Colorado winter, true to form, is whiplashing from extreme cold and snow to balmy spring-like weather. The sunny blue sky days entice us outdoors only to find treacherous conditions underfoot – walkways that change unpredictably from packed snow to slush to wet concrete to black ice.
Of necessity, I find myself consciously tapping the balance lessons I teach as I walk my beautiful and large dog Rusty through the snowy neighborhood. (A shout out to neighbors who shovel their own and other’s sidewalks and driveways!) The necessity of mindfulness comes to the fore, including both awareness of my own relaxed aligned posture over my feet and situational awareness of what lies underfoot and ahead.
The challenge in staying aware of changing ground conditions arises from the fact that looking down can quickly pull posture out of vertical alignment. Besides making us less structurally stable, poor alignment triggers tension that restricts adaptive movement – a critical part of maintaining stable balance. That tension may be compounded if I’m feeling anxious about falling. Taken together, these factors increase instability and make us more susceptible to a fall (with or without slippery sidewalks).
The solution? Take a moment to tune in to the feel of posture, that is, feel your head, shoulders, and chest aligned over your pelvis, legs, and feet. Mindful awareness of relaxed aligned posture sets a framework from which we can best observe the environment. Check out conditions ahead rather than only noticing what’s happening immediately underfoot. When you need to look down, drop your gaze without leaning forward; if you need to drop your head, nod down without letting your head movement pull your chest and shoulders in front of your hips.
Keep in mind that good posture promotes relaxation, which in turn supports the agility needed to maintain balance in changing conditions. Feeling the relaxed drop of upper body weight through the structure of the pelvis, legs, and feet, engages postural support from the ground up. The increased awareness also turns up the light on sensory input from the body – input critical to the neurological control of balance. And, as an added bonus, it helps calm anxiety, breaking the falling/fear of falling feedback loop.
Stay safe this winter and enjoy getting outdoors on those warmer sunny days!