Pack It Light, Wear It Right! Tips for Backpack Awareness Day

Heavy backpacks are a real pain in the neck. So much so that the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) hosts National School Backpack Awareness Day on the third Wednesday of every September.

And it’s not just backpacks—the same goes for purses, briefcases 和 luggage as well. The event falls on September 20 this year, with plenty of opportunities for students, 父母, 教育工作者 和 others to learn how to “pack it light, wear it right.”

阅读更多: Occupational Therapy with Jesse Ausec

Consider these school backpack stats:

• 澳门永利在线赌场移动官网 than 79 million students in the United States carry school backpacks.
• From 2019 to 2021, an estimated annual average of 1,200 kids under 19 years old were treated in emergency rooms for backpack-related injuries, according to the U.S. Consumer Product 安全 Commission.
• A backpack should weigh no more than 10 percent of a child’s body weight. When in doubt, set the full backpack on a bathroom scale or ask your physician’s office to weigh it.

阅读更多: Pack a 健康y Lunch

Now that you know the ABCs, let’s study the 123s of basic backpack safety.

1. 包装它. Utilize different compartments 和 pockets to distribute weight, with lighter items in front.
2. Adjust 和 carry. Always use both shoulder straps to prevent injury, 和 adjust the sternum strap 和 hip belt to improve balance. When fitted properly, the backpack should rest snugly against the back 和 fall slightly above the waist.
3. 穿上它. To prevent back injury, teach children (和 grown-ups!) to pick up the backpack by bending 和 lifting at the knees instead of the waist.

“If your child carries a full backpack every day, be sure to weigh it 和 adjust the load 和 fit appropriately,” says Josh Harless, occupational therapist at Beaufort Memorial 健康Link for Children. “Tingling in the arms 和 shoulders 和 a stooped or slanting posture are sure signs that the load is too heavy.”

Recovering from an injury? Learn more about Beaufort Memorial's Physical Therapy 和 Rehabilitation 服务.