Conquer icy sidewalks: The Penguin Walk

Consistent sub-zero temperatures, and accumulating snow and ice has been a new reality for Vancouver and the Lower Mainland. With the snowiest season on record, it has taken us all some time to adjust. Gone are the days of a single snow day where  you hunker down, stay inside, and in the morning it has all melted away! This stuff is sticking around so we’ve all got to carry on with our day to day. 

A seemingly unanimous gripe among Vancouverites is the slippery sidewalk. An undeniable dose of winter that we are faced with just as we’ve mustered the bravado to venture out beyond our cozy homes. One fall and that’s enough to put you in the winter hater category for good. But that doesn’t have to be the case! The snow blankets the city in a beautiful rare icy brightness, it would be a shame not to appreciate it while it is here. How to get around the safest on these icy, snow packed roads and sidewalks? Walk like a penguin! Yes, that’s right. The German Society of Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery have released an advisory to emulate our ice loving bird friends. They have it all figured out. The gist of it is to keep you centre of gravity over your front leg and pivot, rather than splitting the weight between feet in a stride.

This handy infographic from Tablet Infographics gives us a great visual of what they’re talking about.

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Broadway Wellness is an Integrated Health Care clinic, and a Registered Massage Therapy Clinic in Fairview, at Broadway and Spruce, in Vancouver BC.  We offer Vancouver Registered Massage Therapy, and Vancouver Naturopathic Medicine. If you do happen to hit the ice, and feel a little stiff as a result, a massage with a Registered Massage Therapist, or an acupuncture treatment with a Naturopathic Doctor can greatly help!