Winter Walking Tips From Mount Sinai Medical Experts
Winter is here and with the first snow and ice having already hit the ground, it would seem a good time to review some basic tips on how to walk on slippery surfaces to help pedestrians avoid injuries.
While no technique is 100% effective for walking in cold, wintry conditions, the following are a few suggestions for slogging through the ice, snow and slush for the holiday season and beyond from Dr. Ronald Grelsamer, a hip and knee specialist at Mount Sinai’s Department of Orthopedics in New York City:
1) Move your feet ever so slightly apart as you walk. This will give you better balance. If the street is really slippery, bend your knees a little bit. You may feel that you look funny, but it’s worth it!
2) When going down an incline, consider turning sideways. Do NOT cross one foot over the other, as you will have no balance while your feet are crossed. If the ground is steep, bend your knees (this is where those annoying ski lessons can pay off).
3) Protect your dominant arm. That would be the right if you are a righty, the left one if you are a lefty. Since a fall occurs very quickly, you have no time to plan for that. One recommendation is to hold your coat with your dominant hand, which instinctively leaves the other one to break your fall. If you are carrying something, do so with the dominant hand. Again, instinctively you will then use the weaker hand to brace yourself, should you fall.
“You can never be too careful, particularly since we haven’t had this type of weather in quite awhile,” commented Mount Sinai’s Dr. Ronald Grelsamer. “People should also pay special attention when exiting trains, buses and cars because you never know what the surface will be like until your feet hit the ground, especially at night.”#
