Watch: Scots urged to 'walk like a penguin' to cope with icy streets
The Scottish Ambulance Service has said it is seeing higher demand than usual this month, while NHS 24 reported a record number of calls.
Several doctors and health chiefs even urged people not to go outside if at all possible earlier in the month.
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Hide AdIn cases where venturing out cannot be avoided in plunging temperatures, the NHS asked people to “walk like a penguin” to reduce the risk of falls.
"When the weather is icy, we see a sharp increase in the number of people attending the Emergency Departments with slip and trip injuries such as broken bones,” reads a campaign from NHS Tayside to “walk like a penguin”.
“We would advise people who do need to venture out when the weather is wintry to dress warmly, wear sensible shoes with a good grip and to take care when walking on icy surfaces.“If you want to stay safe whilst walking on icy paths, the advice is to walk like Smarty the penguin – follow our feathered friends and avoid a fall this winter.”
The advice to walk like a penguin is to bend the knees, point feet slightly outwards, and extend arms to each side.
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Hide Ad"Walk flat footed, taking short slow steps,” the campaign advises.


"Keep your centre of gravity over your feet.”
A poster shared on social media by Scottish health chiefs also advised people to walk like a penguin.
"Normally, when we walk, our legs’ ability to support our weight is split mid-stride,” it advises.
"Walking this way on ice forces each leg to support the weight of the body at an angle that is not perpendicular to the ice, resulting in a nasty fall.
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Hide Ad"To walk on ice, keep your centre of gravity over your front leg.
"One animal that has figured this out is a penguin.
"Think of yourself as a penguin and you’ll be all right.”
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