A recent study found that the average woman’s purse weighs 6.27 pounds.
That’s like carrying around a 5 pound container of sugar everywhere you go!
We’re on a “bigger is better” trend, and with all that extra space, we tend to fill it up just because it’s there.
This is bad news for our bodies, though. The extra weight is causing neck pain and back pain.
How Does That Extra Six Pounds Really Affect Me?
The weight of your 6 pound purse has a big impact on our posture and movement.
Your body adapts and compensates for the extra weight you’re carrying. Your neck leans away from the load to help balance it out. This can cause you to strain your neck muscles on the side where you’re carrying your bag.
And to make things worse, we’re creatures of habit. We tend to carry our purse on the same side of our body all the time.
Just try it, if you usually carry it over your right shoulder, try switching it to your left. It’s almost like asking you to write with a different hand!
The Case for the Smaller Handbag
Carrying a heavy purse or handbag puts a huge amount of stress and strain on your neck and shoulder muscles, especially if you’re on a long shopping trip. (Hitting the mall tonight, anyone?)
The shoulder where you’re carrying the load rotates backward, and you subconsciously hold it up all of the time.
This tension can cause your muscles in your back and around your shoulder blades to spasm. These tired muscles don’t hold the spine properly and can result in bad posture and eventuallly, arthritis.
What’s in There?
Here’s a list of the top things most-often found in a woman’s purse:
- a Chic wallet
- Beauty bag
- Sunglasses
- Gum, Candy, Mints
- Kleenex
- Lotions, Sanitizers, Deodorant
- Phone and Charger
- Perfume
- Keys
How to Lighten your Load
Do your best to lighten your load. If the forecast isn’t calling for rain, leave your umbrella at home.
Take Time to Assess What’s in There
Assess what you’re carrying around every day and note the last time you really needed that item.
Moms: Don’t Carry Your Diaper Bag Around if You Don’t have Your Kid In-Tow
If you’re a mom, you may be using your purse as a diaper bag with drink cups, diapers, creams, snacks and even books and games stuffed in there. Make a conscious effort to think about what you or your child really need for each day, and only carry around the necessities, and if you’re dropping your child off, leave the diaper bag with him!
Use Your Car as an Extension of Your Purse.
My husband often jokes that our car is just a huge purse. I keep so many things under the back hatch, in the glove compartment, in our seat pockets and under the driver’s seat, BUT, that gives me access to items I might need. And, I don’t have to carry them everywhere I go.
If you MUST carry all 6 pounds – Consider Regular Chiropractic Therapy
A few tips if you have no choice but to lug around all that weight:
- If you experience back pain or neck pain from the weight of your purse, chiropractic therapy can help. A visit to your local Olathe chiropractor can keep your bones and
joints moving as they should and can free up stiff joints before they have a chance to cause some serious damage. - Carry the weight of your bag as close to the center of your body as possible.
- A small backpack-style purse or a satchel-style bag with a strap going across the body at a diagonal are good options.
- If you have a large amount of equipment or paperwork to bring into the office each day, try small suitcase instead of a purse.
Bottom line: Go light.
It may be an adjustment (pun intended), but your body will thank you for it.
The Olathe chiropractors at Fulk Chiropractic offer chiropractic therapy to patients struggling with neck and back pain everyday through the form of a chiropractic adjustment.
Through family chiropractic care, these local chiropractors have helped hundreds of patients struggling with all kinds of symptoms to find relief. They can be reached at 913-764-6237 or you can schedule online.