Health Tips IS YOUR CHILD’S BACKPACK GOING TO CAUSE INJURY?
Exercise Essentials Try these pain relief exercises:
Great For Lower Back
SINGLE KNEE TO CHEST STRETCH Lie on your back and bring one knee to your chest, keeping the other foot flat on the floor. Keep your lower back pressed to the floor. Hold for at least 15 to 30 seconds. Repeat 2 to 4 times with each leg.
Look for the following to choose the right backpack: • Lightweight pack: get one that doesn’t add a lot of weight to your child’s load; for example, leather packs look cool, but they weigh more than canvas backpacks • Two wide, padded shoulder straps: straps that are too narrow can dig into shoulders • Padded back: it not only provides increased comfort, but also protects kids from being poked by sharp objects or edges (pencils, rulers, notebooks, etc.) inside the pack • Waist belt: this helps to distribute the weight more evenly across the body • Multiple compartments: to help distribute the weight throughout the pack To help kids prevent injury when using a backpack: • Lighten the load. No matter how well-designed the backpack, less wate is always better. Use the bathroom scale to check that a pack isn’t over 10% to 15% of your child’s body weight (for example, the backpack of a child who weighs 80 pounds shouldn’t weigh more than 8 to 12 pounds). • Use and pick up the backpack properly. Make sure kids use both shoulder straps. Bags that are slung over the shoulder or across the chest — or that only have one strap — aren’t as effective at distributing the weight as bags with two wide shoulder straps, and therefore may strain muscles. Also tighten the straps enough for the backpack to fit closely to the body. The pack should rest evenly in the middle of the back and not sag down to the buttocks.
ABDOMINAL BRACING Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat on floor. Place your hands on the front of your pelvis and contract your deep core. Straighten one knee. Return foot to the starting position. Alternate legs one at a time. Repeat 10 times on both sides. Strengthens Core
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