Take a load off!

Being a commuter student I constantly have a ton of stuff that I carry. From drafting boards and art supplies to text books. Even though walking just from Penn Station to FIT isn’t that far of a walk, it feels like the longest journey of your life when you have a lot of stuff!

Personally I hate carrying a backpack, but the extra weight on just one shoulder can really mess with your posture and cause pain in your lower back and shoulders. So what is the best way to carry our poor, over stuffed bags with ease?

Your Action Plan: The bad news is the best way to carry a heavy bag is not to carry one at all ( but we all know that’s just not possible sometimes). At FIT every department has lockers for commuter students, which makes it a little easier to not carry as much stuff.

Tip #1: Try to only carry 15% of your body weight, easier said then done! but in the long haul it will help with the posture pain. I have neck pain all the time headaches the whole nine yards and I never thought it could have come from carrying all this heavy stuff!

#2: Use two straps! I know back packs are the cutest all the time( I hate wearing them too) but having the weight evenly distributed on your back instead of one shoulder will make a difference. But studies show you can still use purses or totes everyone, just make sure you are constantly switching shoulders.

#3: Place heavier objects at the bottom of the bag! One study showed that when middle school students did this it made it some what easier for them to carry. If carrying heavier loads to school is unavoidable ( which for most it is) try to strengthen your core and back muscles too. Don’t forget we do have a gym in the basement of the school, it’s almost always available!

So here is a great example of one of the cuter ergonomic backpacks I found on amazon, it’s only $64.00 and it comes in a variety of colors. The name of the product is the Ogio Newt II S Laptop/Tablet Backpack. It’s Nylon, Secure zippered fleece line side entry laptop compartment fit most 17 inch laptops, integrated foam panels keep your electronics and other valuables protected, Padded iPad/tablet/e-reader pocket, Zippered fleece lined padded mouse pocket, Three bar padded back panel for ultimate comfort. A great bag to keep your laptop safe and all your other supplies too!

I haven’t yet found any ergonomically correct totes or purses that I would personally like, but I’m still on the hunt! What do you use? Backpack purse? What works best for you? Can’t wait to hear from you!

Xoxo, Kailee

One reply on “Take a load off!”

  1. Yes, the backpack dilemma! Even business people have this problem and many have resorted to the rolling-type rucksack. Not very “cool”, but it certainly gets the load off your back.

    Another little tip, if you have to carry a backpack on your back, is to do some stretching before and after carrying it. Simple touch-your-toes, and hands-on-hips-leaning-back exercises done repeatedly smoothly in succession can really help to lubricate your spine, and reduce the negative effects of carrying big loads on your back.

    Give it a go!

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