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Published on September 19, 2017

Is Your Child Carrying Too Much This School Year?

Is Your Child Carrying Too Much This Year?

School supplies have been purchased and textbooks have been distributed but is your child carrying too much?

A child's backpack should never weigh more than 10 to 15 percent of the child's body weight.

Make sure your child practices these backpack tips:

  • Wear both shoulder straps - wearing both shoulder straps allows the weight of the backpack to be distributed evenly and will promote better body posture.
  • Position the backpack correctly - position the backpack over the strongest mid-back muscles, allowing it to rest evenly, and the child to easily put on and remove the backpack.
  • Lighten the load - organize the contents of the backpack by placing the heaviest items closest to the back and only carry items that are required for the day.

Pat McNamara, a sports medicine physical therapist with Cone Health Physical and Sports Rehab Center Burlington, and Brooke Powell, a doctor of physical therapy student at Elon University, spoke on Fox 8 House Call about backpack safety.