Egbogah explains that no fall is ever completely safe, but that there are techniques and habits you should adopt to significantly reduce your risk of serious injury. “Our first instinct during a fall is often to put a hand out to brace for impact,” she says. “But this can lead to wrist, elbow or shoulder injuries. Instead, try to keep your body relaxed and avoid tensing up. Bend your knees, keep your chin tucked to protect your head and aim to land on your glutes, allowing your body to roll through the side to absorb the impact more safely.”
EXERCISES TO IMPROVE BALANCE AND STABILITY
Side-Leg Lift: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Slowly lift your left leg directly out to the side while balancing on your right leg, raising it to about knee height before lowering it with control. Repeat on the other side. Aim for 10 repetitions per side, a few times a week.
This exercise strengthens your gluteus medius – a key muscle for balance and pelvic stability.
Half Moon: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Extend your arms overhead and interlace your fingers, releasing your index fingers and pointing them toward the ceiling. (If you can’t bring your arms overhead, rest your hands on your hips instead.) Slowly bend to one side, feeling a stretch through your abdominal muscles. Inhale and exhale as you deepen the stretch. Hold for 20-30 seconds, then repeat on the other side. Practice this twice a day, a few times per week.
This gentle movement strengthens your core while stretching your lower back and improving posture.
Toppling Tree: Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Extend your arms overhead and interlace your fingers, releasing your index fingers and pointing them toward the ceiling. (If you can’t bring your arms overhead, rest your hands on your hips instead.) Step one foot forward and slowly hinge at your hips, extending your back leg straight behind you with your toes pointing to the back wall. Keep your gaze forward and your arms beside your ears. Stop when your back is parallel to the floor, forming a “T” shape with your body. If you’re new to balance poses, tip forward only slightly so your back foot just lifts off the ground. Hold for 10 seconds, then switch sides. Repeat twice, a few times a week.
This advanced pose challenges your balance, coordination, and core control – all crucial for fall prevention.
Chic (and Safer) Boots: None of us is ever ready to sacrifice style, but one bad slip on ice can change not just your winter, but your whole life. Get a grip with the best boots possible. My top pick of this year is the brand new collaboration between Sorel and Barbour, the British brand beloved by the Royal Family – especially for their Scottish outdoor activities. The boots from this limited-edition collection have all the Sorel waterproof benefits, deep grip treads and GORE-TEX body in olive green with a corduroy trim at the top.
UGG was a brand originally developed for surfers, but today, it has expanded its comfort-first mantra to include serious winter boots with hard-core treads. The Metrotrek Chelsea combines city-smart, sleek styling with a plush interior and a stable base.
For those of us who still have plastic bins full of concert tickets as an ode to our youth, it is great to know you never have to really give up your Doc Martens. These deluxe steel-toed Docs from Ssense hit all the sweet spots.
Canadian brand Baffin is built on its history of extruded rubber technology. Their rain boots rival Hunter for best in the business. But it is their winter boot line that really shows they know what this country is made of. And they haven’t forgotten we want to look fashionable while we hike up mountains in the icy slush.
The Icebug brand is built on helping to make sure you don’t fall. The Vallda also has the advantage of being super easy to slip on and off, with a zip side.
Falling in the winter is a worst-case scenario. Many women find out they have osteoporosis when they first break a bone in their hand or wrist. Women over 50 have a significantly higher mortality risk (estimates range from 17 to 33 percent) after hip fracture. This is serious stuff. Investing time in balance exercises, and a bit of money in good boots (to stay stylish and safe at the safe time), is a great bet this winter.
Always asking questions,
—Leanne Delap
