Shrug: Muscles work, benefits and how to do it (2024)

Shoulder shrug is a popular exercise to strengthen the shoulder and arm muscles. In addition, this exercise can also cure chronic neck pain. The shrug can be done anywhere and takes just a few minutes of practice. However, it is necessary to perform the shrug exercise correctly to bring the most effective.

Shoulder shrug is a popular exercise that strengthens the shoulder and upper arm muscles. The main muscles that shrugs work on are the trapezius muscles. These muscles are located on either side of your neck. They control the movement of the shoulder blades as well as the upper back and neck. Through shrugging, the muscles will become toned, helping to pull the shoulders back, stabilizing the neck and upper back. Everyday movements like lifting, reaching, bending, and even sitting are more effective and safer when your trapezius muscles are toned and strong. Furthermore, good shoulder exercise can also help you perform more intense exercises like lifting weights.
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In addition, the shrug exercise works to cure chronic neck pain. Researchers performed neck exercises on patients and found that neck and shoulder strengthening exercises were able to significantly reduce neck pain. A 2011 study of 537 people in Denmark found that participants with work-related neck pain experienced significant relief by performing strength-building exercises such as shrugs with weights.

Shoulder shrug exercise has many benefits for shoulder, neck and back muscles. Especially for people with office jobs, when most of the day they hang their necks forward, their shoulders droop and their eyes focus on the screen in front of them. Over time, this pose will affect the neck and shoulder muscles quite a lot. Therefore, an exercise like the shrug is an effective solution to relieve muscle tension in the neck, shoulders, and upper back. The shrug can be done anywhere and takes just a few minutes of practice.
The steps to perform the shrug exercise safely and effectively are as follows:
Start in a standing position, feet flat on the floor, feet shoulder width apart. Extend your arms by your shoulders, turning your palms to face each other. Keep your chin straight forward and your neck straight. Inhale and at the same time bring your shoulders up as high as possible towards your ears. Do this movement slowly to feel the resistance of the muscles. Lower your shoulders back and exhale before repeating this movement.

Set a goal to repeat 3 to 10 times in a row. You can increase the number of repetitions once you have a stable shoulder strength. Over time, try to do 3 times a day, doing 20 repetitions each time. Alternatively, you can do shoulder shrugs with weights to help strengthen this exercise.
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If you are a beginner it is better to practice with lower weights, arm weights can be 5 or 8 pounds, with this weight still heavy enough for strengthening trapezius and upper back muscles. Once you get used to it, do this exercise a few times a week and increase the weight to 15,20.25 pounds or more.
In a nutshell, shrugging is a popular exercise to strengthen the shoulder and upper arm muscles. In addition, shrugging can cure chronic neck pain. The shrug can be done anywhere and takes just a few minutes of practice. The shrug exercise looks very simple, but to be effective, you need to follow the right steps and be careful not to roll your shoulders while performing the shrug, especially when practicing with weights. For patients with neck pain, it is important to follow the instructions of the rehabilitation technician so as not to aggravate the injury or compress the nerve.

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