Coping with Walking in Winter11 January 2015 | Admin  Our blog this weekend greets you from a rather cold and chilly central Scotland! With frost, ice and chilly winds expected for the forseeable future, and a lot more snow expected next week, walking outside can be treacherous for most of us. However, if you have mobility difficulties, it can be even more difficult getting out and about in this wintry weather. So today in our Stick and Cane Shop blog we thought we would look at some ideas and accessories that might help you achieve a bit more stability outdoors this winter. Tips for walking in winter
First of all, it goes with out saying, but prepare for the worst weather when you are getting ready. So make sure you are wrapped up well, use thick gripped boots if you have them, or even add snow/ice grips to your shoes if you can. This will help you to walk through both soft and hard packed snow/ice. Furthermore, make sure that you follow gritted paths when you can. I know, these are quite obvious, but it is so easy to just cut corners when out walking and walk over more icy areas in order to shorten the distance you need to walk - it's really not worth it, particularly if stability is an issue for you.
Secondly, consider investing in accessories for your canes for ice and snow. Standard ferrules might not provide the grip you need in these conditions, particularly if your ferrule is worn down and needs replacing. See our Rubber Ferrules page to find the ideal one for your particular stick.
Other accessories that provide excellent stability are the Ice Cane Attachment and Flexyfoot Ferrule. Accessories to help keep your walking sticks stable
The Ice Cane Attachment is superb on snowy/icy surfaces. Fitted with a spring so it can be easily flipped up when going indoors or into a shopping centre. Comes with 2 lengths of screws so it can be fitted to most sizes of canes. It attaches to the bottom of your stick or cane, and it can be flipped down easily over your ferrule, giving you added grip thanks to its metal teeth, which dig into the snow or ice and provide greater stability while you are walking. It's an excellent accessory, relatively inexpensive, and ideal in this type of weather.
If, however, you find that uneven surfaces are a problem for stability this winter, why not try the Flexyfoot ferrule? It is suitable for the majority of crutches, canes and small walking sticks, and the majority of users. If you are new to Flexyfoot then this is the best ferrule to buy. The shock-absorbing, anti-slip Flexyfoot is designed to replace the old fashioned ferrule and revolutionise walking aids.
Flexyfoot gives improved grip on all types of terrain and eases the aches and pains associated with constant stress and impact on joints. They are suitable for people of all ages and levels of fitness. Flexyfoot is made up of two separate parts to allow you to renew the ‘foot’section when worn or damaged without replacing the whole Flexyfoot. The uniquely designed bellows help create shock absorption, which in turn can help relieve pain and discomfort. And because the bellows make the ferrule flexible, it will stay in contact with the ground even over rough terrain. This can help make you feel more comfortable and secure. |
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