Sculpting strong and shapely shoulders doesn’t just improve the upper body aesthetics, but also strengthens and stabilizes the least stable, most mobile joint in the body – the shoulder. The shoulder muscles play a key role in allowing you to move your arms freely and strongly.
Some of the benefits of shoulder exercises include:
Improves functional strength and athletic performance. Strengthening your shoulders makes most arm movements easier, from reaching for something to carrying heavy groceries. It also improves athletic performance in activities that require strong shoulders, including swimming, rock climbing, yoga, and sports that involve hitting or throwing a ball, such as tennis or baseball. Furthermore, most upper-body exercise target your shoulder muscles to some extent, which means that stronger shoulders will help you perform exercises better and lift heavier weights.
Injury prevention:Â Weak shoulders are more likely to lead to pain and injury down the road, whether from playing sports or lifting a heavy suitcase. However, building stronger shoulders can reduce the risk of sustaining shoulder pain or injuries.
- Better posture. Shoulder exercises can help improve posture and reduce neck and shoulder pain associated with sitting hunched over for hours at your office desk, which can cause the shoulder to round forward. 1
Aesthetics. Strengthening the shoulders adds definition and shape to the upper body. Exercises targeting the middle deltoids can widen the shoulders and make the waist look smaller, to create a more tapered body shape.
When targeting the shoulder muscles, ensure that you work the different parts of the shoulders. To help you do that, here’s a tiny bit of shoulder anatomy.