Once again, all over Germany children will start school after this year's summer holidays. The Aktion Gesunder Rücken e.V. (Campaign for Healthier Backs) helps young first graders to a learning experience without any strain on their backs.
Is your child old enough to be one of the "big kids"? Then the day he or she will start school is getting closer. Your child's anticipation and excitement are growing, and everything needs to be prepared for his or her big day. This means a completely new phase of life for children. Because going to school does not only involve reading, writing and arithmetic but also taking on new responsibilities, acting independently and mastering minor and major challenges. And that starts with the child's satchel and homework.
Therefore parents should prepare their children adequately for their new daily challenges. Sitting still for hours, carrying a heavy satchel plus a new environment make for a lot the child must get used to. In addition, young school children are undergoing complicated growing processes. So it is a shocking fact that even at primary school level some pupils are carrying a weight of 16 kilos on their shoulders, as research conducted by the University Clinic of Tübingen* has revealed. That is about 40 percent of the child's own weight! The problem: Current test results** have shown that children with muscle and coordination problems already show striking imbalances in their posture and physical balance when carrying only 10 percent of their own body weight while other children can transport 20 percent of their own body weight without any problems. Undoubtedly the weight of the satchel is a very important aspect (the lighter, the better), but the child's physical constitution and an ergonomic design of the satchel that supports the back are decisive factors as well.
The following facts*** show how important the issue of a healthy young back is:
- Today 48 percent of all 11-to-14-year-olds suffer from posture problems.
- 44 percent of all fourth-graders suffer from sporadic back pains and 8 percent even complain about constant back pains.
- 43 percent of all primary school children sporadically show concentration deficiencies and 12 percent suffer from constant concentration deficiencies. The rate is growing!
The AGR e.V. therefore wants to enhance the awareness of parents and teachers for the health of their young protégés' backs in daily life. In addition to their activities to spread information, the AGR awards back-supportive school equipment its seal of quality "Geprüft & empfohlen" (Tested and Recommended). Because the selection of a satchel that will protect the child's back, ergonomic chairs in school and at home as well as an adequate balance of physical exercise and school lessons are essential. It is a fact that healthy and well-balanced children are capable of learning more and performing better.
The great satchel check before school starts - what parents should know!
Children will wear it on their way to school and on their way back home and every time they change classrooms - five days a week for many years. Their satchels are their daily companions and should therefore be comfortable and as light as possible (no more than 1.3 kilos or approx. 2.2 lbs without contents). A satchel with a curved backline that adapts to the natural shape of the spine is recommended. The shift in weight such a satchel will provide considerably helps to reduce the strain on the child's back as well.
Therefore the most important aspects of a child's first satchel are an ergonomically shaped (and non-slippery) rear part and a weight that is as low as possible. Concerning the compartments inside the satchel you should ensure that there are compartments close to the back that are spacious enough for heavy objects. Well-padded shoulder straps (a minimum of 4 centimetres wide) that are always adjusted evenly will also ensure that the satchel may be comfortably worn on a daily basis.
The AGR-certified Sammies by Samsonite range of satchels (www.sammies-schulranzen.de) combines ergonomic sophistication with popular and colourful motifs. The perfect solution for a healthy young back!
Active sitting promotes learning skills
Inflexible furniture promotes unhealthy postures when sitting down. If these continue for a longer period of time, back pains may be the results. Since primary school children are already sitting up to ten hours a day, it is urgent to focus on ergonomic school furniture. As Dr. Dieter Breithecker of the German Federal Research Team for the Promotion of Posture and Physical Exercise (BAG) in Wiesbaden confirms, "only dynamic seating positions that support a child's back can prevent serious damage to the spine and promote the healthy development of children and adolescents. You must pay close attention to the seating furniture in your school!" An ergonomic environment should enable the child to sit actively and dynamically, thus supporting the child's natural urge to move.
The possibility to adjust the heights of tables and chairs quickly and without wear-and-tear - so both may be adjusted to the child's natural growing process - is important for the pupil's work environment. A seat that can be slightly tilted to the front and to the back promotes a dynamic sitting process and a posture that shifts frequently, which will strengthen the back as well. The table should also have a top that can be tilted by at least 16 percent.
"Children's work places" should be tested by an independent agency. AGR has been giving awards to tools that excel in making your day easier for more than fifteen years. In the category of "furniture for children and adolescents" ergonomic furniture offered by VS-Schulmöbel (www.vs-moebel.de), Moizi (www.moizi.de), moll (www.moll-funktion.de) and aeris (www.swoppster.de) have been awarded the AGR seal of approval.
Movement gets the brain moving, too
Sufficient physical exercise (at least three hours per day) is extremely important for any given age group. That is because physical activities do not only enhance the development of bones and muscles but also that of the brain and mental fitness. Apart from an active leisure time with family and friends as well as sports activities in school, exercise breaks and rhythmical lesson units should play a greater part as well.
