Following the trend of carrying the “big bag” these days?
It indeed looks glamorous and trendy. But do you know, apart from paying a heavy price for that pretty bag, you are actually paying another price, which is heavier, and not so pretty for your health?
The American Chiropractic Association said that using heavy purses, backpacks, and handbags is an "unhealthy fashion statement" that can cause improper balance. In addition, heavy bags cause 31 million Americans to experience back pain at any point in their lives, leading to one of the most frequent reasons to miss out on work and decreasing earning capability. Not only the back but the neck and shoulders are also affected.
When you carry a heavy shoulder bag, it causes a lot of strain on the shoulder carrying it, tilting the shoulder low. This results in pain in the shoulder and upper back musculature. Also, carrying a heavy bag on the elbow can lead to tennis elbow. Victoria Beckham loves carrying super-sized and heavy handbags on the elbow. This condition is called "Posts." This pose can cause inflamed shoulder tendons, muscle pulls, and severe back and neck pains.
As per a survey done in 2010, researchers found that average women's handbags weigh about 23 pounds, which is actually the weight of a 15-month-old toddler. Ideally, handbags should not weigh more than 10% of the body weight.
What could you possibly do to overcome this?
- • Choose a handbag that is proportionate to your body size, in which you can carry your basic stuff. Do not stuff your bag with all the unnecessary things. There is no need to carry your world along in your small handbag.
- • Gentle stretching and strengthening exercises of the neck and shoulders can prove helpful.
- • A bag with a wide strap will better distribute the weight across the shoulder.
- • Swap the straps from one shoulder to another periodically, so the shoulders get ample chance to relax
- • With backpacks, use both straps.
- • Try to avoid high heels while carrying a heavy bag as it can cause hyperextension and back strain.
- • Keep the bag close to the body to prevent swaying.
- • While going shopping, you can use a clutch purse only, as shopping with a big bag means continuous strain to the shoulder and neck muscles.
Your health is your most expensive possession; everything else, including your style statement, comes later. So try to keep it light.
