easy-to-perform posture exercises, that you can use in just three minutes a day to help keep your child healthy. Practice The Straighten Up Canada program anywhere as a great way to improve posture.

If you like today’s wellness tips, let me know. You can leave me a review on amazon or through your #alexa app.

Looking for more tips to build your resiliency? Look for my book on Amazon called Stress Out. 52 Weeks To Letting More Life In.