As.com How to walk on the ice and what is the best footwear: boots, tricks to avoid slipping and crampons

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Walking like penguins, avoiding smooth-soled shoes or carrying a cane are some of the recommendations to avoid slipping on the ice.

Storm Filomena has left traces of snow and ice all over the country, which can be very dangerous if we are not careful. The authorities have recommended not to leave the house if it is not strictly necessary, and also ask to avoid walking under the trees and the cornices of the buildings, places where there could be strong detachments of ice and snow.

Walking like penguins

If we have to leave our home on foot, the Spanish Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine (SERMEF) explains how to do it: “Walking, both in the city and in rural areas, like penguins. That is, keep your arms loose and extended to help maintain balance, walk slowly with short steps and without tiptoeing, supporting the entire sole of the foot. It is also important to lean the trunk forward a little. All this in order to maintain a solid center of gravity and not lose balance. The way penguins walk is a clear example of how we can act in scenarios in which we see or intuit the presence of snow or ice”.

Avoid areas without sun

The SERMEF also warns: "Ice is usually invisible and it is important to avoid going through shady areas where the sun does not shine, since plates have surely been created very slippery."

Shoes

Rehabilitation experts also recommend avoiding wearing shoes with smooth soles and opting for those with saw-shaped soles for greater grip and support when walking, or those with patterned rubber soles: "It is vitally important Do not wear shoes with a flat sole and choose one with drawings or marks on the sole so that they grip more. Of course, it is also important to wear adequate clothing," they say from SERMEF.

If we want to be completely safe, we can also put chains on the soles of the boots or shoes or change the option and opt for the purchase of specialized footwear with a kind of nails in the sole that can be removed and put on. function of the occasion.

Trekking cane or stick

It is also recommended to bring an element that serves as a support in case of slipping and losing balance. It could be a cane or a 'trekking' stick. Walking should slow down and we should avoid carrying our hands in our pockets to maintain balance and have our hands free in case we fall to the ground.