Winter Slips and Slides: Safety, Footwear, and Stability

By: Sumera Garcia-Quadri

We officially broke records! With over 55 cm of snow burying Toronto this January, the sidewalks have turned into a literal Olympic obstacle course.

As someone who supports many active adults over 55+, I know that winter shouldn’t mean hitting "pause" on your life and social connections. While we can’t control the ice and snow, my blog offers 3 tips: selecting the right boots, chair balance and mobility exercises, and utilizing the 'penguin walk' technique. I also include a website where you can find winter footwear ratings tested by scientists at The Kite Research Institute.

Footwear

We all love stylish boot, but the snow and ice don’t care about fashion. If you want to stay upright, look for boots offering: warmth, waterproofing, good traction, and a wide toe box - both wide toe boots and shoes allow your feet to spread out naturally, which can help with better balance and is great for those who wear custom orthotics to manage foot pain and body alignment
If you're looking to buy new boots / see the top rated boots, visit the UHN Rate My Treads website
The penguin walk
When you walk, taking short strides/steps can help keep your center of gravity, which helps avoid falls (explained in the image above). When walking, extend your arms and hands out from your sides to increase your center of gravity.
Build your foundation: 3 exercises you can at home to keep your feet, ankles and hips reactive (instructional videos on the left side)

Seated Hip Marches: Sit tall and lift your knees toward your chest one at a time, as if marching in place. This strengthens the hip flexors and core, which are the primary muscles that fire to "save you" and regain balance if you start to slide.
The Ankle Alphabet: Extend one leg and use your big toe to "write" the entire alphabet in the air. This improves your ankle’s range of motion, allowing your foot to adapt to uneven ruts in the snow rather than simply rolling over.
Toe & Heel Lifts: Alternate between lifting your heels high and lifting your toes toward your shins. This dual action builds the calf power needed to push through deep snow and strengthens the front of the leg to prevent your toes from catching on sidewalk cracks.

You should always work with the right health practitioner to make sure you’re getting the right exercises

On those snowy icy days where you don’t feel like leaving home, you can join our online dance programs for a party-like feel and our online beginners Yoga program for some slow-paced mobility and balance work, click here for the online schedule.

Sources:

https://chiropractic.on.ca/self-management/prevent-winter-slip-ups/

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-alphabet-exercise-for-foot-and-ankle-strength

https://blogs-images.forbes.com/dandiamond/files/2015/03/Tablet_IcePC.jpg

https://www.ottawapublichealth.ca/en/public-health-topics/resources/Documents/strength-balance-exercises-en.pdf

https://www.vch.ca/sites/default/files/import/documents/HAP-Level-1-Sitting.pdf

https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/info/page12619.aspx