(Radio Iowa) – It may sound silly and look ridiculous, but experts say Iowans should consider walking like penguins when it’s this cold and icy to prevent falls. That means taking short strides with deliberate steps, keeping your center of gravity over your feet and your arms out from your sides to maintain balance. Edison Weig, a physical therapist with Van Diest Medical Center in Webster City, says they see a lot of injuries from falls during the winter months.

“It’s a multitude of things, but I would say probably the most that we see are those hip fractures, especially in the hospital setting that’s related to that increase in fall risk, especially the outdoor environments,” Weig says. “It’s easy to take one wrong step.” Other injuries may range from broken arms and legs to back injuries and concussions, and one in every five falls results in a serious injury. Weig says one segment of the Iowa population is most at risk.

“As you age, you tend to lose some strength, so definitely in the older population, like people 65 years and older,” Weig says. “One out of four older people every year fall, but less than 50% of that population reports that fall to their doctor.”

He says more than 75-thousand Iowans were treated in emergency rooms last year for fall-related injuries.