How to choose the right bags or purses to prevent back and shoulder pain
Walking towards the Back Bay train station, I see a throng of people going the same direction. My eyes catch several women with loaded bags on their shoulder passing me in a hurry. And this doesn’t include what I see them carrying in their hands. When I saw women carrying up to four oversized bags over their shoulders I couldn’t help but cringe. Because I could relate to it, I know how it feels and what it does to your shoulders.
If this is you, it’s time to do something about it. Back pain and shoulder pain is not fun. It will mess up your normal routine and if it persists you can’t enjoy life anymore. Well, back pain is caused by many factors, carrying heavy bags is one of them. Carrying heavy bags every day—heavy means more than 10% of your body weight—causes your body to experience stress due to this burden.
I had been carrying heavy bag since high school. Lugging all those heavy, thick textbooks, the size of phone books, inside an oversized bag took a toll on my left shoulder. Today, every time I carry a heavy bag, my shoulder starts to ache. So, I learn how to prevent the pain from occurring. The best solution is to not carrying heavy bags at all, but it’s only applicable once in a while. Most often though, let the husband do the carrying!
The right bags to avoid back and shoulder pain:
- Carry a bag with a lot of pockets – this is important because pockets can distribute the load more evenly. At the same time, your things are secure and won’t move around. With a one compartment bag, your stuff moves from side to side and this will put pressure on your shoulders.
- Avoid carrying bag or purses made from leather. They are heavy. Canvas or fabric bags are lighter and this will reduce the load on your shoulder.
- Use a bag with wide straps. Thin straps dig into your shoulder when the bag is loaded.
- Use a backpack as an alternative to an oversize bag. I don’t really like backpacks, but these are the best solution for many.
- Use a small to medium size bag. Also you need to constantly update your purse’s content. Bring along only what necessary.
- Carry a bag with contents plus weight of the bag that is totals less than 10% of your body weight. For me, it means no more than 15lbs. More than that and my shoulders start to scream.
Since I couldn’t find the right bag to carry, I made my own with lots of pockets and wide straps. What’s more, I use my favorite fabrics to make it unique. I feel comfortable carrying it. You can find them in our store.
Overall, avoid stressing your shoulders and hurting your back by using the right size bags and purses.
