I have written about falls and fall prevention often but this time I am approaching the subject a little differently. I fell recently and I hurt myself, not seriously but enough to make me want to talk about “distracted walking.” I am not sure what happened but I do know that I was looking at my cell phone (fitbit numbers) wondering if I should add another quarter of a mile to my loop. All of a sudden my ankle turned and I went splat…I mean really splat!
I have been thinking/reading about this a lot while recovering from a sprained ankle and a jammed wrist. The experts all say that slips, trips and falls can be prevented if we take the time to think things through before walking anywhere.
Well sure, I said to myself, but who does that? But let’s not dismiss the advice out of hand. When walking an unfamiliar route it is in our best interest to notice areas where the pavement is broken and the shoulders are gravel. All sorts of potential hazards are waiting to trip us up if we aren’t quite careful enough. Perhaps paying attention is the best prevention of all.
A hazard (conditions that might lead to a fall) could be anything: wet surfaces, liquid spills, snow and ice, walking inattentively, or wearing the wrong kind of shoes.
Try to focus on the little things: uneven surfaces, the lure of unfamiliar shortcuts or just plain being in too much of a hurry. Be mindful of garbage cans, toys, and bushes that force you to step around or off the curb to navigate. All that while making sure you aren’t doing something dumb like texting or talking on your phone.
I admit it; I wasn’t paying attention. It wasn’t the dog’s fault, there were no cars roaring by, no other walkers, and nothing else going on…I just wasn’t paying attention.
What do you think? What do you do to make sure that your walk is the highlight of your day?
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