Are Your Handbag Habits Sabotaging Your Health?
What is in your handbag today? Just count the items you have stashed and you may be surprised... I was! The average woman carries more than 20 items in her handbag and lugs between five and seven pounds over her shoulder every day. Occasionally, that additional weight is no big deal but the everyday strain can add up.
Trendy oversized handbags have triggered an increase in “handbag syndrome”—pain related to carrying an unbalanced and oversized load on the shoulder.
But really, what’s the big deal? It’s just a purse!
Actually, when we carry a heavy handbag, one side of the body bears the weight. This causes an imbalance in posture and compresses the muscles and nerves in the shoulder and neck. Nerve roots on the side of the weight is pulled and the opposite side is compressed as the head tilts to counterbalance the weight. Early signs of overuse may be tight and inflamed muscles, pain in the shoulder and back, and tingling along the arm and into the hands. The cumulative effect of the repetitive strain can cause injury to the nerves, loss of strength, fine motor problems, frozen shoulder, and arthritis. Definitely not a pretty thought!
To most women a handbag performs many functions: it’s a fashion statement, accessory, carry-all, office, medicine cabinet, supply chest for the kids, and, of course, a sheath for the smartphone. For a successful entrepreneur, juggling the demands of business with personal life, there may be an even greater requirement to transport even more stuff—a laptop, iPad, and paperwork necessary to do the job.
For busy women, many of these items are important to our day-to-day activities and just can’t be compromised. Still, we can make intelligent choices about the way we transport it.
Unload the bag
I mean that literally. Do you really need the address book, the camera, and the phone? Is there a better way to carry the hairspray and the curling iron? After you’ve culled your handbag and find you still have too much stuff, consider carrying two bags. It is easier on the body to carry two evenly balanced loads. If your work-related materials are really heavy, a good option is a roller bag.
Purchase carefully
A handbag can weigh 1.5 kg just on its own! Look for one made of light materials such as soft leather, vinyl, or nylon. That fashionable, clunky hardware? It can really add weight, so avoid it if possible. Check for bags with compartments; they not only keep your bag organized, they also help balance the load and reduce the strain. Find a bag that goes across the body and change sides frequently. Handbags with wide or padded straps help istribute the weight across the shoulder more evenly. Even better? If it fits your lifestyle, a backpack is a great choice.
Build a wardrobe of handbags for specific purposes and change often. At the minimum, you will need a work tote, a shoulder bag for everyday use, a small cross-body bag to slip in to your work tote, and a small handbag or clutch for social functions.
Pack Mindfully
Plan your day and pack your handbags accordingly. Keep as much of the non-essential stuff in the car as possible—like children’s snacks, books, and umbrellas. Only carry the essentials.
When attending events outside your workplace, it helps to slip a mini-cross body bag inside your larger tote. The one I use is lightweight. At 5” x 5” it holds a credit card, a twenty-dollar bill, lipstick, smartphone and business cards. It tucks into the work-a-day tote at the conference table and goes across the body to mingle. With good compartment design, business cards are easy to access for networking and that works perfectly!
Stretch out Your Shoulders
The neck and shoulders bear a lot of the burden of our lives. It is important to keep them flexible and mobile. A heavy handbag throws your posture out of whack, distorts the way the body bears that weight, and puts pressure on the delicate network of nerves that reside in your neck and shoulder.
To counteract that strain in the shoulders, try the Shoulder Shrug exercise, part of an Egoscue exercise program. This exercise works to counteract the postural imbalance caused by carrying a heavy handbag.
Do this exercise ten times daily to help keep your upper body mobile.
If your neck and shoulders continue to feel tight, numb, give the sensation of pain, or you feel pain radiating down your arms to your hands, schedule an appointment with at trusted health professional. It is important to listen to your body and seek help before annoying symptoms become sites of chronic pain.
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