It's elementary, my dear

Children need a sturdy schoolbag and comfortable shoes – even if only going into first grade.

By JUDY SIEGEL-ITZKOVICH
Girl with schoolbag (photo credit: Thinkstock)
Girl with schoolbag
(photo credit: Thinkstock)
My oldest child, a boy, is going to first grade at the end of August, and I want to know about the best schoolbag and shoes for him to wear, as in kindergarten, he used only a small backpack and wore sandals in summer. What advice do you have before I go out shopping? – P.T., Ashkelon
Nili Arbel, head of the physiotherapy service at Schneider Children’s Medical Center in Petah Tikva, responds:
It’s good that you are giving this subject thought in advance. Your choice of the right schoolbag and suiting it to the size of your child are very important for the health of the back. The schoolbag should always have broad and padded straps that can be adjusted according to the wearer’s height and comfort. There should also be padding on the back of the schoolbag so that sharp objects do not poke their way through. The bag should contain a number of compartments so the contents do not shift and their weight can be balanced.
When worn, the bulk of the schoolbag’s weight should hang in the middle of the back and not opposite the hips – which one often sees when children are going to school. Also, make sure that reflectors are attached to the bag so the child can be seen when there isn’t much light outside.
The law prohibits a filled schoolbag from weighing more than 15 percent of a child’s weight, so if you notice that it weighs more than that, make sure your child removes heavy books and other objects that he doesn’t need that day. If he is taking only what he needs and it’s still too heavy, speak to the teacher about lockers or other ways of reducing the weight of things he needs at school.
You can also consider a schoolbag on wheels, but it’s heavier and less comfortable to drag up the stairs. Also, pulling a bag with one hand can cause a muscular imbalance that could result in back pain. In this case, advise the child to alternate hands.
Choosing the right footwear is also very important when a child starts school. Pay attention to the structure; ideally, it should be rounded and broad in the front. The part of the shoe or sandal that holds the foot should be snug and not allow the foot to slip out when the child walks or runs.
Footwear should also be made of material that breathes and is flexible. If shoes or sandals are not flexible, they disrupt the movement of the sole of the foot.
When you buy your son new shoes or sandals, determine the right size, and have him put on both the right and left ones and stand.
It’s best to go shoe shopping at the end of the day when the feet are the largest, as they tend to swell, especially in hot weather. Bring along socks for shoes to make sure there is enough room for the foot. Socks themselves have to be of a large enough size so the feet are not restricted. If they are too large, socks are worn with folds that cause pressure and discomfort.
Always have him tie his shoelaces and tuck the ends inside the shoe so they don’t open or put pressure on the foot.
I mentioned to a colleague of mine that I don’t use the elevators in our office building, but always climb the stairs (in fact, I climb them two stairs at a time, which is easy at my height of 192 cm.). I am 63 years old. He said he thought that might be dangerous because it suddenly accelerates the heartbeat. Personally I find climbing the stairs very enjoyable, never stressful.

Almost 45 years ago, in the first week of college, I found waiting for the elevator boring, and since then I have always climbed stairs. Whole years pass without my using elevators at all, except for extremely rare cases such as when I am carrying something very heavy. Frankly I’m interested in getting an answer in favor of climbing stairs and doing without elevators. I work on the third floor and will be moved to the sixth floor soon. Is it safe cardiologically to go up stairs, or is it a shock to the heart? – S.M.A., Tel Aviv
Prof. Naama Constantini, director of the sports medicine center at the orthopedic surgery department in Jerusalem’s Hadassah University Medical Center, Ein Kerem, replies: Congratulations to you, and I wish everybody did this to protect their health! It sounds as if you are a healthy person, and you are certainly used to going up the stairs.
We sports medicine specialists [prefer that people] do gradual warming-up sessions before vigorous exercise, but as you describe your actions, you probably don’t raise your heartbeat significantly, because you are used to going up the stairs. If you don’t have heart disease and do not suffer from chest pains or shortness of breath when you climb the stairs, there is no reason you should not continue to do so for many years to come.
Rx for Readers welcomes queries from readers about medical problems. Experts will answer those we find most interesting. Write Rx for Readers, The Jerusalem Post, POB 81, Jerusalem 91000, fax your question to Judy Siegel-Itzkovich at (02) 538-9527, or email it to jsiegel@jpost.com, giving your initials, age and place of residence.