Lose that weight

As ladies, we are GUILTY of carrying heavy bags. A glimpse inside our bags reveals that extra pair of shoes, kindle and or IPAD, travel mug, umbrella, water bottle ….  leave alone the “lighter weight” wallet, numerous receipts and other personal items which cumulatively add a lot of weight to our body frame. Lets not forget that most of us ladies don’t usually carry one bag only, we also have either a laptop bag, gym bag or lunch bag.

According to Isis M. Medina, a New York–based chiropractor, ideally you should never carry a bag that is more than 10% of your body weight. So say you weigh 60 kgs, your bag should not weigh more than 6kgs. One survey that was conducted found that ladies bags typically weighed above 7 kgs. As result there has been an increased frequency of back (upper and lower) and shoulder related issues that no amount of yoga, physiotherapy or pain killers can relieve unless you get rid of the culprit (your bag and or its contents) permanently.

Medina points that what a heavy bag does is it firstly pulls on a web of nerves which can lead to a shooting pain from the neck down the arm. Secondly, overloading one side of your body can cause the trunk to tilt causing lower back problems. Moreover, every time you sling your bag over your shoulder, the upper back muscles that stabilize the shoulder must struggle to counter balance the weight ultimately overworking the muscles which can cause the simplest movements like a hug to cause unbearable pain.

Don’t worry we got your back (pun intended) and below offer some tips on how to shed that weight.

• Lay it bare

Each night go through the contents of your bag and remove all items that you will not require the following day. Take out those receipts, half filled water bottles, umbrella (come on it’s a sunny day).

Photo courtesy of riennahera

• Carry only essentials

Wallet, keys, lip balm, wet wipes, and note book just about covers it. If the weather man says that it will be sunny tomorrow, leave that umbrella at home! Admittedly Nairobi weather can be a bit dodgey, so ensure that you have an "emergency" umbrella in the office just in case it pours. In addition, limit the amount of makeup that you carry in your bag, one tube of lip balm, lipstick and compact powder ought to cover it.

• Choose a back-friendly bag

Balance fashion versus practicality. Back packs and cross over bags tend to distribute the weight of the bag equally across the body. If these are not your style, opt for bags made of canvas if you have many things to carry versus a leather bag as leather material in itself tends to be heavier than canvas. Your bag and back ought to be BFFs. In the next segment we will cover how to select a back friendly bag.

Photo courtesy of Redcarpet

• Switch sides

As you carry your bag around, switch sides every 20 or so minutes so as to prevent aches and pains.

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