How to Use a Glute Massage Ball, Plus Your Hips, Hamstrings and Calves

A glute massage ball is a ball you sit or lean on to self massage your buttocks, and a ball works the same way on your hips, hamstrings and calves. Put it under the muscle, let your weight sink in slowly, and roll in small circles with comfortable pressure, keeping it off bones, nerves and the crease at the front of the hip.

A massage ball is a self massage tool, not a medical device. If you have an injury, numbness, tingling, a history of blood clots or any health condition, ask your doctor before you start.

Which ball for which area

Use the large ball for the glutes, piriformis, hip, outer thigh and hamstrings, and a spiky ball for the calves. The Fitballz product page names the large ball for glutes and hamstrings and the spiky balls for calves. This guide also uses the large ball for the hip spots in between.

The Fitballz Massage Ball Set has 6 balls, so you do not need a separate massage ball for legs.

How to use a glute massage ball

Following a UCLA self massage routine, sit on the floor with the large ball under one buttock, on the thick muscle. Lean toward that side until the pressure feels strong but comfortable. Roll in small circles, then larger ones, hold a tender spot for about 30 seconds, and switch sides.

1. Sit with your knees bent and your hands on the floor behind you.
2. Place the large ball under one buttock, off the tailbone and the sit bone.
3. Shift your weight onto it a little at a time.
4. Roll in small circles, then larger ones, pausing about 30 seconds on a tender spot.
5. Switch sides.

Side of the hip (gluteus medius)

For a massage ball for gluteus medius work, use a wall. Cleveland Clinic says this muscle covers "the broad bone that wraps around the sides of your hips."

1. Stand with your back to a wall and the large ball between the wall and your upper outer buttock.
2. Keep it below the top ridge of the hip bone and above the bony knob at the side of the hip.
3. Bend and straighten your knees slowly to roll it a few inches, then switch sides.

Massage ball for piriformis: go lighter

The piriformis runs through the buttock, and Cleveland Clinic says the sciatic nerve most commonly runs underneath it. Use the glute setup with less weight and smaller circles. If you feel tingling, numbness or a feeling that shoots down your leg, move the ball away.

1. Sit with the large ball under one buttock, as in the glute steps.
2. Move it a little toward the middle of the buttock.
3. Lean in gently and make small, slow circles for up to 30 seconds.
4. At any tingling or numbness, move the ball out toward the side of the hip.
5. Switch sides.

If a doctor has told you that you have piriformis syndrome or sciatica, ask them before you start a piriformis massage ball routine.

Hamstring massage ball routine

Sit on a firm chair with the large ball under the back of one thigh, as in the UCLA routine. Roll it slowly side to side or up and down, from the buttock to a few inches above the knee. Hold a tender spot for about 30 seconds, then switch legs.

1. Sit with the large ball under the middle of one thigh.
2. Roll side to side, then up and down a few inches.
3. Straighten and bend your knee slowly a few times.
4. Switch legs.

Cleveland Clinic says the femoral artery "ends behind the knee," so keep the ball above it. Its sciatica page adds that the sciatic nerve runs down the back of each thigh, so the tingling rule applies here.

Massage ball for hip flexors: outer hip only

Use a massage ball for hip flexors only on the outer front of the hip, where a small muscle called the TFL sits. Never put it in the crease at the front of the hip or just below it, where Cleveland Clinic places the femoral artery. Ask a physical therapist about the deep hip flexor, the psoas.

Cleveland Clinic describes the psoas as "deep inside your body," so this hip flexor massage ball routine has no psoas massage ball step. The anatomy reference WikiMSK places the TFL just below the bony point at the front of the hip, and both WikiMSK and Kenhub say it joins the IT band.

1. Lie face down, turned a little onto one side, on your forearms.
2. Find the bony point at the front of your hip bone.
3. Place the large ball just below and outside that point, not on the bone and not in the crease.
4. Lower your weight gently, make small movements for up to 30 seconds, then switch sides.

Outer thigh and IT band

Cleveland Clinic calls the IT band a tendon that "goes from the top of your pelvic bone down to your knee" and can rub against the hip or knee bones. So for an IT band ball massage, keep the pressure light and stay on the soft outer thigh in between.

1. Lie on your side with the large ball under your outer thigh, a hand's width below the bony knob of the hip.
2. Set your top foot on the floor in front of you to take some weight.
3. Roll a few inches toward the knee and back, stopping well above the knee.

Massage ball for calves

Use a spiky ball, seated on the floor with the ball under the middle of your calf. Move your ankle and knee over it, following the UCLA routine, then switch legs. Skip any calf that is swollen, warm or red.

1. Sit with one leg straight and the green or blue spiky ball under the middle of the calf.
2. Flex and point your ankle 5 times.
3. Circle your ankle 5 times each way.
4. Bend and straighten your knee 5 times.
5. Move the ball a little and repeat, staying below the back of the knee, then switch legs.

Either spiky ball works as a calf massage ball, and our spiky massage ball guide covers their other uses.

Do not massage a calf that is swollen, warm, red or sore for no clear reason, and call your doctor instead. Cleveland Clinic lists those signs among the symptoms of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a blood clot that most often forms in the calf, thigh or pelvis.

