For better posture and toned neck muscles, do shoulder shrugs at the gym

Shrugging your shoulders might literally showcase your indifference towards something but when it comes to gyming, this term takes a whole new meaning. 

Yup, if you are a gym regular then you must know how important doing shoulder shrugs are – especially, when you are striving for that accentuated collar and traps aka trapezius muscle.

But where are these trapezius muscles located? Well, this triangular muscle starts right from the back of your neck and goes down to the middle of your back, connecting the shoulder blades. 

So, why are shoulder shrugs so important?
A lot of our daily chores involve lifting and bending. Not to mention, sitting on the desk and staring at our laptop has become the way of life now. The result? Text neck and other disorders that can give you sleepless nights. This is where shoulder shrugs come to the rescue and release the tension around your traps.

A study published in the journal BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders has also ratified this. In fact, the study claims that 85% industrial workers doing strenuous jobs, who were the subjects of the study, felt more pain relief with shrugs and neck and shoulder exercises has relieved pain amongst industrial workers.   

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Here are some other benefits shoulder shrugs can bestow on you
Not just neck pain, here are the other benefits of doing this humble exercise:

1. They help keep your neck stable
Well, if you are a sportsperson then you know the importance of keeping your next stable. The flexion and extension of the neck can either invite or prevent an injury. Shoulder shrugs can help with this while also keeping neck spasms away.

2. They improve posture
Your traps help in keeping your upper back upright. So, doing shoulder shrugs mean no more hunching as they will help you keep your back straight.

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3. They can also better your grip
If you do weighted shoulder shrugs then lifting heavy weights can also help in improving your grip. So, no more fumbles while you hold on to that weight in the gym next time.

These are the things you must keep in mind while doing shoulder shrugs

– Don’t move your neck too much, especially when you are doing weighted shoulder shrugs.
– Keep the movement slow and don’t give jerks while lifting your shoulders up.
– While you lift your shoulders, hold them for four to five seconds for max output.
– Wearing a wrist band will give you a better grip while you lift those dumb-bells or barbell during shoulder shrugs.

Now that you have the complete guide to doing shoulder shrugs right, it is time to shrug it like a pro.