Ten years after a harrowing fall that left her injured and bleeding, 81-year-old Penny Wilson experienced the unsettling feeling of falling once again. Yet, this time, she was prepared, all thanks to a balance training app.
"None of the bystanders could believe it. They all assumed I was going to land flat on my face," she said.
Wilson has been using Nymbl. Launched last year as part of ACC's Live Stronger for Longer programme, the app is designed for people over 55 and aims to enhance balance through simple body movements and brain games tailored to individual abilities.
"Nymbl has helped me in the garden, with my walking, and given me the confidence to live the life I want," she said.
The app is part of a range of solutions ACC offers to reduce falls and fractures among Kiwis, currently affecting one in three people over 65 and one in two over 80.
"We want New Zealanders to know that falls aren't actually a part of the ageing process. They don't have to happen," said James Whittaker, ACC's Preventable Programme Lead.
"We can continue living full and active lives, enjoying that extra free time, if we can improve our strength and balance to reduce the chance of a fall or injury.
Research indicates that using the app three times a week for 10 minutes each time could reduce fall-related injuries by about 30 per cent. Good for us as individuals and the health system.
Last year, 39% of all ACC claims were due to falls and fall-related injuries. 173,000 new claims were from adults over 65, costing $345 million for recovery and resulting in approximately 192,000 hospital bed days.
The app is straightforward to use, and new features are added regularly, such as Bladder, a new programme specifically designed to support users with incontinence issues which is one of the leading contributors of falls for older adults.
Wilson uses Nymbl daily to practice a wide range of balancing movements that she was unable to do before. She's urging others to try it.
"They keep saying that you need to do the trivia and the body movements at the same time because then it's automatic, and that is just what happened with my balance. I self-corrected. I had no conscious recollection of what to do, I just did it."
The app is free to download and use. Search "Nymbl Training" in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
Article created in partnership with ACC
