Baltimore- How to walk on ice

Hey Baltimore this is James with Pioneer PT.  I wanted to talk with you guys about walking on the ice.  We have some slippery conditions coming this evening. Unfortunately we are in the area of the country where we are at the rain, snow, sleet line.  You have to be careful when you are out and about walking in the winter.  

​When you are walking on the ice, first thing I would recommend is some good shoes.  Good shoes with good tread, with nice raised bumps on the bottom of the shoe is ideal. With a flat soled shoe you will end up slipping and falling.  As for body mechanics there are quite a few things you can do.  First off, you want to think about widening your base of support a little bit more than usual when you are walking, that way you are wider and more stable.  Also, when you are walking, try not to land with your heel.  If you land with your heel first, you tend to slip back and fall on your rear.  Instead, I recommend landing flat footed or slightly towards your toe first.  That way you are landing soft and you are not going to tend to slip backwards. So wide base of support, land with a flat foot, and lower your center of gravity by bending your knees and hips bringing you closer to the ground.  You are a little bit more stable.  You can also use your arms a little bit wider to maintain nice center of gravity.  So you are walking a little bit more gingerly on the ice.  Be careful out there, enjoy the winter, and take care!