{
  "$schema": "https://openexercise.org/schema/v0/exercise.json",
  "aliases": [
    {
      "text": "Lacrosse Ball Glute Smash",
      "kind": "common"
    },
    {
      "text": "Lacrosse Ball Glute Roll",
      "kind": "common"
    },
    {
      "text": "SMR Glutes",
      "kind": "abbreviation"
    },
    {
      "text": "Lacrosse Ball Hip Mobilization",
      "kind": "common"
    },
    {
      "text": "SMR Glutes (lax ball)",
      "kind": "common"
    }
  ],
  "anatomy": {
    "muscles": [
      {
        "muscle": "gluteus-maximus",
        "role": "stretched"
      },
      {
        "muscle": "gluteus-medius",
        "role": "stretched"
      },
      {
        "muscle": "piriformis",
        "role": "stretched"
      },
      {
        "muscle": "triceps-brachii",
        "role": "stabilizer"
      }
    ],
    "joints": [
      {
        "joint": "hip",
        "actions": [
          "flexion",
          "external-rotation"
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "classification": {
    "modalities": [
      "mobility",
      "rehabilitation"
    ],
    "movement_patterns": [
      "mobility-drill"
    ],
    "mechanics": "not-applicable",
    "force": "not-applicable",
    "kinetic_chain": "not-applicable",
    "laterality": "unilateral",
    "planes": [
      "sagittal",
      "transverse"
    ],
    "contraction": [
      "dynamic",
      "isometric"
    ],
    "level": "beginner"
  },
  "equipment": {
    "optional": [
      "mat"
    ],
    "required": [
      [
        "massage-ball"
      ]
    ]
  },
  "external_ids": {
    "wger": "1952"
  },
  "id": "oec:massage-ball-glute-release",
  "instructions": {
    "setup": [
      "Sit on the floor or an exercise mat with knees bent and feet flat.",
      "Place a massage ball (such as a lacrosse ball) under one glute cheek.",
      "Support your upper body by placing your hands on the floor behind you.",
      "Optionally cross the ankle of the targeted side over the opposite knee into a figure-four position to expose deeper hip rotators."
    ],
    "steps": [
      "Slowly shift your body weight onto the ball to apply tolerable pressure to the muscle tissue.",
      "Roll gently in small circles or back and forth over tender areas of the glute and lateral hip.",
      "When a particularly tender trigger point is found, pause on the spot for twenty to thirty seconds while breathing deeply to allow the muscle to relax.",
      "Slowly mobilize the hip by slightly opening and closing the knee to floss the tissue over the ball.",
      "Complete the desired duration, then switch sides."
    ],
    "breathing": "Maintain slow, deep diaphragmatic breathing; avoid holding your breath when rolling over tender spots.",
    "cues": [
      "Sink into the ball, do not tense up.",
      "Small, slow passes over tight areas.",
      "Breathe through the discomfort."
    ],
    "common_faults": [
      {
        "fault": "Tensing the glute muscles during rolling.",
        "correction": "Ease off the amount of bodyweight placed on the ball and exhale deeply to allow the muscle to soften."
      },
      {
        "fault": "Rolling directly onto bony landmarks like the greater trochanter or tailbone.",
        "correction": "Keep the ball centered in soft muscular tissue between the hip bone and sacrum."
      },
      {
        "fault": "Applying excessive, sharp pressure that causes numbness or radiating nerve pain.",
        "correction": "Reposition the ball immediately away from the sciatic nerve path and reduce pressure to a dull, therapeutic ache."
      }
    ],
    "safety": {
      "precautions": [
        "Avoid rolling directly over the course of the sciatic nerve if you experience sharp tingling or numbness down the leg."
      ],
      "spotter": "not-needed"
    }
  },
  "measurement": {
    "duration_counted": "per-side",
    "load": {
      "kind": "none"
    },
    "profiles": [
      {
        "required": [
          "duration"
        ],
        "optional": [
          "rpe"
        ]
      }
    ],
    "records": {}
  },
  "name": "Massage Ball Glute Release",
  "previous_ids": [
    "oec:smr-glutes-lax-ball"
  ],
  "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: SMR Glutes (lax ball)",
        "url": "https://wger.de/en/exercise/1952/view-base",
        "license": "CC-BY-SA-4.0",
        "author": "Pete-E automation"
      }
    ]
  },
  "setup": {
    "position": "seated"
  },
  "status": "active",
  "summary": "A self-myofascial release drill using a firm massage ball to alleviate muscle tightness and improve tissue mobility in the glutes and deep hip rotators."
}