How to avoid falling on the ice

NEW YORK, Jan. 12 (UPI) -- A New York hip and knee specialist says there are ways to avoid injury during the winter season on slippery sidewalks and roads.

Dr. Ronald Grelsamer, a surgeon and an associate professor of orthopedic surgery at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, says he is familiar with injuries associated with winter and can provide advice on how to prevent them.

-- Move your feet ever so slightly apart as you walk. This will give you better balance. If the street is really slippery, bend your knees a little bit. You may feel that you look funny, but it's worthwhile doing.

-- When going down an incline, consider turning sideways, but do not cross one foot over the other, as you will have no balance while your feet are crossed. If the ground is steep, bend your knees.

-- Protect your dominant arm. Since a fall occurs very quickly, you have no time to plan, but one recommendation is to hold your coat with your dominant hand, which instinctively leaves the other one to break your fall. If you are carrying something, do so with the dominant hand, because instinctively you will then use the weaker hand to brace yourself, should you fall.