The Leg Curl on an Exercise Ball (1 Leg) is a challenging movement that will develop and improve your core stability and balance, while working your glutes, hamstrings, and lower back.
The Leg Curl on an Exercise Ball (1 Leg) forms part of the Golf Strength and Endurance series of innovative and dynamic exercises that are designed to efficiently increase your stabilising strength – supporting proper body alignment, movement patterns, and energy transfer within the golf swing, and helping to prevent injuries.
Equipment
This exercise requires an exercise ball, often referred to as a Swiss ball, and also known as a balance ball, fitness ball, gym ball, stability ball, physioball, Swedish ball, therapy ball, or yoga ball.
Figure 1. Leg Curl on an Exercise Ball (1 Leg) Video.
Steps
- Start by lying on your back with your shoulders on the floor, your legs straight and your heels on top of an exercise ball.
- Lift your hips until your body is in a straight line from your ankles to your shoulders.
- Keeping your hips tall, bend your legs, pulling the ball towards you with your heels.
- Lift your left leg off the ball, pulling the knee towards your chest.
- Slowly extend your right leg to push the ball back out away from you.
- Pull your right heel back in toward your glutes to pull the ball back towards you.
- Keep your hips tall as you perform the desired number of repetitions for your right leg, and then switch legs and repeat.
Keep your abdominal muscles engaged, your back flat, and do not let your hips drop as you pull the exercise ball towards you. Keep your toes pulled up throughout.
You should feel it working your glutes, hamstrings, and lower back.
Variation
If you find this exercise too difficult, start with the basic Leg Curl on an Exercise Ball.
You can make this exercise easier by extending your arms out to your sides.
You can make this exercise more difficult by bringing your arms closer to your body, or crossing your arms in front of your chest, thus challenging your balance more.
For a different challenge, you can try the Leg Curl on an Exercise Ball (2 Legs Up, 1 Leg Down) variation.
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There are a number of other golf-specific strength and endurance exercises in the Golf Loopy Train like a Champion System.
Introduction to the Swing like a Champion System.
Golf Anatomy and Kinesiology, a collection of articles describing the roles of the muscles involved in the golf swing.
