ACC says that falls are the most common cause of injury in New Zealand, making up 39 percent of all ACC claims. Losing your balance is a big cause of those falls. They also say that falls often happen when you are distracted.

I can attest to that myself. Recently I was happily chatting to my friend on my phone as I was taking out some recycling and on my way back, I misjudged the step up to the deck and did a spectacular fall with my phone flying out of my hand onto the grass, as I landed with a thud on the deck. With a bit of skin off my shin, a very sore kneecap, and my dignity gone, I managed to pick myself up while laughing hysterically trying to retrieve my phone and apologising to my friend on the phone, who thought I had done something really bad, because I think she thought my hysterical laughter was me crying, which it was probably both. Plus my husband was looking on slightly bemused and asking me if I am Ok but I think somewhat confused as to why I was laughing so much! It was all rather hilarious, but falling is really no laughing matter and it is important, for me anyway, to avoid doing that again!

I do a daily morning routine of stretches and exercises to help strengthen my core and keep my flexibility. After which I spend time in prayer, then with my cup of tea, I do the daily New York Wordle and the other games it has such as the Spelling Bee, Letter-Boxed, and Digits and I try the Mini crossword every now and then as well. Trying also to keep the brain flexible! 

I have this week added the ACC's Nymbl App, which combines exercise and a puzzle. They claim that

“investing as little as 10 minutes a day you can dramatically decrease the chance of a fall. You can take control of your wellness by incorporating balance exercises into your lifestyle.”

It is very simple, they give you one exercise which is done seated and it might be lifting your knee and then while holding your phone and lifting your knee you are then given some quiz questions to answer within a certain time frame.  The idea seems to be training yourself to do two things at once while increasing your balance and strength. It’s fun and challenging.

“The app is specifically designed to cater for anyone over 50 to complete a few simple physical activities and have a little fun along the way by adding a few quiz questions into each session. Simple body exercises with Nymbl's fun brain games help keep you sharp, balanced and steady on your feet.”

Did you note that it is aimed at those over 50 years old, so that includes a lot of us Gen Xers! As they say, prevention is better than cure, so with that in mind, I think it is best to start these practices early!  And it is also never too late to start good practices either, especially ones that are beneficial to one's health and well-being.

Research shows the impact of Nymbl (from ACC Website)

• · ACC injury prevention leader James Whitaker says Nymbl can play a key role in improving the balance of older New Zealanders.
• · “By investing 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.
• · Research shows falls often happen when a person is distracted. It also shows using Nymbl can improve a person’s balance by up to 30 per cent.
• · We ran a pilot for Nymbl from August 2020 to September 2021. More than 15,000 people aged 55 years and over registered with the trial.
• · Those initial Nymbl users completed around 300,000 training sessions and over 100,000 education sessions. Nearly 90 per cent of users said they were likely to recommend the Nymbl balance training programme to a friend.
• · Further research shows 71 per cent of Nymbl users who used the app for 21 days have improved their 30-second sit-to-stand balance test.

Some Interesting Falls Facts (from ACC Website)

• · 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.
• · “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,” 
• · “Most falls are preventable, and we want to dispel the idea that falling over is just part of the aging process”

I highly recommend trying the Nymbl App, it’s free, simple, and fun.

You can download Nymbl at the Google Play or Apple App Store.

If you do not have access to a smartphone, then you could try the  Age Concern 'Steady As You Go' Class being run at St Barnabas 

Tuesdays at 10am, starting on 20th June in the Hall. No need to book. Just come along.

For more reading here are two sites with articles

Newshub article here

ACC Website here