Don’t slip on the ice! Here’s how.

This is the bread-and-butter season for orthopedic practices. Why? Ice, ice baby!

According to the CDC, approximately 1 million people in the U.S. are injured each year from slipping and falling on ice and snow, and about 17,000 of them die, often due to traumatic brain injury.

As you might expect, older individuals are particularly susceptible to serious injuries from falls on ice. A broken hip in an elder might heal just fine, or it might lead to an extended hospital stay, long-term care and a shortened life. A broken wrist or arm may result in loss of mobility and function for months or even years.

So, orthopedists will tell you that the best way to approach this is to not fall in the first place, or if you do fall, to do it in such a way as to minimize your injuries.

Here are seven tips for staying up on your own two feet.

1. Practice situational awareness.

Assume that all wet, dark areas on pavements are slippery and icy because treacherous black ice is practically invisible. Walk in well-lighted areas. If you run into a patch of possible iciness, step off the walk and into the snow, which will give you a better grip. Even if you’re going a short distance, don’t tell yourself, “It doesn’t look that slippery to me.” Be especially careful when stepping onto or off a curb.

Also, avoid texting or talking on the phone while you’re potentially encountering a slippery surface.

2. Don’t wear stupid shoes.

What I mean by that is that sneakers, shearlings, slides and Crocs aren’t necessarily the best choices if you’re going to encounter ice. Slipping creates momentum, and you want to be able to stop the momentum before you fall.

What to wear: Snow boots, obviously, with nonslip soles. Hiking shoes or boots with Vibram soles provide a better grip. If you’re going to wear running shoes on snowy trails, invest in a pair of removable cleats or crampons.

You may see a recommendation to slip a pair of thick woolen socks over your shoes to provide more traction. That may work — but beware when you step onto a hard surface such as tile. It might be just as slippery as the ice.

3. Walk like a penguin.

If you’ve watched enough National Geographic specials, you’ve seen that penguins walk with their toes pointed slightly outward, take small steps and sort of waddle side to side to keep their center of gravity over their feet.

Smart birds.

When you’re walking on a slippery surface, think penguin. Slow down. Point your feet outward and keep your weight slightly forward. If you’re going to fall, forward is better than backward.

4. Keep your hands and arms free.

Your arms help you keep your balance, so you want to keep your arms and hands free. Keep your hands out of your pockets. Rather than carrying a pocketbook, use a backpack or cross-body bag.

5. Keep an eye on where your feet are going.

When you’re all bundled up, it may be hard to look down at your feet. That, and your glasses or sunglasses may get fogged up. Before heading out, make sure you can see your feet and keep a tissue handy to wipe your glasses.

6. Clear snow and ice from sidewalks and driveways.

This seems like a no-brainer, but you don’t want to fall just going to get the newspaper or the mail. Treat surfaces with pet-friendly substances, such as mulch, sand or specially treated ice melt that won’t hurt Fido’s paws.

7. Use ski poles or a hiking stick.

These give you more points of contact with the ground and may help you maintain your balance. They also require you to move your arms more, helping you burn more calories. (Be careful to make sure the tip doesn’t slip on ice before putting any weight on it.)

Even with all of these precautions, you may fall anyway. There are ways to fall that may help minimize or even avoid serious injury.

Foremost is not trying to stretch out your hands and wrists to catch yourself. Rather, try to land on your forearms if falling forward, and tuck in your chin to keep your head from hitting the ground. If you’re falling backward, don’t fight it. Try to land on the fleshy parts of your body, roll to the side and, again, tuck in your chin to protect your head. Assess how you’re feeling before attempting to get up.

Those ice falls always happen when you least expect them, and usually hurt way more than anticipated. Take steps — penguin steps — to stay safe.

• Teri (Dreher) Frykenberg, a registered nurse, board-certified patient advocate, is the founder of www.NurseAdvocateEntrepreneur.com, which trains medical professionals to become successful private patient advocates. She is the author of “How to Be a Healthcare Advocate for Yourself & Your Loved Ones,” available on Amazon. Frykenberg offers a free phone consultation to readers. Contact her at Teri@NurseAdvocateEntrepreneur.com.