The stability ball rollout is a core exercise done kneeling. You kneel behind a large exercise ball with your forearms resting on top, lean forward from your knees so the ball rolls a short way out, then bring it back. Your stomach muscles work to stop your lower back from sagging as your body lengthens. The distance you roll decides how hard it is, and a small roll is where most people start.

How to do the stability ball rollout

Kneel on a mat with a stability ball in front of you. Rest your forearms on top of the ball, hands lightly together and elbows slightly bent.
Gently tighten your stomach and squeeze your buttocks so your lower back flattens. Your knees, hips and shoulders should sit in one straight line.
Keeping that line, tip your body forward from the knees so the ball rolls a short way out. Your forearms travel forward with it.
Pause for a moment at the far point, without letting your lower back dip.
Draw the ball back with your forearms and return to upright kneeling. Keep breathing all the way through.

What you should feel

Mostly your stomach, working harder the further out you go. Your shoulders and buttocks help, and your lower back should feel held, not strained.

Common mistakes

Rolling out further than you can control, so the lower back sags into an arch.
Pushing the bottom out and bending at the hips instead of moving as one line from the knees.
Letting the ball drift off to one side.
Holding your breath at the far point.

How often

Many programs start with 2 or 3 sets of 6 to 10 short rollouts, pausing for 2 to 3 seconds at the far point, a few days a week. Your physio will adjust this.

Stop and check with your physio if

Lower back pain that is sharp or builds as you roll.
Shoulder pain as your arms reach forward, or a feeling that the shoulder could slip out.
Chest pain or pressure, dizziness or feeling faint, a racing or irregular heartbeat, or being far more out of breath than the effort should cause.
The shoulder feels as if it has slipped out of place, looks a different shape or suddenly locks so you cannot move the arm, or your hand turns cold, pale or blue. Go to an emergency department straight away, without driving yourself, and do not try to put the shoulder back in yourself.

From the clinic

The video shows only a small roll, and that is the right place to begin. Go out only as far as your lower back stays flat, and add distance a little at a time over weeks. If controlling the ball is too much for now, build up with a kneeling plank on the floor first.

Use an anti-burst exercise ball, pumped up firm, on a floor that does not slip, with open space in front of you. Pick a ball you can rest your forearms on comfortably while kneeling upright, as in the video. A folded towel under your knees helps if kneeling is sore. Because your forearms rest on the ball, your wrists carry little load, but your shoulders take more the further your arms reach. After shoulder surgery or a dislocation, or with ongoing shoulder pain, ask your physio before you try rollouts.

Rollouts put heavy load through the stomach wall, and the load rises the further you roll. If you are pregnant, have recently given birth, have had abdominal surgery or have a hernia, ask your physio or doctor before you start. The same applies if you have a gap down the middle of your stomach muscles (diastasis recti), which is common after pregnancy. If a ridge or bulge appears along the middle of your tummy as you roll, stop and ask your physio.

If you have high blood pressure, breathe steadily through every hold and never hold your breath. With a heart condition or high blood pressure, check with your doctor before you start. If chest pain, pressure or tightness does not ease quickly when you rest, spreads to your arm, neck, jaw, stomach or back, or comes with sweating, feeling sick, feeling light-headed or being short of breath, call emergency services straight away, as this can be a heart attack. If it eases quickly and none of these happen, get medical advice the same day, and do not exercise again until you have been checked. If you faint while exercising, call emergency services, even if you feel fine again quickly.

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.

Stability ball rollout