Lillemor Lundin-Olsson, professor emerita in physiotherapy at Umeå University, claims to have dual competence in slipping – both through her profession and thanks to long experience.
The best thing is to put on crampons, she says, but emphasizes that one should not feel completely safe with crampons when there is snow on the ice.
The most important thing, according to Lundin-Olsson, is that the shoe sole is not hard – it should be crampons or rubber.
Read your surroundings
Regardless of what you have on your feet, you should start by reading your surroundings.
It can be just two, three meters that it's slippery. But you must still be concentrated on reading your surroundings and not walk around checking your mobile phone, for example.
The normal walking style – putting your heel down first – is no longer an option when it's slippery, since the support surface is too small.
It's about putting your whole foot down. Then we get higher friction. Automatically, it means you take shorter steps and walk slower, says Lundin-Olsson, adding that your hands should not be in your pockets and it's best not to carry bags in your hands.
If you lose your balance and need to regain it, we do it with the help of our whole body.
Penguin walk
If the surface is slippery, you can let yourself be inspired by a penguin and walk a bit outward with your feet.
Balancing training is important throughout life, but Lundin-Olsson says you can also train to fall correctly – for example, on judo courses.
If you train it very intensively, then it can become some form of, yes, easier triggered movement patterns.