It is a proven fact that physical movement has a direct effect not only on the performance of the brains of adults but also of children's brains. According to a U.S. research study**** conducted by the Beckman Institute athletic children will fare considerably better in memory tests. A physically fit child's hippocampus - the area in the brain that handles learning processes - is 12 percent larger than that of its physically inactive peer.
Problems such as a lack of motor and cognitive skills, severe posture and coordination deficiencies as well as overweight may be avoided by providing an environment that is healthy for a child's back and sufficient physical exercise.
Backing up backs from the start
In order to protect very young children and their parents from backaches, Kiddy offers a flexible adapter system for baby carriages and buggies that allows for the perfect adjustment to the development of babies and toddlers. Whether in a baby tub, baby carrier or baby seat, the transport of your charge will be comfortable and back-supportive. Plus safety features are top priority and tested in accordance with European standards.
The functionality and ergonomic design of the Kiddy slings also stand out. The sportive baby carrying system adjusts to the child's individual size while being very comfortable for the carrier since the hip and shoulder belts are shaped ergonomically and are generously padded. You will find an overview of the Kiddy products under www.kiddy.de
The Healthy Back Action: "Backing up children's backs!"
The initiative of AGR and BAG promotes children's and teens' health and enhances the awareness of parents, teachers and pupils when it comes to adequate physical exercise and an environment that is good for children's backs.
Additional information on how to support your children's backs on a daily basis as well as ergonomic products with the AGR seal of approval and a listing of trained and certified specialized shops may be ordered as an "Infopaket" (information package) for the price of Euros 9.95 from AGR e.V.. The package includes the Ergonomie-Ratgeber (ergonomics guide) and the magazine rückenSignale (Back Signals).
SHORT & SWEET
Aktion Gesunder Rücken e.V. helps to provide young first graders with a school environment that protects their backs - in addition to active educational work, AGR awards school equipment with particularly ergonomic features its seal of approval "Tested & Recommended". Just how important ergonomic satchels and work places in school and at home as well as sufficient physical exercise in between school lessons are for a child's healthy back are shown by research studies that reveal that as many as 44 percent of all fourth graders already suffer from sporadic back pains.
* http://www.epochtimes.de/...
** http://bit.ly/H3zysb
*** according to Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft für Haltungs- und Bewegungsförderung (German Federal Research Team for the Promotion of Posture and Physical Exercise) (BAG), Wiesbaden
**** Kramer, A. et al. (2010). A neuroimaging investigation of the association between aerobic fitness, hippocampal volume and memory performance in preadolescent children. Brain Research, prepublished online on 22 August 2010, doi:10.1016/j.brainres.2010.08.049
Is your child old enough to be one of the "big kids"? Then the day he or she will start school is getting closer. Your child's anticipation and excitement are growing, and everything needs to be prepared for his or her big day. This means a completely new phase of life for children. Because going to school does not only involve reading, writing and arithmetic but also taking on new responsibilities, acting independently and mastering minor and major challenges. And that starts with the child's satchel and homework.
Therefore parents should prepare their children adequately for their new daily challenges. Sitting still for hours, carrying a heavy satchel plus a new environment make for a lot the child must get used to. In addition, young school children are undergoing complicated growing processes. So it is a shocking fact that even at primary school level some pupils are carrying a weight of 16 kilos on their shoulders, as research conducted by the University Clinic of Tübingen* has revealed. That is about 40 percent of the child's own weight! The problem: Current test results** have shown that children with muscle and coordination problems already show striking imbalances in their posture and physical balance when carrying only 10 percent of their own body weight while other children can transport 20 percent of their own body weight without any problems. Undoubtedly the weight of the satchel is a very important aspect (the lighter, the better), but the child's physical constitution and an ergonomic design of the satchel that supports the back are decisive factors as well.
The following facts*** show how important the issue of a healthy young back is:
- Today 48 percent of all 11-to-14-year-olds suffer from posture problems.
- 44 percent of all fourth-graders suffer from sporadic back pains and 8 percent even complain about constant back pains.
- 43 percent of all primary school children sporadically show concentration deficiencies and 12 percent suffer from constant concentration deficiencies. The rate is growing!
The AGR e.V. therefore wants to enhance the awareness of parents and teachers for the health of their young protégés' backs in daily life. In addition to their activities to spread information, the AGR awards back-supportive school equipment its seal of quality "Geprüft & empfohlen" (Tested and Recommended). Because the selection of a satchel that will protect the child's back, ergonomic chairs in school and at home as well as an adequate balance of physical exercise and school lessons are essential. It is a fact that healthy and well-balanced children are capable of learning more and performing better.
The great satchel check before school starts - what parents should know!
Children will wear it on their way to school and on their way back home and every time they change classrooms - five days a week for many years. Their satchels are their daily companions and should therefore be comfortable and as light as possible (no more than 1.3 kilos or approx. 2.2 lbs without contents). A satchel with a curved backline that adapts to the natural shape of the spine is recommended. The shift in weight such a satchel will provide considerably helps to reduce the strain on the child's back as well.
