"The fact that $M^m$ is compact and of class $C^2$ implies that there exists
a number $\rho>0$ so small that no $(\nu-1)$-sphere of radius $\rho$ tangent
to $M^m$ encloses a point of $M^m$."
Here, $M^m$ is a compact submanifold of $\mathbb{R}^{\nu}$. Why is this true? I guess the point geometrically is that spheres of sufficiently small radius are more curved than the submanifold so that locally at the point of tangency, all other points of the submanifold have higher distance from the radius, but I don't have any actual arguments.