The snow and ice that accompany the winter season in most of the country can complicate your life in a few ways. Unfortunately, one of those is an increased risk of wintertime slips and falls. Emergency Rooms around the country confirm what most of us know intuitively.
You’re more likely to get hurt during the long, cold winter months. The good news is that there are a few simple things you can do to minimize your risk.
Here they are:
- Dress appropriately– This is about much more than simply bundling up (which you should absolutely do) when it’s cold outside. What we’re really talking about here is the need to pay special attention to your footwear, selecting shoes or boots that will provide better traction on slippery surfaces, minimizing your risk of a fall.
- Stretching – The cold weather makes our muscles protest when we start using them. To counter that, be sure you perform some light warm ups and thorough stretching before you undertake any physical activity in cold weather.
- Increased Mindfulness – This, more than anything else, will minimize your risk of injury, no matter the time of year. Increased mindfulness really comes down to tactical and situational awareness which has the effect of drastically reducing the chances that you’ll find yourself in a situation where physics is likely to get the better of you. Watch where you’re stepping, look for ice, and don’t take risks.
There’s no such thing as a magic bullet, so none of these tips will reduce your risk to absolute zero. However, if you adopt them all, you’ll be miles ahead of the game. It’s quite likely you’ll get through the holiday season this year without an incident. That will give you more time to focus on enjoying the festivities that come with this time of year, and that’s good stuff indeed.
