Health & Fitness
Today is Backpack Awareness Day
September 19th is Backpack Awareness Day. Do you have a student with back pain or stooped posture? Maybe it's their backpack!
As I was driving to work the other morning a young boy who was walking to school caught my eye. Why? Because, it looked like he was going to topple over as he struggled to carry an overweight backpack. I wondered if his parents and teachers were aware of his burden and the potential health risks this can create for students.
On September 19, 2012, the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) celebrates Backpack Awareness Day. Take a moment to help a student avoid pain and strain by sharing AOTA’s Backpack Strategies and Facts (PDF files) on how to pack and wear their backpacks. It is recommended that a loaded backpack should never weight more than 10% of the student’s total body weight (for a student weighing 100 pounds, this means that the backpack should weight no more than 10 pounds).
Pack it Light, Wear it Right! ™