How long and how often

Spend about 30 seconds on each tender spot, then move the ball or switch sides. We found no source that sets a number of sessions per week. So start with short sessions, and use less pressure if a spot is still sore the next day.

The Brookbush Institute cites National Academy of Sports Medicine guidance to hold a foam roller on a sensitive spot for 30 seconds. It adds: "If it pulses, throbs, numbs, or tingles find a new spot." More on tender spots: our trigger point massage ball guide.

Mistakes to avoid

The mistakes below are about where the ball goes and how hard you press. Keep the ball off the front of the hip, the back of the knee, every bone and any spot that tingles, and keep the pressure gentle.

• Pressing into the front of the hip: Cleveland Clinic places the femoral artery "just below your groin, which is the crease where your abdomen ends and your legs begin."
• Going hard and fast: NCCIH notes rare reports of a blood clot, nerve injury or bone fracture after massage, some after vigorous deep tissue massage.
• Taking the ball onto your spine: for the back, see our peanut ball guide.

FAQ

Can you use a massage ball for hip flexors?

Only on the outer front of the hip, where a small muscle called the TFL sits, just below and outside the bony point at the front of the hip. Keep it out of the crease, because Cleveland Clinic places the femoral artery just below it, and ask a physical therapist about the deep hip flexors such as the psoas.

Can I use a massage ball for hip pain?

We do not claim a massage ball does anything for hip pain. Cleveland Clinic says to see a healthcare provider right away for intense pain from a hip flexor strain, and to talk to one if pain lasts after a few weeks of home care. Ask your doctor what is causing the pain before you put a ball on it.

Should I use a massage ball for piriformis syndrome?

Ask your doctor or physical therapist first. Cleveland Clinic says piriformis syndrome can cause pain, numbness or tingling in your butt, hip or upper leg, and that sudden weakness or numbness in your back or leg needs care. If they agree, keep the pressure light and move the ball at the first tingle.

Can I use a tennis ball for piriformis instead?

We found no source that says a tennis ball or a massage ball is better for the piriformis. The Fitballz set has no tennis ball, so this guide uses its large ball.

The bottom line

A glute massage ball routine takes a few minutes: roll slowly, hold tender spots for about 30 seconds, and move off anything that tingles or goes numb. Keep the ball off bones, the back of the knee and the crease at the front of the hip.

The Fitballz Massage Ball Set has 6 balls, including the large ball and the two spiky balls used here, in a gift box with a drawstring bag. It costs $29.99, with free shipping to the US and Canada in 1 to 5 business days. See the full set.

Sources

1. UCLA, "Bruin P.A.W.S. Myofascial Release Guide" (PDF on the UCLA Recreation FITWELL site; file metadata dated September 9, 2021, no date printed in the text), sections 4 Calves, 5 Glutes and 6 Hamstrings. https://fitwell.recreation.ucla.edu/file/0e975505-09d1-4a25-9317-dab702998fdf . Fetched 2026-10-19.
2. Cleveland Clinic, "Gluteal Muscles (Glutes): What They Are, Anatomy & Function", last updated 10/02/2025. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/gluteal-muscles-glutes . Fetched 2026-10-19.
3. Cleveland Clinic, "Piriformis Syndrome", last updated 07/13/2022. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/23495-piriformis-syndrome . Fetched 2026-10-19.
4. Cleveland Clinic, "Sciatica: What It Is, Causes, Symptoms, Treatment & Pain Relief", last updated 02/10/2026. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/12792-sciatica . Fetched 2026-10-19.
5. Cleveland Clinic, "Femoral Artery: Location and Anatomy", last updated 05/03/2024. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/21645-femoral-artery . Fetched 2026-10-19.
6. Cleveland Clinic, "Hip Flexor Strain: Symptoms, Treatment & Recovery", last updated 08/03/2022. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/23978-hip-flexor-strain . Fetched 2026-10-19.
7. Cleveland Clinic, "Psoas Muscle: What It Is, Where It Is & Anatomy", last updated 02/09/2024. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/psoas-muscle . Fetched 2026-10-19.
8. Kenhub, "Tensor fasciae latae muscle", written by Achudhan Karunaharamoorthy, MD, reviewed by Dimitrios Mytilinaios, MD, PhD, last reviewed October 30, 2023. https://www.kenhub.com/en/library/anatomy/tensor-fasciae-latae-muscle . Fetched 2026-10-19.
9. WikiMSK, "Tensor Fascia Lata", last edited March 28, 2025. https://wikimsk.org/wiki/Tensor_Fascia_Lata . Fetched 2026-10-19.
10. Cleveland Clinic, "Iliotibial Band Syndrome (ITBS): Causes, Symptoms & Treatment", last updated 10/19/2021. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21967-iliotibial-band-syndrome . Fetched 2026-10-19.
11. Cleveland Clinic, "Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT): Symptoms & Treatment", last updated 12/23/2025. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/16911-deep-vein-thrombosis-dvt . Fetched 2026-10-19.
12. Brookbush Institute, Brent Brookbush, "Guidelines for Self-Administered Release Techniques", published June 6, 2023, updated August 6, 2024. https://brookbushinstitute.com/articles/guidelines-for-self-administered-release-techniques . Fetched 2026-10-19.
13. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), "Massage Therapy: What You Need To Know", last updated May 2019. https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/massage-therapy-what-you-need-to-know . Fetched 2026-10-19.