How Your Handbag Affects Your Posture

Handbags And Weight

The first issue crops up because handbags often weigh far more than you think they weigh. It’s often said that a handbag should weigh no more than about 10% of your body weight. Yet if you actually took your handbag and weighed it, you’d find that it probably weighs much more than that.

It’s easy for this to happen without realizing it. Things like change and makeup can pile up, causing the handbag to become heavier and heavier. Before you know it, the handbag is weighing ten or more pounds, just because you keep tossing change into it. Thus, it’s a good idea to clean your handbag out every so often. You also want to avoid buying a heavy handbag to begin with. Some handbags are heavier than others, such as handbags made of leather. If the handbag starts out heavy, it’s only going to get heavier from there.

Keeping The Correct Posture

When you carry your handbag, do you keep it on the same shoulder? A lot of people do. It’s not a conscious decision, it’s simply a force of habit that many people don’t realize they’re doing. Yet this tends to cause muscles in one shoulder to become over developed. It also tends to cause your spine to slightly bend to one side or the other, which tends to throw off your equilibrium.

To avoid this, it’s a good idea to switch shoulders every few blocks. It may feel a bit awkward at first, but after a while your shoulders will begin to thank you. You’ll find that your shoulders and neck stop being quite so tense before too long, and your handbag will become much more comfortable.

If you feel as though switching shoulders is too awkward, you might consider using a backpack. Backpacks are actually much better for your back, shoulders, and neck than a handbag in the first place. However, this is only true if you use the backpack correctly. Many people sling a backpack over one shoulder, and this simply causes the same problems a handbag can cause. Instead, make sure you wear both straps, one on each shoulder. You’ll also want to make sure you get a backpack with padded straps. That way, the straps won’t bite into your shoulders, and you can wear it comfortably for many hours.

If you find yourself constantly suffering from low level amounts of stress and pain in your neck and shoulders, taking a look at your handbag is a fairly simple solution. It may not fix everything, but you’ll be surprised at how much it can fix. It’s amazing what can be discovered when you start paying attention to your own habits!