{
  "$schema": "https://openexercise.org/schema/v0/exercise.json",
  "aliases": [
    {
      "text": "Blackroll",
      "kind": "brand"
    },
    {
      "text": "Thoracic Spine Foam Rolling",
      "kind": "common"
    },
    {
      "text": "Upper Back Foam Roll",
      "kind": "common"
    },
    {
      "text": "Foam Rolling - Upper Back",
      "kind": "common"
    }
  ],
  "anatomy": {
    "muscles": [
      {
        "muscle": "erector-spinae",
        "role": "stretched"
      },
      {
        "muscle": "rhomboids",
        "role": "stretched"
      },
      {
        "muscle": "trapezius-middle",
        "role": "stretched"
      },
      {
        "muscle": "trapezius-lower",
        "role": "stretched"
      },
      {
        "muscle": "rectus-abdominis",
        "role": "stabilizer"
      },
      {
        "muscle": "gluteus-maximus",
        "role": "stabilizer"
      }
    ],
    "joints": [
      {
        "joint": "thoracic-spine",
        "actions": [
          "extension",
          "flexion"
        ]
      },
      {
        "joint": "hip",
        "actions": [
          "isometric-stabilization"
        ]
      },
      {
        "joint": "cervical-spine",
        "actions": [
          "isometric-stabilization"
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "classification": {
    "modalities": [
      "mobility",
      "flexibility",
      "rehabilitation"
    ],
    "movement_patterns": [
      "mobility-drill"
    ],
    "mechanics": "not-applicable",
    "force": "not-applicable",
    "kinetic_chain": "closed",
    "laterality": "bilateral",
    "planes": [
      "sagittal"
    ],
    "contraction": [
      "dynamic",
      "isometric"
    ],
    "level": "beginner"
  },
  "equipment": {
    "optional": [
      "mat"
    ],
    "required": [
      [
        "foam-roller"
      ]
    ]
  },
  "external_ids": {
    "wger": "1363"
  },
  "id": "oec:foam-roller-upper-back",
  "instructions": {
    "setup": [
      "Sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet planted flat at hip-width.",
      "Position the foam roller horizontally behind you, resting against your mid-back just below the shoulder blades.",
      "Support the weight of your head with your hands interlaced behind your neck, elbows drawn inward."
    ],
    "steps": [
      "Engage your core and press through your feet to lift your hips slightly off the floor.",
      "Push and pull with your legs to slowly roll back and forth along your upper back, from mid-back to the top of your shoulder blades.",
      "Pause and take slow, deep breaths over tender areas or tight spots for several seconds.",
      "Carefully lower your hips back to the floor to finish the bout."
    ],
    "breathing": "Breathe slowly and rhythmically, exhaling to relax into areas of muscle tightness.",
    "cues": [
      "Support the neck",
      "Stay on the rib cage",
      "Roll slow and smooth",
      "Breathe through tender spots"
    ],
    "common_faults": [
      {
        "fault": "Rolling onto the unsupported lower back (lumbar spine).",
        "correction": "Keep the roller confined to the rib-supported thoracic cage, from mid-back to the top of the shoulders."
      },
      {
        "fault": "Yanking on the head or straining the neck.",
        "correction": "Gently cradle the head in your hands to support neck alignment without pulling your chin into your chest."
      },
      {
        "fault": "Rolling too rapidly using momentum.",
        "correction": "Move slowly and deliberately, pausing to allow tight tissue to adapt to the pressure."
      }
    ],
    "safety": {
      "precautions": [
        "Avoid rolling directly over the unsupported lumbar spine or cervical vertebrae."
      ],
      "spotter": "not-needed"
    }
  },
  "measurement": {
    "duration_counted": "total",
    "load": {
      "kind": "none"
    },
    "profiles": [
      {
        "required": [
          "duration"
        ],
        "optional": [
          "reps"
        ]
      }
    ],
    "records": {}
  },
  "name": "Foam Roller Upper Back",
  "previous_ids": [
    "oec:blackroll"
  ],
  "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: Blackroll",
        "url": "https://wger.de/en/exercise/1363/view-base",
        "license": "CC-BY-SA-4.0",
        "author": "Anastasious"
      }
    ]
  },
  "setup": {
    "position": "supine",
    "stance": {
      "kind": "parallel",
      "width": "hip"
    }
  },
  "status": "active",
  "summary": "A self-myofascial release technique using a foam roller to mobilize the thoracic spine and reduce tension in the upper back musculature."
}