Are men being weighed down?
Dated: 14 March 2011 - The British Chiropractic Association looks into what is weighing men down - New research* from the British Chiropractic Association (BCA) reveals that two thirds of men (66%) have suffered from back pain. With back pain on the increase, it seems the humble man bag could have a lot to answer for. According to the study, three in five (60%) men carry some sort of man bag.
These man bags come in all shapes and sizes – from the traditional
over-the-shoulder laptop case, to messenger bags and satchels. What is shocking is the sheer amount of items the typical male now carries; in fact the average man bag now weighs up to 6.2kgs**
the equivalent of over 12 bags of sugar. That amount of weight on one
shoulder for an extended duration from a commute to and from work will
start to cause discomfort in the majority of people. The
man bag has been growing in popularity since the rise of the
metrosexual male made famous by the likes of footballers like David
Beckham, model David Gandy, or movie stars like Robert Downey Jr and
Hugh Jackman. As
much as they are a functional fashion accessory, these bags could be
doing harm to your back and shoulders, as men load them up with life’s
daily essentials – from phones to books and computers. With
technology moving towards digital platforms, men need various ways of
accessing the internet world – but this also means carrying more with
them. Gone are the days when a man would leave his home with just his
keys and wallet. BCA research shows that modern man now needs a full
armoury of technology and entertainment for the day: ItemPercentage of Men That Carry Them on a Daily Basis Mobile phone/Blackberry
56% Lunch
40% Books
29% iPod/MP3 player
23%
Laptop/iPad
19%
Gym kit
10% Tim Hutchful from the British Chiropractic Association
comments: “Man Bags are now a necessity for many men during their daily
lives, but they could cause back and shoulder pain from prolonged
stress, this can also impact posture. The bags serve a purpose so we
need to become more savvy in how we use them, whilst learning to read
our bodies and know when we’re placing too much pressure on certain
points.” However,
with new advice from the British Chiropractic Association, you
can now stride forward without the man bag pain weighing you down: If
you carry an over-the-shoulder style bag, alternate between both
shoulders so the weight and pressure is distributed equally between
them. It is also advisable to keep the strap as short as possible. IIf
you carry a laptop use a rucksack design laptop case, carry it on both
shoulders and adjust the straps so that the bag is held close to your
back Stand comfortably when carrying your bag. Avoid long periods of being in one position, move around regularly and stretch and exercise your back muscles regularly · Ensure you take regular breaks so that you don’t tire yourself out too soon from fatigue Don’t carry so many items in your bag all the time, only pack what you need
The
single, most important piece of advice f is to take a break
from carrying your bag, and not to carry it from prolonged periods of
time. The BCA has also devised a simple three minute exercise routine
called Straighten Up UK. This can be incorporated into our daily lives
to help strengthen the spine and improve posture. The exercise routine
is available to download from www.straightenupuk.org |
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