How Do You Usually Carry Your Bag? Learn To Take Care Of Your Back!

Carrying the bag improperly can lead to some health problems, especially for your back.

Normally, when we talk about this type of case, we tend to think of children. They are the ones who carry the weight of their books every day. However, with the advent of backpacks with wheels it seems that the problem has alleviated a bit.

Now, what about us? Women are more than used to always carrying a bag, whether to go to work, to shop or even to party. The most curious thing is that, without knowing how, they end up weighing too much.

What consequences does it have for our health? What type of bag would be the most appropriate to take better care of our bones and back? Find out below, although we warn you that you should consult a doctor if you have serious back problems.

Consequences for our health when carrying a bag wrong

Nothing would happen if we carried a bag on time. However, the real problem comes when we continually misuse backpacks, bags, purses and those attractive bags that match our shoes.

For this reason, every day dozens of women with pain, discomfort and serious back problems come to the consultations of specialists that could be avoided if we followed very simple guidelines on the proper use of handbags.

Take note of the most common problems associated with weight and the incorrect use of these fashion accessories and, in turn, “work tools.”

Column deviations

Let’s take a little tour of our back health. Think, for example, of the weight that we ourselves have carried on her in our childhood.

As orthopedists explain, spinal deviations begin to occur in the early stages of growth, that is, in childhood.

For example, a study where the doctor of the Back Unit, Francisco Kovacs, of the Moncloa University Hospital and director of the Spanish network of researchers in back ailments (REIDE), has ensured that scoliosis is more a personal aesthetic characteristic than an illness.

That is, this is more linked to our behavior, posture and performance of certain movements, than to some family inheritance or some development of a disease.

The shoulders, the most delicate part of the body

Did you know that the shoulders are the most fragile part of our skeleton? In addition, they are also the most vulnerable part to the use of bags, shoulder bags, purses and backpacks, since they support the muscles and bones of the back to overcome the weights that we put on them at all times.

If you want to avoid back problems, here are some basic tips:

1. Only 1 kilo of weight: set priorities and include what you really need

The best way to take care of your back is to avoid putting on excessive weight, which is why you need to set priorities. Do you really need to put the whole makeup set in your bag? Or all those documents? You don’t need to include that bottle of water either. Ideally, the bag should not weigh more than 1 kilo!

If, due to your work, you are forced to have to carry more things, the doctors tell us a basic rule that you must remember: the maximum you can carry is 15% of your weight.

2. Put the heaviest objects in the bottom of the bag

We are going to prevent what we carry in the bag from moving, and in turn, causing neck injuries.

There is a simple trick that consists of placing the objects that weigh more, in the lower part of the bag. Thus, it will help us avoid health problems and  limit damage to the spinal curvature.

To mention one example, we can talk about the study shown in Glamor magazine , where Alexander West, a spinal surgeon in the Department of Neurosurgery at Houston Methodist Hospital, revealed that a woman can carry up to 6.3 kilograms in her bag.

For this reason, it is suggested to follow this little tip and after placing the “heaviest”, you can add only a couple of things that you are really going to need, such as the mobile charger, for example.

3. Watch your shoulders

The shoulders and neck are the areas most affected by the weight of the bags. Therefore, you must be especially careful when carrying the typical purses or shoulder bags with handles on one shoulder. For it:

• Choose to carry the bag on the forearm rather than on the shoulder.
• If you wear a shoulder strap, remember to shift the weight on the other shoulder every 15 minutes. In addition, the handle of the bag should be wide and padded.
• Do not use “maxi bags”, since in the end you will end up filling them more than necessary. Better choose small bags.

4. Keep the weight as close to the body as possible

If you carry the bag on your forearm, remember to stick it as close to your body as possible.  In this way, we contribute to reducing injuries and strain on the spinal muscles.

It is also advisable to change the weight of the bag every 15 minutes to the other arm, so as not to damage your elbows. In addition, you must take care that the bag does not swing while you walk.

Have you already taken note of the tips to take care of your back? Do not hesitate to put them into practice, since they will be very useful. Even so, we warn you again of the need to visit your doctor if you think you have a serious back problem.