Nymbl app

• Calendar - shows which days that you have done the exercises/training.
• Reminder - with the app outlining that the best improvements will be gained from doing this three times per week.
• Favourites option - different exercises and activities, and this allows a user to compare past performances.
• Data collection - for ACC, which is described further below.

Get the app:

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Read a clinical review of this app.

• collect medical information? Yes
• require a login? Yes
• Can be password protected No
• have a privacy policy? Yes
• require internet access? Yes

By medical information, it tracks age, gender, height, falls history and balance data. It is identified in the Privacy Policy that ACC monitors this data to ensure that user balance is being improved, as well as for app development.
Mobile and email contacts are also stored for updates on the service, although this can be unsubscribed.

Free

The app is free for all New Zealand residents, over the age of 50 years.

It is not clear on the specific costs for non-New Zealand residents (although cost is implied)

✔ Questionnaire and education:
The questionnaire at the start of the app is really good. It allows the app to get a good understanding of the user’s current levels of balance and mobility. I like with this that there is an explanation with each question, which gives relevance.
Eg, “I need to push up with my hands to stand from a chair”.
Why: This can be a sign of leg muscle weakness.

✔ Feedback functionality:
At the end of each session, a user gives feedback on level of difficulty (too hard, too easy, just right) and any pain experienced throughout the session. This ensures it's aimed at a correct level.

✔ Wide range of cognitive activities:
The app works off the established premise that combining balance and cognitive activities is an effective way to improve balance (and cognition). There's a nice range of varied activities a user can choose, including memory, trivia, and ‘what is it’ style questions. This variety will help keep users interested.

✔ Calendar/reminder function:
Helps users to ensure that they can use the app at the recommended 3 times weekly frequency.

✘ Only available in English.

✘ It would be great to have a health professional aspect to the app and allow a GP/physio/other health professional to be able to prescribe or choose particular exercises for a patient. This is not a con for current use - more of an opportunity for development.