Therefore the most important aspects of a child's first satchel are an ergonomically shaped (and non-slippery) rear part and a weight that is as low as possible. Concerning the compartments inside the satchel you should ensure that there are compartments close to the back that are spacious enough for heavy objects. Well-padded shoulder straps (a minimum of 4 centimetres wide) that are always adjusted evenly will also ensure that the satchel may be comfortably worn on a daily basis.
The AGR-certified Sammies by Samsonite range of satchels (www.sammies-schulranzen.de) combines ergonomic sophistication with popular and colourful motifs. The perfect solution for a healthy young back!
Active sitting promotes learning skills
Inflexible furniture promotes unhealthy postures when sitting down. If these continue for a longer period of time, back pains may be the results. Since primary school children are already sitting up to ten hours a day, it is urgent to focus on ergonomic school furniture. As Dr. Dieter Breithecker of the German Federal Research Team for the Promotion of Posture and Physical Exercise (BAG) in Wiesbaden confirms, "only dynamic seating positions that support a child's back can prevent serious damage to the spine and promote the healthy development of children and adolescents. You must pay close attention to the seating furniture in your school!" An ergonomic environment should enable the child to sit actively and dynamically, thus supporting the child's natural urge to move.
The possibility to adjust the heights of tables and chairs quickly and without wear-and-tear - so both may be adjusted to the child's natural growing process - is important for the pupil's work environment. A seat that can be slightly tilted to the front and to the back promotes a dynamic sitting process and a posture that shifts frequently, which will strengthen the back as well. The table should also have a top that can be tilted by at least 16 percent.
"Children's work places" should be tested by an independent agency. AGR has been giving awards to tools that excel in making your day easier for more than fifteen years. In the category of "furniture for children and adolescents" ergonomic furniture offered by VS-Schulmöbel (www.vs-moebel.de), Moizi (www.moizi.de), moll (www.moll-funktion.de) and aeris (www.swoppster.de) have been awarded the AGR seal of approval.
Movement gets the brain moving, too
Sufficient physical exercise (at least three hours per day) is extremely important for any given age group. That is because physical activities do not only enhance the development of bones and muscles but also that of the brain and mental fitness. Apart from an active leisure time with family and friends as well as sports activities in school, exercise breaks and rhythmical lesson units should play a greater part as well.
It is a proven fact that physical movement has a direct effect not only on the performance of the brains of adults but also of children's brains. According to a U.S. research study**** conducted by the Beckman Institute athletic children will fare considerably better in memory tests. A physically fit child's hippocampus - the area in the brain that handles learning processes - is 12 percent larger than that of its physically inactive peer.
Problems such as a lack of motor and cognitive skills, severe posture and coordination deficiencies as well as overweight may be avoided by providing an environment that is healthy for a child's back and sufficient physical exercise.
Backing up backs from the start
In order to protect very young children and their parents from backaches, Kiddy offers a flexible adapter system for baby carriages and buggies that allows for the perfect adjustment to the development of babies and toddlers. Whether in a baby tub, baby carrier or baby seat, the transport of your charge will be comfortable and back-supportive. Plus safety features are top priority and tested in accordance with European standards.
The functionality and ergonomic design of the Kiddy slings also stand out. The sportive baby carrying system adjusts to the child's individual size while being very comfortable for the carrier since the hip and shoulder belts are shaped ergonomically and are generously padded. You will find an overview of the Kiddy products under www.kiddy.de
The Healthy Back Action: "Backing up children's backs!"
The initiative of AGR and BAG promotes children's and teens' health and enhances the awareness of parents, teachers and pupils when it comes to adequate physical exercise and an environment that is good for children's backs.
Additional information on how to support your children's backs on a daily basis as well as ergonomic products with the AGR seal of approval and a listing of trained and certified specialized shops may be ordered as an "Infopaket" (information package) for the price of Euros 9.95 from AGR e.V.. The package includes the Ergonomie-Ratgeber (ergonomics guide) and the magazine rückenSignale (Back Signals).
SHORT & SWEET
Aktion Gesunder Rücken e.V. helps to provide young first graders with a school environment that protects their backs - in addition to active educational work, AGR awards school equipment with particularly ergonomic features its seal of approval "Tested & Recommended". Just how important ergonomic satchels and work places in school and at home as well as sufficient physical exercise in between school lessons are for a child's healthy back are shown by research studies that reveal that as many as 44 percent of all fourth graders already suffer from sporadic back pains.
* http://www.epochtimes.de/...
** http://bit.ly/H3zysb
*** according to Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft für Haltungs- und Bewegungsförderung (German Federal Research Team for the Promotion of Posture and Physical Exercise) (BAG), Wiesbaden
**** Kramer, A. et al. (2010). A neuroimaging investigation of the association between aerobic fitness, hippocampal volume and memory performance in preadolescent children. Brain Research, prepublished online on 22 August 2010, doi:10.1016/j.brainres.2010.08.049
