The BOSU ball toss balance is an advanced balance drill. The BOSU, a half ball with a flat platform, is turned over so the dome sits on the floor, and you stand on the flat side facing a wall. You throw a ball against the wall and catch it as it comes back, while your legs, from the feet up to the hips, keep correcting to hold the platform level. With your eyes and hands busy with the ball, your balance has to look after itself.

How to do the bosu ball toss balance

Place the BOSU dome side down on a non-slip floor, a few steps from a solid wall, with a counter, rail or sturdy support right beside it. Have another adult beside you the first few times.
Hold your support and step onto the platform one foot at a time. Stand with your feet about hip width apart and centered, knees soft.
Once the platform is level and still, let go of the support and hold a light ball in both hands at chest height.
Lower the ball to about waist height and toss it underhand against the wall, then catch it at chest height as it comes back. Keep your knees soft and the platform as level as you can.
Settle your balance before each throw. At the end of the set, take hold of your support again and step down one foot at a time.

What you should feel

Constant quick adjustments from your feet up through your thighs, with your stomach and buttocks working to keep you upright.

Common mistakes

Stepping on or off without holding your support.
Throwing hard, so the ball comes back faster than you can catch it.
Locking your knees straight.
Standing off center, so one edge of the platform dips.

How often

Many programs start with 1 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 throws, with short rests in between, on 2 or 3 days a week. Your physio will adjust this.

Stop and check with your physio if

You feel dizzy, lightheaded, faint or sick, or the room seems to spin. Hold your support, sit down and get medical advice the same day before you practice again. If you faint, it does not settle within a few minutes of sitting still, your vision suddenly blurs or goes double, or you cannot stand or walk steadily, call emergency services.
You start to fall and cannot steady yourself on the support. Let the ball go, step off carefully and rest.
Sharp pain in an ankle, knee or hip, or your ankle rolls or gives way.

From the clinic

Standing on the flat side of an upturned BOSU is far less stable than standing on the dome, and in the video he does it barefoot with nothing beside him. At home, keep a counter, rail or solid chair close enough to grab, and move anything you could trip over well away from the BOSU. If you start to tip, let the ball go and step down rather than trying to catch it. Wear flat shoes that fit well and grip the floor, not socks, tights or bare feet.

People with a fall in the past 12 months, unsteady walking, dizziness from tablets, or thin bones (osteoporosis) should ask their physio whether they are ready for this, and practice only with another adult at home. If you are pregnant, check with your midwife or physio before you start. Pregnancy changes your balance, and activities with a high chance of falling, like this one, are usually left out while you are pregnant.

A sudden loss of balance is different. Call emergency services straight away for any sign of a stroke, even if it goes away: sudden dizziness with unsteadiness or falling over, a face that droops on one side, an arm you cannot lift or keep up, slurred or muddled speech, weakness or numbness on one side of your body or face, sudden blurred vision, double vision or loss of sight, or a sudden severe headache.

Most programs build up to this in stages. Steady single leg stance and a BOSU squat on the dome come first, then throwing and catching on firm ground or on the dome, and only then the upturned BOSU. After an ankle fracture or ankle surgery, follow your surgeon's or physio's weight-bearing plan, and start this exercise only when they have cleared you. After knee or hip surgery, or a recent ankle sprain, ask your surgeon or physio when you can train on a wobbly surface.

Written and checked by the PocketPhysio editorial team. Last updated 2026-09-28.

This page is general education, not a diagnosis or a personal treatment plan. If you have pain, an injury or a health condition, see a physiotherapist or doctor before starting new exercises.

Bosu ball toss balance