Tandem stance with a ball bounce means holding a heel to toe position, one foot straight in front of the other, while you bounce a ball on the floor and catch it. The narrow stance already keeps your ankles and hips busy, and each bounce and catch pulls your attention and your weight around at the same time. It is harder than plain tandem stance, and usually comes once that hold feels steady.

How to do the tandem stance with a ball bounce

Stand along a kitchen counter or in the corner of a room, on a floor that does not slip, holding a light, medium-sized ball in both hands at chest height.
Set one foot in line in front of the other, with the back toes touching the front heel, or as close as you can manage. Share your weight between both feet and stand tall.
Push the ball down with one hand, as in the video, so it hits the floor just to the side of your feet and bounces back up.
Catch it with both hands at about chest height and let your balance settle before the next bounce. Your feet stay where they are the whole time.
Bouncing with both hands on the ball also works, if that feels steadier. Swap which foot is in front for the next set.

What you should feel

Lots of small corrections from your feet up through your hips. You will need to concentrate more than in a plain heel to toe hold. Your arms and shoulders do light work with each bounce.

Common mistakes

Bouncing the ball so hard it flies past your hands, or so far out that you lean to reach it.
Stepping out of the heel to toe position to make a catch.
Letting the feet slide apart into a wider stance without noticing.
Holding your breath while you concentrate on the ball.

How often

Many programs start with 10 to 15 bounces with each foot in front, repeated 2 or 3 times, once 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.
A catch pulls you off balance, so you step out of position or need the counter to stop a fall.
Pain in a foot, ankle, knee or hip, or in your shoulder as you bounce and catch.

From the clinic

With your hands on the ball, you cannot grab a support as quickly as in plain tandem stance. Stand with a counter at your side or in the corner of a room, close enough that a free hand reaches it straight away, and keep a chair nearby for rests. He is barefoot with nothing near him in the video. Wear flat shoes that fit well and grip the floor, not socks, tights or bare feet. Clear the space around you, and if the ball rolls away, leave it until you have stepped out of the heel to toe position.

If you have had a fall in the last 12 months, feel unsteady even with your feet apart, or take medicines that affect your balance, get your physio's go-ahead before you add the ball, and practice with another adult close by. If you have been told your bones are thin (osteoporosis), ask someone to hand back a dropped ball, or hold the counter and bend at your hips and knees to pick it up.

If the heel to toe position is too hard with the ball, try the same bouncing with your feet apart first, as in standing ball bounce balance, or with one foot half a step ahead, as in semi-tandem stance. Your physio will tell you when to narrow your stance.

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.

If you have had a hip replacement, get the go-ahead from your surgeon or physio before you try tandem stance with a ball bounce. Some operations limit this kind of work for the first months, so the timing depends on your surgery.

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.

Tandem stance with a ball bounce