I am not talking about the Ice Capades, or the crushed ice in a sparkling glass of your favorite holiday drink, or the ice pack I wrap around my knee, or the angelic like ice sculptures of First Night!
I am referring to a different kind of ice, an insidious type that like poison ivy, creeps up on you when you least expect it. You could be attempting to safely negiotiate your way on the precarious sidewalks in town, or preventing yourself from sliding under the carriage of your car in a crowded parking lot, or slipping while slowly ascending the stairs to your house.
This past Saturday evening, I had a near serious mishap on the black ice in my driveway. (Yes – my driveway, which was shoveled and sanded previously). I felt my right foot slide on the ice, as my body jerked in all directions and I momentarily lost my balance, but was able to regain it in a split second. I quickly uprighted myself.
I must have activated the fight or flight response, because my heart was pounding and my body became tense. Luckily I emerged unscathed. Falling on the ice is not something that I wish for anyone to experience, not even skaters! I take ice quite seriously now that I have osteoarthritis of both knees. I can not afford to fall and neither can you. In my work with boomers and seniors, I often focus on balance and functional training that will prevent unnecessary falls. We should only have adventures off of the ice, not on it!
