Heavy Schoolbags Alter Kid's Gait

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flamekid
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Heavy Schoolbags Alter Kid's Gait

Post by flamekid »

http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2B ... 22094.html

HEAVY schoolbags do not just give children backaches. They actually change the way children walk, a Republic Polytechnic study has found.

In it, 17 primary school boys were put on a treadmill while bearing low-slung backpacks weighing 20 per cent of their body weight.

They took shorter, quicker steps to keep their balance on the moving treadmill than when they were carrying nothing. They also leaned forward while on the move.

While the changes in gait reduce the impact on children's limbs, they are not enough to ward off problems to their posture or their joints and ligaments, said Dr Michael Koh, a biomechanist and director of the polytechnic's School of Sports, Health and Leisure.

These problems can result in back and shoulder pain.

The study, published this month in the journal Gait and Posture, was done by Dr Koh and Mr Tarkeshwar Singh, who is now pursuing a PhD programme in kinesiology, the science of human movement.

The issue of heavy schoolbags, a bane of parents and children, has been raised in Parliament a few times. Many primary schools have come around to the idea of providing pupils with lockers.

But the number of children with back and shoulder pain has not come down by much, lamented Dr Kevin Lim, an orthopaedic consultant at KK Women's and Children's Hospital. He treats five to 10 children a week for such pain.

He said that, ideally, schoolbags should weigh in at 10 per cent of a child's body weight, and no more than 20 per cent.

Republic Polytechnic's Dr Koh said his four sons' experience with their backpacks inspired the study on the effect of hefty schoolbags on children's gait.

He said of his youngest son, who is in Primary 1 and weighs 18kg: 'It doesn't take much to tip him over.'

The study has given him the basis for a larger study, involving full-body laser scans of 300 children for an overview of their growth patterns, and to collect detailed data on 30 children, both boys and girls.

He also wants to design a backpack for Asian children's smaller frames, since most bags in the market are made with bigger Western children in mind, he said.

The ideal backpack would be lighter and smaller so children cannot overstuff them, and have straps set close together to fit their narrower shoulders. The straps should be tightened so the load is on the child's upper back, and the straps should be on both shoulders, he said.

Primary school teacher Catherine Yeo, 64, who has taught since the 1960s, said she encourages her pupils to leave their textbooks in their lockers and to carry to school only what they need.

Besides textbooks, the children here lug water bottles, coloured pencils and bulky pencil cases, she noted.

'Previously, there were no lockers but haversacks were made of lighter material and the kids survived,' she said.

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Post by galapogos »

Doh, no surprise there.

This just in! Water is wet!

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Post by Sufian »

honestly, having lockers and keeping books in school could be good for the good schools. But, for the neighbourhood schools, lockers means that they go home empty-handed.

Then, what about revision and homework?

Biased view, but in all honesty, kids nowadays are not like last time. When I was a student, I came to class prepared. Now, even with lockers, kids just leave their books at home. Worst is they leave their books in their locker, but still say that their books are at home.

Blame the bags? Haha.
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Post by flamekid »

does it matter if they bring home? bring home also never use... i am a guilty party... =/

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Post by Weib »

kids don't go out and play as much sports as they used to.
school work computer games rinse repeat.
Working "hard," or the perception of working hard, doesn't really mean anything. Sweating, vomiting, and breathing hard could be a good workout or a tropical disease kicking in.-Dan John

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Post by lips »

last time i have 2 sets of tb.

1 at home, 1 in school 1.

dont ask me how i do it but i managed to do it.


:lol:
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Post by Sufian »

I sure hope that the day comes when you guys have kids going to school or sisters or cousins, do take a look at the school work.

While kids are getting smarter nowadays, these are the elite. Many are not getting anywhere, and losing interest in school. I don't blame lockers. But, its a fact that with lockers, students can say...

"I never bring any book home because all the homework I do and finish at school already. So I put inside locker," to parents.

and

"Its not I never do, but I never bring my book. Locker too full, so I put at home," to teachers.
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Post by Derek »

Why have kids in the first place. :)
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Re: Heavy Schoolbags Alter Kid's Gait

Post by Steph_Parker »

foundation is the most important when it comes to developing good habits in kids.
Best age to start, windows of learning, is 2 year old. Actually, since an infant lah, but well, 2 is a good number too.
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Re: Heavy Schoolbags Alter Kid's Gait

Post by kacie »

moral of the story:

start lifting heavy when you're young.
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Re: Heavy Schoolbags Alter Kid's Gait

Post by Jordon »

ah that kid must be damn sad

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Re: Heavy Schoolbags Alter Kid's Gait

Post by Jonathan »

Basket, still remember the bad old days of lugging around a bloody bag of books.

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Re: Heavy Schoolbags Alter Kid's Gait

Post by galapogos »

Jonathan wrote:Basket, still remember the bad old days of lugging around a bloody bag of books.
Good training for you lugging around a bloody happy belly now...except wrong side? :mrgreen:

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Re: Heavy Schoolbags Alter Kid's Gait

Post by Jonathan »

Yar, so now must compensate right? Lol.

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Re: Heavy Schoolbags Alter Kid's Gait

Post by h »

i dunno if it's the weight of the bags or the way they carry the bags that mess up their postures, etc.
i dunno what's with the kids nowadays, but 9/10 kids are carrying their bags in some weird way.
He said that, ideally, schoolbags should weigh in at 10 per cent of a child's body weight, and no more than 20 per cent.
i bet he advocates training with pink dumbbells too.
He said of his youngest son, who is in Primary 1 and weighs 18kg: 'It doesn't take much to tip him over.'
maybe, just maybe... take away his playstation and get him moving and he'll weight more than his bag.

i bet the bigger problem is that these kids don't really move...
if the only time they walk around is with bags that weight as much as they do, and they carry the bags in funny manner, then what's so surprising that they start walking funny.
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