How should you properly wear a backpack to avoid hurting your back?

The rules are the same for everyone - your back dislikes uneven weight and overload whether you're a schoolkid or an adult. The key thing: wear your backpack with both straps (not on one shoulder!) and tighten them so the back sits snug against your spine instead of hanging down low. Distribute the weight evenly - put heavier items closer to your back, and your total load shouldn't exceed 10 - 15% of your body weight. It also helps if your backpack has a waist belt: it takes some of the load off your hips, and your spine will thank you for it.

You should also add weight to the important rules: a backpack shouldn't weigh more than 10-15% of your body weight, or even the perfect fit won't save you. A lot of people forget that it's not so much the backpack itself that strains your back, but how it distributes the load - if it hangs low or shifts around on your back, your spine has to compensate for the imbalance with your muscles, which makes you tire faster. It's worth checking what you're packing: half the problems come from just stuffing everything in there randomly instead of placing heavier items closer to your spine and higher up.

An important thing people often miss - the backpack's weight shouldn't exceed 10-15% of your body weight, or even proper positioning won't save you 😅 Check what's inside: do you really need all that stuff or is half of it just sitting at the bottom? Also, pick a backpack with a supportive back panel and breathable material so the load distributes evenly - a cloth bag and an orthopedic backpack are completely different things.

People often forget about lower back support - if the backpack's back panel is soft and bends inward, your spine gets extra stress. You should choose models with a rigid back panel or put something solid in there (cardboard, a thin board), especially if you're wearing it for a long time. And one more tip from personal experience: distribute the weight so that heavy items sit closer to your spine and in the middle, rather than bunching up at the bottom or on the sides - this really affects how evenly the load is distributed and how you hold your back while walking.