You survived the Blizzard! (Now don’t fall!)

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Great job! You stayed inside and didn’t get stuck on the subway or in your car during Blizzard Jonas! I bet you stocked up on some yummy goods to keep you company too. (I placed a big Fresh Direct order, finally finished Mad Men, caught up on How to Get Away with Murder, and started watching The Good Wife). Some of us take hibernating seriously…

But now Jonas is over and we must again venture outside. And what’s on everyone’s mind? Keeping their balance in the snow as it melts, turns to slush, ice, and the most sneaky (because it’s the hardest to see) black ice.

* Here are 3 tips for keeping your balance:

  • Keep a sense of buoyancy. One of the biggest mistakes people make is trying to lock their legs when they walk on slippery surfaces. Locking your legs takes away your ability to quickly redirect momentum if you do slip. Keeping a sense of buoyancy allows your muscles to “communicate” better with the ground and more likely to respond/fire faster.
  • Look at the big picture. When you’re walking on a slippery surface the tendency is to look down so you can know where you’re stepping. And that makes sense. However, the problem with this is that then the weight of your head is tipped down so that if you do slip, you are more likely to go down. So literally, with your eyes, look at the big picture. If possible eye the ground in the distance rather than directly beneath you so you don’t have to look down so sharply as you walk.
  • Breathe! It’s natural to tense your body when you sense danger (in this case fear of falling). But breathing goes hand-in-hand with creating better posture and thus better muscle activation in your legs, core, and overall coordination. So consciously keep your breath moving in and out constantly as you walk.

I hope these tips help you navigate our post-blizzard world with a little more ease and a bit more confidence. Bundle up!

*Please remember that not all exercises are appropriate for every body. If you have questions or concerns about whether these exercises are appropriate and helpful for you please contact me at [email protected].

Take Control of Your Body. Live Your Life!