ACC has launched an app named Nymbl. It is fully funded and therefore free to all New Zealanders over 50 with a smartphone. It is designed to help you stay steady on your feet using dual tasking. Dual tasking involves combining body movements with brain games or trivia, to challenge brain and body at the same time. This is important when maintaining independence as falls are more likely to happen when you are doing more than one thing at a time eg hanging out the washing while thinking about dinner, or vacuuming and avoiding the cat.
Nymbl has been running as a pilot in New Zealand since 2020 and more than 15 000 users aged 55 plus were registered. They completed over 300 000 physical training sessions and 100 000 education sessions all at home. 87% of these people said they would recommend Nymbl to a friend.
Research from these people who used the app for 21 days improved their ability to perform a sit to stand test, a functional activity we all use daily and need to be able to perform to stay safe and remain independent at home.
By investing 10 mins a day most days of the week, in your own home, you can improve your balance. Better balance helps you maintain your independence as you are less likely to fall and injure yourself.
Falls by the Numbers
Falls are the most common cause of injury in New Zealand, accounting for 39% of all ACC claims
Fall-related injuries most commonly occur in the home, and women are slightly more likely to be injured by falling than men
Every year, one in three people over 65 injure themselves in a fall, rising to one in two once they reach 80.
What is Nymbl?
+ Nymbl is a safe and effective way to improve your balance
+ It is a personalized and customized balance programme, whether you want to improve, test or maintain your balance you can progress through the app in your own time
+ Nymbl encourages good habits to regularly improve your balance at home, and has the ability to provide reminders at a set time
+ It is easy, fun and free to those aged 50 or over in NZ
+ Nymbl takes just 10 mins a day to improve your balance, so it will fit into your daily routine
+ Enrolling is easy, simple step by step instructions show you how to download, set up and use the app on your smart phone
+ Nymbl provides older people with another option to improve or maintain their balance
+ Nymbl is a great compliment to community strength & balance classes, walking or other activities, allowing you to maintain consistency and practice balance activities in the comfort of your own home.
If you would like support to set up Nymbl, or improve your strength & balance please contact Sport Taranaki
Hilary Blackstock 021480180 hilary.blackstock@sporttaranaki.org.nz
https://www.acc.co.nz/newsroom/stories/living-a-strong-and-nymbl-life/