by Emily Crawford

Created on: September 02, 2008

With more and more daddies taking on the role of primary caregiver for their tots, baby gear manufacturers are starting to listen to what dads need and want. Thank goodness. Daddies' aching shoulders, necks, and backs deserve a break from all the hunching over they do when pushing strollers.

- Oh, My Aching Back -
Inherently taller in stature than many mommies, daddies have long struggled to find strollers that are easy to maneuver while still allowing them to stand up straight. According to SpineUniverse (www.spineuniverse.com), whose goal is to help patients and their families understand their back or neck problems, poor posture is one of the leading causes of recurrent neck and back pain.

Daddies (and tall mommies) who slouch, or hunch over, to push a stroller, are reversing the natural curve of their spines. In fact, a SpineUniverse article entitled "How You Can Prevent Back and Neck Pain" (http://www.spineuniverse.com/displayarticle.php/art icle1985.html) says, "Prolonged slouching can cause damage to spinal tissues. Over the years, repetitive poor posture can cause discomfort, pain, and conditions that may lead to the need for surgery." For tall parents who may have already begun feeling the affects of poor stroller pushing posture, SpineUniverse offers tips for changing posture habits as well as stretches and exercises to alleviate pain.

- Ergonomic Daddies -
Pampers offers some "how to push the stroller" suggestions on its web site (http://www.pampers.com/en_US/learning/page/tpc_arti cle_details/topicId/201/type/101/contentId/17640/sta geId/105.do), noting that proper form is the best way to avoid injury as well as gain strength, and identifying elbow locking and hunching over as the two most common postural mistakes.

And, Urbanbaby (www.urbanbaby.com), which touts itself as Greater Vancouver's best print magazine for new and expectant parents, published "Parenting, the ergonomic way," an article by Dr. Karen Nordahl and Carl Petersen, PT, that offers the following reminders when pushing a stroller:

- Keep head and chin up and ears over the shoulder;
- Keep shoulders depressed and retracted, with chest leading;
- Softly bend (don't lock) arms;
- Keep wrists in neutral when holding handlebars (especially if experiencing carpal tunnel issues); and
- Switch on or engage abdominals through any movement.

With all this in mind, daddies are better poised to purchase a stroller that fits and allows them to take a full, comfortable stride when walking.

- Height Matters -
Fortunately,

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