Keep living your Colorado lifestyle with the help of Nymbl’s free balance training app
Colorado’s older adults ages 60+ can get Nymbl’s at-home balance app for free
Earlier this year, the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) announced its partnership with Nymbl Science, the makers of an internationally acclaimed fall prevention app for older adults. The partnership is offering Nymbl’s balance training app free to the first 10,000 Coloradans who sign up, ages 60 and up.
How does Nymbl work? Nymbl is a balance training app that you can do in the comfort and safety of your home on your smartphone or tablet, in only 10 minutes a day. Nymbl combines fun brain games and simple body exercises to help you improve your balance and reduce your fall risk. Don’t have a smartphone or tablet? No problem! All you need is an email to sign up for Nymbl’s online balance assessment and exclusive educational content, delivered right to your email.
Because your balance plays a key role in staying active, Nymbl is sharing part of its educational content with readers. Today, we’re discussing the importance of dual-tasking in balance training.
A common misconception about balance is that it relies mostly on your body’s strength. The truth is, balance is just as much of a challenge for your brain as it is for your body, and strength only plays a small part in your balance. There are many things that impact your balance in addition to strength, such as vision, lighting changes, medications, and more. For example, if you need to use your hands to get out of a chair, this may be a sign your coordination has changed, or that your strength has declined. Balance is a reflex, and you can improve your balance through physical exercises (such as one legged stands) and cognitive exercises (such as solving math problems or playing memory games). What’s most effective is combining these exercises at the same time, also known as “dual-tasking”. Dual-tasking challenges you to think and move at the same time, which helps your balance reflexes and better prepares you for the world and its many uncertainties. One real-life example of dual-tasking is being asked a question while walking - oftentimes if this happens to an older adult, they’ll typically stop walking in order to answer the question. This is because the part of the brain that controls balance has declined. The good news is that dual-tasking balance training can significantly improve balance after just a few weeks of training.
The State of Colorado cares about its older adult residents and their health and wellness needs. Part of your health and wellness includes your balance, which is why Colorado is offering older adults free access to Nymbl (website: co.fallsfree.com), a dual-tasking balance training app that can be done in the comfort of your home. Older adults in Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Clear Creek, Douglas, Gilpin and Jefferson counties, the City and County of Denver, the City and County of Broomfield, and southwest Weld County can sign up for Nymbl for free by 1) downloading the Nymbl Training app on their smartphone or tablet, or 2) visiting co.fallsfree.com.