Time to clean out your bag?
Keys, lip balm, telephone, power bank, brush, mirror, three different colors of lip gloss, a bottle of water, nail file, paracetamol, sunglasses, umbrella, extra tights, and so on. “A smart girl is prepared for everything,” is the motto, and so we regularly carry a very full bag with us. But how sensible is that really? Is there a maximum weight for what you can put in your handbag?
Shoulder bag
Hanging a bag on your shoulder is useful, especially if it is nice and big. It can hold everything you need that day, from lipstick to a laptop. But do you ever pay attention to how heavy your bag is? The weight of your shoulder bag should only be ten percent of your own weight, says chiropractor Evelyn Haworth.
A quick calculation: do you weigh 70 kilos? Then your shoulder bag may weigh a maximum of 7 kilos. Quite a bit of weight, if you ask us. Your shoulder has to endure quite a bit. Therefore, regularly hang your bag on the other shoulder to prevent complaints. It is also best to choose a bag with a wide strap.
Handbag
The above weight applies when you actually carry the shoulder bag on your shoulder. Do you have a bag that you carry with you hanging on your arm? Then it may not weigh more than 4.5 kilos. A clutch must not weigh more than 2.5 kilos.
Backpack
A backpack naturally rests on both shoulders, but that doesn’t mean you can just fill it up. However, you can put more in this than in a shoulder bag. The rule here is that you can take about twenty percent of your body weight with you in a backpack. According to this rule, someone weighing 70 kilos would therefore take 14 kilos with them.
“Make sure that the bottom of the bag falls exactly on your waist, so that it fits the natural curve of your body,” Haworth recommends. For that extra bit of support, you can also opt for a backpack with a strap around your waist.
It’s not very glam, but it’s good. It can make a world of difference when on the road – and you can always take a separate clutch with you for that nice dinner, nun? We see a good reason to shop for an extra handbag!
Source: Elegance, SheFinds | Image: NL Image
