In this balance exercise you stand still, turn your head and upper body to look back over one shoulder, come back to the middle, then turn to the other side. Your feet stay where they are, so your ankles and hips have to steady you while your trunk twists and your eyes and inner ear adjust to the moving head. Think of the turn you make when someone calls you from behind, or when you check the chair is there before you sit down.

How to do the standing turn to look behind

Stand with a kitchen counter or sturdy chair close enough to grab without taking a step. Place your feet flat and pointing forward, about hip width apart, with your arms loose at your sides.
Lift your chest, let your shoulders drop and fix your eyes on something in front of you.
Slowly turn your head and shoulders to one side and look back over that shoulder, as far as is comfortable. Keep your hips facing forward and your feet where they are.
Pause briefly, then turn back to face the front and let yourself settle.
Turn the other way to look over the other shoulder. Stay upright as you twist rather than leaning.

What you should feel

A gentle twist through your upper back and along the side of your neck, with small adjustments in your feet and ankles as your weight shifts. Turning farther or faster makes it harder.

Common mistakes

Swinging round fast instead of turning slowly and smoothly.
Leaning sideways or backward to see farther.
Lifting a heel or shuffling the feet as you turn.
Letting your hips swing round with your shoulders.
Holding your breath as you reach the end of the turn.

How often

A usual starting point is 5 to 10 turns to each side, pausing for 1 to 2 seconds at the end of each turn, once or twice a day. 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.
Sharp neck pain, or tingling, numbness or pain that travels into an arm.
You lose your balance and need the support to stay upright.
Things look double, your vision suddenly blurs or goes, your speech slurs or becomes muddled, swallowing becomes hard, your face or lips go numb, one side of your face droops or one side of your body goes weak or numb, you suddenly become so dizzy or unsteady that you fall or cannot stand or walk, your legs suddenly give way but you do not black out (a drop attack), or you get a sudden severe headache. Stop and call emergency services, even if it goes away.

From the clinic

Turning your head can bring on dizziness, so keep every turn slow and smooth. If a neck movement makes you dizzy, stop, sit still until it settles, and get medical advice the same day before you try again. Check with your doctor or physio before you begin if you have an inner ear problem such as benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), or if brief spells of spinning come on when you turn over in bed, tip your head back or bend forward. If you are doing this as part of rehab for an inner ear problem, follow the way your physio sets it, and they will tell you how much dizziness to expect.

Do this on a clear floor with no rugs, with the counter or chair on whichever side you can grab most easily. If you have taken a fall within the last year, often feel wobbly, or take medicines that can make you dizzy, keep one hand resting on the support throughout and have another adult in the house while you practice. Your doctor or physio can tell you whether a falls assessment makes sense for you. Once this is steady, your physio may bring your feet closer together, or move you on to turning on the spot.

If you have had a hip replacement, get the go-ahead from your surgeon or physio before you try this exercise. Letting your hips turn while your feet stay planted twists the hip joint, and many surgeons ask you to avoid that for the first months after some operations. Keep your hips facing forward, as in the video, and turn only your head and shoulders.

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.

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.

Standing turn to look behind