{
  "$schema": "https://openexercise.org/schema/v0/exercise.json",
  "aliases": [
    {
      "text": "Rear-Foot-Elevated Hip Flexor Stretch",
      "kind": "common"
    },
    {
      "text": "Wall Hip Flexor Stretch",
      "kind": "common"
    }
  ],
  "anatomy": {
    "muscles": [
      {
        "muscle": "rectus-femoris",
        "role": "stretched"
      },
      {
        "muscle": "iliopsoas",
        "role": "stretched"
      },
      {
        "muscle": "vastus-lateralis",
        "role": "stretched"
      },
      {
        "muscle": "vastus-medialis",
        "role": "stretched"
      },
      {
        "muscle": "vastus-intermedius",
        "role": "stretched"
      },
      {
        "muscle": "gluteus-maximus",
        "role": "stabilizer"
      },
      {
        "muscle": "abdominals",
        "role": "stabilizer"
      }
    ],
    "joints": [
      {
        "joint": "hip",
        "actions": [
          "extension"
        ]
      },
      {
        "joint": "knee",
        "actions": [
          "flexion"
        ]
      },
      {
        "joint": "lumbar-spine",
        "actions": [
          "isometric-stabilization"
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "classification": {
    "modalities": [
      "flexibility",
      "mobility"
    ],
    "movement_patterns": [
      "stretch"
    ],
    "mechanics": "isolation",
    "force": "static",
    "kinetic_chain": "closed",
    "laterality": "unilateral",
    "planes": [
      "sagittal"
    ],
    "contraction": [
      "isometric"
    ],
    "level": "beginner"
  },
  "equipment": {
    "optional": [
      "mat",
      "yoga-block"
    ],
    "required": [
      [
        "bench",
        "wall",
        "plyo-box",
        "chair"
      ]
    ]
  },
  "external_ids": {
    "wger": "2525"
  },
  "id": "oec:couch-stretch",
  "instructions": {
    "setup": [
      "Place a mat or soft pad on the floor directly in front of a flat bench or wall.",
      "Kneel on the mat facing away from the bench, placing your back knee close to the base of the bench and resting the top of your foot laces-down against it.",
      "Step your opposite foot forward into a half-kneeling position with the front shin roughly vertical."
    ],
    "steps": [
      "Brace your abdominal muscles and squeeze the glute of the rear leg to tilt your pelvis posteriorly.",
      "Slowly raise your torso upright until you feel a deep stretch along the front of your rear thigh and hip.",
      "Maintain a tall, neutral spine and hold the position, gently driving the rear hip forward without overarching your lower back.",
      "Carefully lower your torso forward to relieve tension before switching to the opposite leg."
    ],
    "breathing": "Breathe deeply and rhythmically into the belly, using slow exhalations to relax into the stretch.",
    "cues": [
      "Squeeze the trailing glute",
      "Tuck the tailbone",
      "Tall chest, flat lower back"
    ],
    "common_faults": [
      {
        "fault": "Hyperextending the lumbar spine to force the torso upright instead of extending at the hip.",
        "correction": "Keep your abdominal wall braced, tuck your pelvis under, and only raise your torso as high as your hip mobility allows."
      },
      {
        "fault": "Allowing the back knee to slide excessively far from the support surface.",
        "correction": "Position the rear knee as close to the bench or wall as comfortably tolerable to maximize rectus femoris stretch."
      }
    ],
    "safety": {
      "precautions": [
        "Use a cushioned mat under the kneeling joint to avoid patellar discomfort."
      ],
      "spotter": "not-needed"
    }
  },
  "measurement": {
    "duration_counted": "per-side",
    "load": {
      "kind": "none"
    },
    "profiles": [
      {
        "required": [
          "duration"
        ],
        "optional": [
          "rpe"
        ]
      }
    ],
    "records": {},
    "reps_counted": "per-side"
  },
  "name": "Couch Stretch",
  "provenance": {
    "generated": [
      "/name",
      "/summary",
      "/classification",
      "/anatomy",
      "/equipment",
      "/measurement",
      "/instructions",
      "/setup"
    ],
    "license": "CC-BY-SA-4.0",
    "review": {
      "status": "machine-generated",
      "model": "gemini-3.8-flash",
      "at": "2026-10-31"
    },
    "sources": [
      {
        "title": "wger: Couch Stretch",
        "url": "https://wger.de/en/exercise/2525/view-base",
        "license": "CC-BY-SA-4.0",
        "author": "Croak6728"
      }
    ]
  },
  "setup": {
    "position": "half-kneeling"
  },
  "status": "active",
  "summary": "A deep kneeling stretch targeting the hip flexors and quadriceps by elevating the rear foot against a bench or wall."
}