RRH Offers Tips for Navigating Slippery Walkways
Rochester Regional Health (RRH) teamed up with the Seneca Park Zoo on Penguin Awareness Day, January 20, to remind the community how to stay safe this winter season by learning to “walk like a penguin” on snowy and icy walkways.
National statistics show slips and falls among the leading causes of injury across all age groups. In fact, one in five falls results in a serious injury, such as head trauma or broken bones. Walking or waddling like a penguin can help reduce the risk.
To learn more about the technique, RRH visited some of the 26 African penguins at the Seneca Park Zoo. Native to the rocky coastlines of South Africa and small colonies in Namibia, these penguins are accustomed to uneven terrain. Like penguins in icy conditions, they walk or shuffle in a way that humans can follow to maintain balance and prevent falls.
Tips for “walking like a penguin” on ice include:
- Point your feet out slightly
- Stay flat-footed
- Take small shuffling steps
- Keep your arms out for balance,
- Keep your center of gravity low and over your feet
“Penguins have a very low center of gravity, so they’re kind of bottom-heavy. And because they don’t have really long legs, all of that leg is internal, they ride a little bit lower to the ground in general, too. So if you do that, and you kind of have your legs further spread apart, and you walk nice and slow and gentle, you’re going to be less likely to slip on the ice,” said zookeeper Brenna DeAngelis.
That same principle is familiar to Rochester Regional Health’s physical therapy teams, who work with patients recovering from falls or injuries and help them relearn how to walk safely.
“When our feet are wider, the weight goes a little bit farther apart. When you tip forward a little bit, same thing. So we’re just keeping everything a little bit lower to the ground, and we’re moving nice and slow,” said Margaret Fitzpatrick, Rochester Regional Health Physical Therapy Rehab Services Manager.
RRH encourages everyone to take extra precautions during winter weather and remember, when in doubt, walk like a penguin!
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