Backpacks Are a Big Pain On Your Back

So you’ve been back to school for a bit and you’ve got a bunch of textbooks, maybe a laptop or tablet, and even a musical instrument. How are you carrying all that stuff? In a backpack probably, right? Make sure you're not hurting yourself! 

Carrying too much stuff all day long can mess you up. So try to make your backpack lighter by taking out anything you don’t need in your backpack, and see if you can find one with padded straps and a lot of different compartments, that will help you carry stuff more easily.

A heavy backpack can make you walk in a way that's hard on your body. If you already tend to slouch, your backpack could make it even worse. You can change that by sitting up and standing straight, or as your mom might say it, “have good posture”. 

The New York Times reported that “carrying a 12-pound backpack to and from school and lifting it 10 times a day for an entire school year puts a cumulative load on youngsters' bodies of 21,600 pounds or the equivalent of six mid-sized cars.” So basically, carrying your backpack for a whole school year is the same as carrying 6 CARS! Wow! 

Source: NewsUSA