{
  "$schema": "https://openexercise.org/schema/v0/exercise.json",
  "aliases": [
    {
      "text": "Hamstring Foam Rolling",
      "kind": "common"
    },
    {
      "text": "Foam Rolling Hamstrings",
      "kind": "common"
    },
    {
      "text": "Hamstring Foam Roller",
      "kind": "common"
    }
  ],
  "anatomy": {
    "muscles": [
      {
        "muscle": "hamstrings",
        "role": "stretched"
      },
      {
        "muscle": "triceps-brachii",
        "role": "stabilizer"
      },
      {
        "muscle": "rectus-abdominis",
        "role": "stabilizer"
      },
      {
        "muscle": "latissimus-dorsi",
        "role": "stabilizer"
      }
    ],
    "joints": [
      {
        "joint": "hip",
        "actions": [
          "flexion",
          "isometric-stabilization"
        ]
      },
      {
        "joint": "knee",
        "actions": [
          "extension",
          "isometric-stabilization"
        ]
      },
      {
        "joint": "glenohumeral",
        "actions": [
          "isometric-stabilization"
        ]
      },
      {
        "joint": "wrist",
        "actions": [
          "isometric-stabilization"
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "classification": {
    "modalities": [
      "mobility",
      "flexibility",
      "rehabilitation"
    ],
    "movement_patterns": [
      "mobility-drill"
    ],
    "mechanics": "not-applicable",
    "force": "not-applicable",
    "kinetic_chain": "not-applicable",
    "laterality": "bilateral",
    "planes": [
      "sagittal"
    ],
    "contraction": [
      "isometric"
    ],
    "level": "beginner"
  },
  "equipment": {
    "optional": [
      "mat"
    ],
    "required": [
      [
        "foam-roller"
      ]
    ]
  },
  "external_ids": {
    "wger": "1855"
  },
  "id": "oec:foam-roller-hamstrings",
  "instructions": {
    "setup": [
      "Sit on the floor with your legs extended forward and place a foam roller directly under the back of your thighs.",
      "Place your hands on the floor slightly behind your hips to support your upper body weight.",
      "Press through your hands to lift your glutes slightly off the floor, transferring your lower body weight onto the roller."
    ],
    "steps": [
      "Slowly roll from the base of your pelvis down toward the back of your knees by pushing and pulling through your hands.",
      "Pause and hold pressure on any tight or tender spots for several seconds until tension begins to release.",
      "Rotate your legs slightly inward and outward as you roll to address the medial and lateral hamstring compartments.",
      "Continue rolling back and forth at a slow, controlled pace for the designated duration."
    ],
    "breathing": "Maintain slow, deep, diaphragmatic breathing throughout the drill to encourage muscle relaxation.",
    "cues": [
      "Relax the legs completely",
      "Roll slow, don't rush",
      "Cross one leg over the other to increase pressure if needed"
    ],
    "common_faults": [
      {
        "fault": "Rolling directly over the back of the knee joint.",
        "correction": "Stop the roller just above the popliteal fossa to avoid compressing nerves and blood vessels behind the knee."
      },
      {
        "fault": "Rolling too quickly across the tissue.",
        "correction": "Move at an inch per second to give the muscle tissue time to respond and adapt to the pressure."
      },
      {
        "fault": "Sagging through the shoulders and collapsing the chest.",
        "correction": "Keep your hands pressed firmly into the floor and maintain an active, stable upper body posture."
      }
    ],
    "safety": {
      "precautions": [
        "Avoid rolling directly across the joint capsule behind the knee."
      ],
      "spotter": "not-needed"
    }
  },
  "measurement": {
    "duration_counted": "total",
    "load": {
      "convention": "not-applicable",
      "kind": "none"
    },
    "profiles": [
      {
        "required": [
          "duration"
        ],
        "optional": [
          "reps"
        ]
      }
    ],
    "records": {},
    "reps_counted": "total"
  },
  "name": "Foam Roller Hamstrings",
  "previous_ids": [
    "oec:hamstring-foam-roller"
  ],
  "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: Hamstring Foam roller",
        "url": "https://wger.de/en/exercise/1855/view-base",
        "license": "CC-BY-SA-4.0",
        "author": "Davidgj32"
      }
    ]
  },
  "setup": {
    "position": "seated"
  },
  "status": "active",
  "summary": "A self-myofascial release technique using a foam roller to reduce muscle tension and improve tissue mobility in the back of the thighs."
}