Stride, don't shuffle, on slippery ground

CLEMSON, S.C., March 25 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers say a firm-footed striding stance across a slippery wet or icy surface is less likely to lead to a fall than moving slowly and shuffling along.

Clemson University researchers say that's because striding along keeps your center of gravity in front of your feet while shuffling means it lies behind, which affects the grip your feet have on the surface, a university release said Thursday.

In a study published in the Journal of Experimental Biology, researchers found that once the knee passes the ankle during contact with slippery ground, slipping stops.

"The findings can be useful in helping humans, especially older ones, make their way across surfaces that are wet, icy or oily," Clemson researchers Timothy Higham said. "The key to avoiding slips seems to be speed and keeping the body mass forward, slightly ahead of the ankles after the foot contacts the ground."

Slips, a major cause of falls that can cause injuries and even death, account for about 44 percent of all work related falls -- fatal and non-fatal -- a 1992 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statics report concluded.