Seated ball marching is a balance and core exercise done sitting on a large exercise ball. You sit tall with both feet on the floor, lift one foot a little way and put it down, then do the same with the other. Because the ball can roll, your trunk and hip muscles have to keep you centered each time your weight shifts onto one foot, which a chair would do for you.

How to do the seated ball marching

Set the ball on a non-slip floor, with a wall or sturdy chair within arm's reach. Sit on top of the ball with both feet flat, about hip width apart or a little wider.
Rock your pelvis slowly forward and back a few times, then settle in the middle where you feel upright and balanced. Place your hands on your hips, as in the video, or rest them on the ball beside you.
Tighten your stomach gently and sit tall. Lift one foot a little way off the floor, keeping the knee bent.
Pause briefly without slumping or leaning to the side, then lower the foot softly and relax.
Lift the other foot the same way. Keep alternating slowly.

What you should feel

Your stomach and back muscles working to keep you upright, the front of the hip on the lifting leg, and the buttock on the side that stays down. Some wobble is normal.

Common mistakes

Slumping or rounding the back as the foot lifts.
Leaning away from the lifting leg to keep your balance.
Lifting the foot too high too soon. A small lift is enough at first.
Sitting on a ball that is too soft or too small, so your hips sink below your knees.

How often

A common starting range is 5 to 10 lifts per leg for 1 to 3 sets, with a pause between each lift. Your physio will adjust this.

Stop and check with your physio if

You get dizzy, or the ball keeps rolling and you cannot settle it. Put both feet down and hold your support. If you faint while exercising, call emergency services, even if you feel fine again quickly.
Pain in your back, hip or groin that feels sharp rather than like a working ache.
A leg starts to tingle or go numb, or pain shoots down it.

From the clinic

Get the ball size right before you start. Sitting on top with your feet flat, your thighs should be about level with the floor or sloping slightly down toward your knees. Use an anti-burst ball, pump it up firmly and go barefoot as in the video, or wear shoes with grip. Clear the space around you of rugs, cables and anything with sharp corners, and keep your support close on one side.

On a chair, the seat holds your pelvis still and the lift is mostly a hip exercise, as in seated hip flexion. On a ball the seat moves, so every lift is also a small balance test. If you have fallen in recent months, get dizzy spells or have osteoporosis, where a fall matters more, start with the chair version and let your physio decide when you are ready for the ball. Have someone nearby the first few times you try it.

If you have had a hip replacement, get the go-ahead from your surgeon or physio before you try ball marching. Lifting the foot while you sit bends the hip past a right angle, and many surgeons ask you to avoid that for the first months after some operations. When the marching feels steady, seated hip abduction on a gym ball adds a sideways movement.

Written and checked by the PocketPhysio editorial team. Last updated 2026-09-26.

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.

Seated ball marching