Heavy weight of School's backpacks is becoming a major concern for the students, their parents and educators. Students carry heavy bags to the schools which results in serious disorders. According to the study, the weight of a bag should be below 10% of a student's weight to avoid problems, but as per the reports the average weight of a student's school bag  is 8 kg.

You tend to bend your back and neck forward when you carry a heavy bag. If you keep doing that for a long period it leads to bad posture. It also increases energy consumption and you start developing a structurally bad posture. This could result in decreased pulmonary volume and increase cardio respiratory parameters. However, the common problem is lower back pain. In addition, you can get neck, shoulder and upper back pain, breathing difficulties and postural deformities. Studies also found that the bags weighing 15% of a student’s weight could affect the overall posture of the child. As per reports, officials of the school education department have found that bag load in some of the districts was about 10-12 kgs in primary and 15-17 kgs in high schools.

Heavy weight backpacks can result in serious problems such as:

  • Back and Neck Pain
  • Damage Spin
  • Poor lung function
  • Muscles Pain
  • Abnormal body posture
  • Breathing difficult

What can be done to avoid these problems?

1.  Only 3 main subjects in a day ought to be conducted, each 2 periods instead of 6 subjects.

2.  Lockers should be provided to store sports equipment and books.

3. Restrict backpack stack to less than 5% of the body weight by utilizing school lockers, CDs and USB flash drives.

4.  Planning and legitimately conducting a time-table to reduce loading of school bags.

Following rules would be good for the child’s back:

  1. Always wear both shoulder straps. If the backpack is high on your back, you can adjust the straps and the straps should be comfortable on your shoulders. If the backpack has a waist strap, utilize it. That makes a difference to transfer the weight more equally over the body.
  2. A planned time table is the responsibility of the teachers, making sure that the students don't have to carry heavy books daily and carry only those books which are needed during the day. This way, students know which books to carry for that specific subject and keep the extras at home. 

Following measures should be taken:

  1. Select a Backpack- If your child needs to bring their computer back and forth each day, you’ll need to find a bag that holds the laptop securely, allowing  the students to keep the weight of the gadget near their body.
  2. Review heavy lifting guidelines-Parents should combat the battle of the heavy backpack by reviewing proper bag guidelines with your children:
  • You should wear your pack with both straps around your shoulders.
  • Store books in a locker or desk, at whatever point possible
  • Clean out your bag frequently and dodge carrying unnecessary weight.
  • Choose a bag that’s lightweight and properly fitted to your size.
  • Lift loads with your knees and legs, instead of your back and shoulders

   3. Signs of Heavy backpack- Back, shoulder, and leg pain can all be indicative of a backpack that’s too heavy. First of all, if the pain is extreme or ongoing, your child should see a doctor. Back injuries are exceptional  in kids, but not unheard of.

Signs include

  • Pain and inconvenience in the back, neck, or shoulders
  • Numbness or shivering in the hands or forearms
  • Wriggling and sitting unevenly, or trouble walking
  • Fever, restlessness (due to pain), or weight loss
  • Bowel or bladder problems
  • Help Your Child Plan for better Health

   4. Pack a separate bag for after school activities and bring it along in the carpool whenever conceivable. If your kid is responsible for getting back and forth to post-school events, at that       point see if  they can store their spare bag in a classroom, locker, or office until it’s time to go.


Monday, 25 January 2021 05:42

From the Principal’s Desk

Mental Health Day is celebrated the world over on 10th October. For many years, one’s emotional state was not given any importance. In fact, to have an emotional or mental issue was considered to be a sign of weakness and a social stigma, hence was often brushed under the carpet. But now we have realised that mental wellbeing is as important as physical wellbeing and needs to be treated accordingly.

Feelings of loneliness and isolation are common, when we are more connected over social media than physically, and specially in times like this when we are separated from our friends and extended family. Dealing with these kinds of feelings can be a challenge, but most of the time these feelings pass, and we are able to bounce back effectively. When we are emotionally strong, we can make the most of our potential, cope with life’s many challenges and play a full part in our family and social lives.

Being mentally and emotionally healthy then is of utmost importance. Good mental health helps us to achieve a sense of contentment, have the ability to laugh and enjoy light moments, deal with stress in a positive manner, be flexible to change and adapt accordingly, find a healthy work-life balance, have self-confidence and self-esteem, be resilient enough to be able to recover from trauma and setbacks quickly, maintain a positive outlook and find a sense of purpose in life.

To quote Laura Edwards, “If the day ahead feels heavy, and your plans feel like a curse; there is no shame in rearranging, don’t make yourself feel worse. A day is not a lifetime, a rest is not defeat; Don’t think of it as failure, just a quiet, kind retreat. It’s okay to take a moment, from an anxious, fractured mind; The world will not stop turning, while you get realigned. The mountain will still be there, when you want to try again; You can climb it in your own time, just love yourself till then.”

Value and treat yourself with love and acceptance, everything else will fall into place.

- Ms Nalini Samuel
Principal
The Orbis School, Keshavnagar


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