How to Safely Walk When It's Icy

Ahh December: carols, lights, and winter wonderlands complete with… ICE.

As a physical therapist, this time of year brings numerous patients in to me who have injured themselves by slipping and falling on ice. I don’t want you to join the ranks, so here are my best tips for safely navigating icy conditions. 

If you live where it gets icy this time of year, read on to learn how to best navigate over icy ground without falling. If you don’t get snow or ice where you live, send this article to someone who does! Let’s help everyone have a safe and happy holiday season this year.  

Now, I would be remiss if I didn’t start by saying: when given a choice, you should avoid icy areas whenever possible! Wait until ample salt has been thrown down, or wait until the ice melts, if you are able. Have a neighbor or family member shovel snow before it has a chance to solidify into ice on your sidewalks and driveway. But for those times you simply don’t have another choice, here are my best tips for you: 

Footwear first: During snowy and icy conditions, you’ll want to choose shoes with good tread on them, with deep grooves, and in good condition. Waterproof boots are a great choice for multiple reasons: of course they are warm and are made for the cold weather, but they also usually cover above the ankle, which provides you with better support so that you’re less likely to roll your ankle. Waterproof is also important, because if the snow/ sleet/ or ice gets into your shoe, it can cause your foot to go numb, which puts you at even higher fall risk. 

Walk like a penguin: Everything I’ve taught you about proper walking mechanics? When it’s icy, you have my full permission to throw all of that out the window. When the ground is icy, nearly all “good walking form” tips are practically reversed. There are 4 main points to remember when you have to walk on icy ground: 

1. Turn your feet out: you want to stand with your toes pointed outward, like a duck. This helps to create a wider (and therefore more stable) base of support. Don’t step your feet widely apart, however, because you want to keep your feet right underneath you as best as you can. 

2. Bend your knees slightly: instead of the knees stretching all the way straight as usual when you take a step, you actually want to keep a soft bend in them the whole time that you’re navigating icy surfaces. This will cause a bit of a “waddle” pattern, and that’s okay! 

3. Flat feet: when you step, you’ll want to land with the whole foot at once so you’re flat footed with each step. This, along with your bent knees, will cause you to take shorter & smaller steps, which again is encouraged (just this one time!) 

4. Arms out: Have your arms out of your pockets and slightly out to the side, away from your body. This can give you some extra balance leverage as you walk. 

Grab a support: If you have one, go ahead and grab one- whether it's your hiking poles, a cane, a walking stick, or your walker- any of these devices can really give you a lot of added stability when it’s icy out. You can still apply all of the above walking tips, along with holding any of these devices for the added support & stability. 

Tips for icy stairs: Finally, if there is ice on the stairs, there are 2 methods that are preferred to get up and down the stairs: the first is the side-step method, where you have both of your hands on one railing. You can watch a video example of this by clicking HERE to watch on Instagram or by clicking HERE to watch on Facebook.

The 2nd method won’t be for everyone, but you can also sit all the way down on your stairs, and then scoot your bum up (or down) one step at a time, and then stand back up when you get to the top (or the bottom) of the stairs. This method is only useful for those who feel comfortable sitting all the way down on their steps, and standing back up from this position as well. 

Want more walking tips? When it’s not icy, you’ll want to follow a different set of rules for walking so that you’ll feel more steady and confident: click here to read it!