As the temperatures have plummeted, we are blessed with some beautiful frosty mornings, but also the risk of ice underfoot. In order to reduce the probability of falling (and the associated risk of a potentially serious injury) it is important to adjust the way we walk to minimise the chance of slipping. The wise advice of one Scottish Health Service is to:

• Bend slightly,
• Keep your knees soft,
• Turn your feet slightly out,
• Extend your arms to the side,
• Take short steps,
• Walk flat-footed.

The important outcome is to keep your centre of gravity over your feet, but the unfortunate consequence is that you start to rock and ultimately waddle, like a penguin! In our opinion, if it helps to avoid an unnecessary trip to hospital, it is worth it, even if we do look somewhat ridiculous in the process!