Lightening the school load

School starts soon, and parents worried how their little ones will carry all their books are torn between two options – rucksack or wheelie bag? Perhaps this recent Spanish study has the answer…

First of all, this issue is not to be taken lightly. The heavy loads schoolchildren have to carry these days can cause back pain, muscle ache and even long-term posture problems. In light of this, Spanish researchers have tried to determine the maximum weight that should be carried by children by rucksack or wheelie bag. 1

The results are in: children should not carry more than 10% of their bodyweight by rucksack and no more than 20% by wheelie bag. This means that a typical child weighing 20kg should not be carrying more than 2kg on their back, while the maximum they can pull along would be 4kg.

Yet these wheeled bags can also end up being quite annoying, particularly for getting up and down stairs. To lighten your little one’s load, then, you should make sure they only carry what they need for the day. School lockers are a great solution, too, and if none are provided, try asking the school staff for help.

1) Orantes-Gonzalez E, Heredia-Jimenez J, Robinson MA. A kinematic comparison of gait with a backpack versus a trolley for load carriage in children. Applied Ergonomics 2019;80:28-34.