How to Do a Roll Down: Step-by-Step Pilates Guide

Boost spinal mobility and core strength with the Roll Down. Learn the proper technique, common mistakes, and benefits of this fundamental bodyweight move.

How to Perform

  1. Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and your arms relaxed at your sides.
  2. Inhale to create length in your spine, then exhale as you tuck your chin toward your chest.
  3. Begin rolling down one vertebra at a time, keeping your knees soft and your weight centered over your mid-foot.
  4. Lower your hands toward the floor while keeping your abdominal muscles pulled in to support your lower back.
  5. Pause at the bottom of the movement for a full breath once you feel a gentle stretch in your hamstrings.
  6. Inhale and begin to roll back up by tucking your tailbone and stacking your spine from the bottom to the top.
  7. Finish by lifting your head last and returning to a neutral standing position.

Common Mistakes

  • Locking the knees completely straight
  • Moving the spine as one rigid block instead of segmenting
  • Shifting the hips too far back behind the heels
  • Holding the breath during the descent

Muscles Worked

Primary movers

  • Abdominals

Stabilizers

  • Hamstrings
  • Erectors
  • Hip Flexors

Related Guides

Abdominals · Strength