Here’s how to properly walk on ice and why you’re probably doing it wrong

Madison Selcho
·3 min read
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A pedestrian shields herself from the cold wind while walking in Atlanta, Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2018. Ohio State University, Iowa State University and others have reported that the safest way to get to where you need to go even in the iciest of conditions is to walk like a penguin.
A pedestrian shields herself from the cold wind while walking in Atlanta, Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2018. Ohio State University, Iowa State University and others have reported that the safest way to get to where you need to go even in the iciest of conditions is to walk like a penguin. | David Goldman, Associated Press

Want to be safe during the cold winter storms this year? Walk like a penguin while on the ice.

I know that probably wasn’t what you were expecting to read today, but I wasn’t expecting to slip and fall on the icy sidewalk in front of my crush in my sophomore year of high school, so here we are.

The Ohio State University, Iowa State University and others have reported that the safest way to get to where you need to go even in the iciest of conditions is to walk like a penguin.

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How do you walk like a penguin on ice?

Changing your typical stride used in non-icy conditions is key to being able to walk like a penguin.

“It’s called penguin walking because you do kind of look like a penguin while you’re doing this type of walk,” Monica Leach, a physical therapist and board-certified clinical specialist in geriatric physical therapy at the Cleveland Clinic, said.

OSF HealthCare reported that the technique to walk like a penguin includes the following:

  • Walk flat-footed with your knees slightly bent.

  • Try to keep your center of gravity over your feet throughout your entire walk as best you can.

  • Point your feet out slightly just as penguins do.

  • Take shorter steps than usual and shuffle your feet as you’re going.

  • Pay attention to where you are walking and concentrate on maintaining your balance.

  • You should keep your hands out of your pockets for ultimate balance and keep your arms by your side.

  • Walk/shuffle slowly.

These techniques were supported by The Ohio State’s guide for walking like a penguin that shared the same pattern of walking with slightly bent knees, pointing your feet outward, taking smaller steps in a shuffle and keeping your arms by your sides for balance.

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Why do we walk incorrectly on ice?

The HuffPost reported that the reason we walk incorrectly on the ice has a lot to do with gravity and friction.

“As it gets icy out there and things get slippery, the larger our steps, the more force you’re coming across. It’s going to increase the likelihood that you slip,” Dr. Kariline Bringe said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that millions of older people — “those 65 and older” — fall each year.

Personal injury law firm Diller Law reported that the CDC found that “1 million people are injured from slip and fall on ice and snow each year. About 17,000 of those falls are fatal.”

“These falls are quite frequent ... 1 in 5 of them actually end up in an injury that requires care,” Bringe said. “So, if we eliminate the fall, we’ll eliminate those injuries.”