{
  "$schema": "https://openexercise.org/schema/v0/exercise.json",
  "aliases": [
    {
      "text": "Seated Figure-Four Stretch",
      "kind": "common"
    },
    {
      "text": "Chair Piriformis Stretch",
      "kind": "common"
    },
    {
      "text": "Seated Glute Stretch",
      "kind": "common"
    }
  ],
  "anatomy": {
    "muscles": [
      {
        "muscle": "piriformis",
        "role": "stretched"
      },
      {
        "muscle": "gluteus-medius",
        "role": "stretched"
      },
      {
        "muscle": "gluteus-maximus",
        "role": "stretched"
      }
    ],
    "joints": [
      {
        "joint": "hip",
        "actions": [
          "flexion",
          "external-rotation"
        ]
      },
      {
        "joint": "lumbar-spine",
        "actions": [
          "isometric-stabilization"
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "classification": {
    "modalities": [
      "flexibility",
      "mobility"
    ],
    "movement_patterns": [
      "stretch"
    ],
    "mechanics": "isolation",
    "force": "static",
    "kinetic_chain": "not-applicable",
    "laterality": "unilateral",
    "planes": [
      "sagittal",
      "transverse"
    ],
    "contraction": [
      "isometric"
    ],
    "level": "beginner"
  },
  "equipment": {
    "optional": [
      "mat"
    ],
    "required": [
      [
        "chair",
        "bench",
        "plyo-box"
      ]
    ]
  },
  "external_ids": {
    "wger": "1959"
  },
  "id": "oec:seated-piriformis-stretch",
  "instructions": {
    "setup": [
      "Sit upright near the edge of a sturdy chair or bench with both feet flat on the floor.",
      "Lift one leg and rest the outside of that ankle across the opposite thigh, just above the knee, creating a figure-four shape.",
      "Keep the foot of the crossed leg lightly dorsiflexed to protect the knee."
    ],
    "steps": [
      "Sit tall with a neutral spine and inhale deeply.",
      "Hinge forward at your hips, bringing your chest toward your crossed shin while keeping your back flat.",
      "Hold the position when you feel a moderate stretch in the outer hip and glute of the crossed leg.",
      "Breathe smoothly and hold for the designated duration before gently returning upright and switching sides."
    ],
    "breathing": "Maintain slow, deep nasal breathing, allowing your hip muscles to relax deeper into the stretch with each exhalation.",
    "cues": [
      "Lead with the chest, not the nose.",
      "Hinge from the hips, do not round the back.",
      "Keep the crossed foot flexed."
    ],
    "common_faults": [
      {
        "fault": "Rounding through the thoracic or lumbar spine to reach further forward.",
        "correction": "Keep your chest proud and hinge exclusively from the hips."
      },
      {
        "fault": "Allowing the crossed ankle to sickle or roll into extreme inversion.",
        "correction": "Keep the ankle flexed in slight dorsiflexion to keep the joint stable."
      }
    ],
    "safety": {
      "precautions": [
        "Avoid forcing the knee downward if you experience sharp knee or hip discomfort; reduce the forward hinge angle."
      ],
      "spotter": "not-needed"
    }
  },
  "measurement": {
    "duration_counted": "per-side",
    "load": {
      "kind": "none"
    },
    "profiles": [
      {
        "required": [
          "duration"
        ],
        "optional": [
          "rpe"
        ]
      }
    ],
    "records": {}
  },
  "name": "Seated Piriformis 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: Seated Piriformis Stretch",
        "url": "https://wger.de/en/exercise/1959/view-base",
        "license": "CC-BY-SA-4.0",
        "author": "Pete-E automation"
      }
    ]
  },
  "setup": {
    "position": "seated"
  },
  "status": "active",
  "summary": "A seated mobility exercise that targets the deep external rotators of the hip by hinging forward over a crossed leg."
}