I could spend more time at the gym so I could carry full bags of frozen meat or boxes of books without problems. It comes up often enough it would be worth the effort, and it's good exercise besides.
Unfortunately, I'm lazy. So I stretch what strength I have.
You can carry heavy things comfortably for much longer and father if you give your muscles a rest occasionally. You can take normal breaks, where you sit down and stop a while, but those are inconvenient. Instead, change hands, change positions, switch from letting things hang to supporting the bottom and back again. Less effective, but even a minute of localized relief can refresh you enough to keep going.
If you're carrying two bags, swap hands, even if they're of the same weight. Alternatively, cradle one in an elbow and let the other hang.
This applies to backpacks and messengers as well, not just handheld bags. If it's a shoulder bag or you habitually only wear one strap, change shoulders now and then. Wear a heavy backpack on the front, or take it off and carry it by the handle for a bit. It's never going to as sustainable as wearing it properly, but it can give your back the rest it needs.
For bonus points, get comfortable doing so while walking. Moving around a handful of shopping bags is easy. Doing so while switching a backpack from back to front is a little more difficult. If you can make a habit of rotating while walking, you can swap much more often. which results in less prolonged stress and more stamina. I swap grocery bags between hands and positions probably once a minute.
Give a try, there's no downside.
- Rew
Nightly Notes
Bag design is a tirade for another day. Been doing a lot of running around recently, a fair bit with bags in tow. Somehow, most bags are not made to be particularly considerate of that reality.
More handles, more flexibility for weight distribution, etc.
There's another life where I went into industrial design just to fix the issues I have with the ergonomics of everyday objects. Not this one.
- Rew