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How to maintain a healthy posture for a school child?
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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Spine diseases and poor posture are often not congenital, but acquired. Often, back diseases appear and progress during school years, since children have to carry very heavy school bags and packages, sit at the table for a long time, etc.
Often, back diseases that occur in schoolchildren are associated with mistakes made by parents and teachers. Over the years, the condition of the spine worsens, and by the end of school, the child already has poor posture and often suffers from back, shoulder and lower back pain. To prevent this, you need to be able to provide the student with suitable conditions for study and minimize the risk of back diseases.
First of all, make sure that your child does not have to carry heavy things. Keep in mind that it is the need to carry excessively heavy bags and backpacks that often leads first to back and shoulder pain, then to poor posture and various spinal diseases. The weight of the backpack with all its contents should be ten times less than the child's weight. If your child has to carry too many textbooks, notebooks, etc., find out if some of them can be left at school to reduce the load. If this is not possible, carry some of the things yourself, taking your child to and from school.
When choosing a backpack, pay attention to its straps. They should be wide and moderately rigid. Otherwise, the straps will put too much pressure on the shoulders. Also, before buying, be sure to ask your child to put on the backpack and make sure that it is really comfortable. The backpack should fit tightly to the back, and its bottom should be located below the waist, almost near the buttocks. In this case, it will be easier to carry it, and back pain can be avoided. There is an even more suitable option - a backpack on wheels, which can be rolled on the ground.
Buy your child a height-adjustable desk and chair. It is very important that the student can do homework without slouching or suffering from back pain. Elbows and feet must have support, knees must be bent at a right angle. Make sure that every 30-40 minutes the child stops studying for a short time and gets up from his seat, does a short warm-up, or at least just leaves the room. It would also be a good idea to do a few exercises with the child to strengthen the back at least 2-3 times a week. This will not only help relieve tension and improve the condition of the spine, but also help the child avoid many health problems in the future.
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