Whenever you bend your knee to move your lower leg or thigh backward, you are working your hamstrings. These motions are called knee flexion and hip extension. Using a ball to work your hamstrings gives you exercise options from a standing, lying or seated position.
Wall Ball Squat
The wall squat works the hamstrings as well as the gluteals and quadriceps. The glutes are the buttock muscles and the quads are on the front of the thighs. After pinching the ball against a wall with your back, stand with your feet slightly forward and shoulder-width apart. Slowly bend your knees to lower yourself down and stand back up. Do not let your knees go past your toes, and keep your core tight and back straight. For added resistance, hold dumbbells in your hands.
Lunge
The basic lunge is performed by standing with your feet in a staggered stance and lowering yourself down by bending your knees. This exercise can be performed two different ways on the ball. With the wall lunge, align your body the same way you would for a squat, except stagger your foot position. Lower yourself down by bending your knees and stand back up. A split leg lunge is performed with one foot on the ball and one foot on the floor. In this exercise, stand with the ball behind your body and place the top of one foot on it. Slowly lower yourself down by bending your forward knee, then stand back back up. Hold on to a chair or wall for balance if you need to.
Curls
Lying leg curls, which work your hamstrings, lower back and glutes, are performed from a face-up position on the floor. While lying on your back with your heels up on the ball, lift your hips in the air, roll the ball toward your body so your heels are by your butt and roll it back out. Throughout the exercise, keep your hips elevated and arms out at your sides.
A regression to this exercise is the shoulder bridge. Instead of rolling the ball toward your body, lift your hips, bend your knees slightly and hold for a second. Feel the contraction on your hamstrings when you do this, and slowly lower yourself back down.
Isometric Contraction
An isometric exercise causes a contraction without repetitive movement. Use the ball from a seated position to work your hamstrings. After extending your legs out in front of your body, place your heels on the floor, press down and pull toward your body. Your knees should be slightly bent at this point. Feel the contraction in your hamstrings and hold until you are fatigued. For a variation, lie on your back, drape your legs over top of the ball and pinch it between your calves and glutes.
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