Penny’s story: The importance of Nymbl balance training
Ten years ago, Penny Wilson suffered a nasty fall. But the 81-year-old from Auckland is now steadier on her feet thanks to Nymbl, an ACC app helping to improve balance for older people.
Penny Wilson is lying face down on the pavement.
She has a searing pain in her cheek, her face is covered in blood and she’s struggling to see out of her left eye.
The then 71-year-old was out for a walk with her dog Pixie when she went tumbling down on uneven ground. She had the dog lead in one hand and her shopping bag in the other, leaving her face to take the full impact of the fall.
“I had this horrible, sickening feeling that I was falling,” she remembers.
“I was about to hit the ground with my face and I couldn’t do anything about it.”
It happened so quickly that it never occurred to Penny to let go of the dog or the shopping bag. She caused herself some real damage to her face.
“My face took the full force of the impact, above the eyebrow and on the cheek bone. I was in a huge amount of pain. There was a lot of blood.”
Her husband came running to her aid and she was rushed off to the local accident and emergency centre.
She underwent x-rays which confirmed a hairline fracture in her cheekbone.
“It was a horrifying experience and one I’ll never forget,” she says.
‘My balance wasn’t good enough’
Penny says her recovery took around four-to-six weeks.
“It really knocked my confidence, and it made me think,” she says.
“It was a massive wake-up call for me to be much more careful and concentrate more on what I was doing. I knew my balance wasn’t good enough and I had to do something about it.”
Penny heard about the balance training app Nymbl in a senior citizens’ newsletter and decided to give it a go.
Nymbl is designed to help seniors stay steady on their feet, using dual tasking, combining simple body movements with easy brain games, like trivia, to challenge both the brain and body.
We’ve launched the app as part of our older people’s programme, Live Stronger for Longer, which is focused on preventing falls and fractures.
“This is absolutely excellent from ACC – it’s one of the best things they’ve ever done,” Penny says.
Live Stronger for Longer with Nymbl
Improving the balance of older New Zealanders
ACC Injury Prevention Leader James Whitaker says Nymbl has a crucial role to play in improving the balance of older New Zealanders.
“By investing just 10 minutes a day, a few times a week, in the comfort of your own home, you can improve your balance and maintain your independence and confidence,” he says.
Penny quickly found Nymbl to be beneficial.
Signing up for a regular commitment outside of the home environment was a challenge but, with Nymbl, she was able to work on her balance in her own home, at whatever time suited.
Penny now does Nymbl every morning. She gets out for a walk and then does her Nymbl exercises to set her up for the day.
“I’ve made huge progress and I’m really proud of that,” she says.
When Penny first started, she couldn’t do actions like the tandem stand, tandem walk or stand on one leg for any length of time, while holding the other leg up in the air.
“I can now. That’s a big difference.”
‘You need to work on your balance every day’
The best example of how Nymbl has helped Penny came last year.
Penny was walking around Waiatarua with her son’s dog and his family. She went back to get something out of the car, and rushed back.
History threatened to repeat when Penny didn’t notice the ground sloping away on one side.
“The next thing I knew I had that same sickening feeling – I’m going to hit the ground again and I can’t stop,” she says.
But near to hitting the ground and without any conscious thought, Penny’s leg came back up under her body. Her upper body arched backwards, and she was standing upright and walking forwards.
“None of the bystanders could believe it. They all assumed I was going to land flat on my face,” she says.
Penny says the change in outcome could only be attributed to her work with Nymbl.
“They keep saying you need to do the trivia and body movements at the same time because then it’s automatic. That’s just what happened with my balance – I self-corrected,” she says.
“I had no conscious recollection of what to do, I just did it automatically.”
Penny says Nymbl has helped her in the garden and with walking. It’s also given her the confidence to lead the life she wants to live.
She has recommended Nymbl to many of her friends.
“I keep saying you need to work on your balance every day,” she says. “You see people my age have a horrible fall and that’s the end of their independence.”
The impact of fall injuries
Falls are the most common cause of injury in New Zealand, accounting for nearly 40 per cent 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.
One in three people over 65 injure themselves in a fall every year, rising to one in two once they reach 80.
“Falls have a significant impact on a person’s quality of life, especially if it results in a fracture, so we want to do what we can to prevent them from happening in the first place,” James says.
“We want to dispel the idea that falling over is part of the ageing process.
“Most falls are preventable. We want to help New Zealanders to stay on their feet, enjoying their independence and leading the life they want to live.
“We’re committed to reducing falls for older people in their homes and community.”
How to access Nymbl
You can download Nymbl at the Google Play or Apple app store.
More information is available on the ‘Live Stronger for Longer’ website.
