Strength · Beginner
Ball Leg Curl
This exercise has you lying on your back and using a stability ball to curl your heels toward your body, working the muscles along the back of your thighs. Those hamstrings are critical for walking, climbing stairs, and getting up from a chair safely. The ball adds a balance challenge that also wakes up your glutes and calves without putting stress on your knees or back.
Category
Strength
Difficulty
Beginner
Equipment
Stability Ball
MET
3.5
Primary muscles
Secondary muscles
The movement
Form cues
- 01
Lie flat on your back with your arms at your sides, palms pressing lightly into the floor for stability.
- 02
Place both heels on top of the ball with your legs straight — your ankles should rest on the center of the ball.
- 03
Press your heels down into the ball and lift your hips until your body forms a straight line from shoulders to feet.
- 04
Keep your shoulder blades and upper back on the floor — do not arch your neck or push up with your head.
- 05
Squeeze your stomach muscles like someone is about to poke you in the belly, and hold that throughout the movement.
- 06
Slowly bend both knees and roll the ball toward your body until your heels are close to your hips.
- 07
Pause for a count of one at the top, feeling the back of your thighs tighten.
- 08
Slowly straighten your legs to roll the ball back out, keeping your hips lifted the whole time.
Dosage
How long, how many
Sets
3
Reps
8-12
Rest
60 sec
Watch for
Common mistakes
Letting the hips sag toward the floor during the curl — if your back starts to arch or your hips drop, you've lost the position; press your heels down harder to lift back up.
Rushing the return — if the ball rolls back fast and your hips bounce, you're using momentum instead of muscle; slow the rollout to a 2-3 second count.
Holding your breath — if you feel your face tighten or your neck strain, you've stopped breathing; exhale as you curl the ball in, inhale as you roll it out.
Ball rolling sideways — if the ball keeps drifting left or right, your feet aren't centered on top of it; reset so both heels sit evenly on the ball before lifting your hips.
Lifting too high with the hips — if you feel pressure in your lower back, you've pushed your hips past a straight line; lower them slightly until your body feels level.
Scale it
Easier and harder variations
Easier
Keep your hips on the floor and simply practice rolling the ball in and out with your heels, without the hip lift, until you feel comfortable controlling the ball.
Use this if lifting your hips feels too difficult or causes discomfort in your lower back.
Harder
Perform the curl with one leg at a time — lift one foot off the ball and hold it in the air while you curl and extend with the other leg.
Try this once the two-legged version feels easy and your balance on the ball is solid.
Note
If your lower back or hips are bothering you, do a standing hamstring curl instead — hold the back of a sturdy chair, shift your weight to one foot, and slowly bend the other knee to lift your heel toward your hip, then lower it.
Use this when lying on the floor or working on the ball is not comfortable.
Sources
Form descriptions and cues are sourced from wger (CC-BY-SA 4.0) and the Free Exercise DB (public domain), edited for the 60+ audience. MET value cites Ainsworth BE, et al. 2011 Compendium of Physical Activities. Med Sci Sports Exerc 43(8):1575-1581.
- free-exercise-db · Unlicense / Public Domain
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