What Are Shoulder Rolls? Tips, Technique & Correct Form

Shoulder rolls are a popular workout for strengthening the muscles in your shoulders and upper arms.

If you work at a desk, you probably spend a significant portion of your day with your neck forward, shoulders hunched, and eyes fixed on a screen. This posture can wreak havoc on your neck and shoulder muscles over time.

With a few simple exercises, you can reduce muscle stress in your neck, shoulders, and upper back.

Shoulder rolls are simple to perform and take only a few minutes. Even better, they are suitable for people of all fitness levels and can be tweaked to suit different strength levels.

They enhance posture and alleviate throat tension while increasing the range of motion in the shoulders and upper back. When performed with light weights, this exercise can also be utilized as a stabilization and strengthening exercise to strengthen your upper back and neck.

How to perform shoulder rolls correctly

Based on your range of motion, mobility, and other criteria like injuries, you can practice this exercise in various ways.

Here is a video of how to do this exercise for your better understanding:

Here is a step-by-step guide to doing shoulder rolls correctly:

To begin, stand or sit tall, with a neutral spine and engaged core. Your shoulders should be pulled back and down. Maintain a forward gaze.
Shrug your shoulders as high as you can towards your ears to start the shoulder roll. Avoid hunching your back, extending your neck, or allowing your shoulders to slump forward while doing this.
Squeeze your shoulder blades together to pull your shoulders back once you've shrugged as high as you can.
Pull your shoulders down by engaging your mid-back.
Once you've reached the neutral starting posture, round your upper back slightly to press your shoulders forward while maintaining a strong core.
Shrug once again to begin a new shoulder roll.
Perform 10 to 15 repetitions, pausing for 30 seconds before starting another set.

Benefits of doing shoulder rolls properly

Performing this exercise correctly as well as regularly may reap many benefits. Some of them are listed below:

1) Improved posture

Trapezius muscles are the primary target of this exercise. Both sides of your neck contain these muscles. They are in charge of the movement of your shoulder blades, upper back, and neck.

You will have a better time maintaining appropriate posture if these muscles are strengthened through exercise. Your shoulders are pulled back, and a powerful trapezius stabilizes your neck and upper back.

2) Relief from neck tension

How many times a day do you rub your neck, hoping you could get a massage? If you're like most people, you probably do it multiple times per day. Shoulder rolls can help relieve pain and tension in your neck by allowing nutrient- and oxygen-rich circulation to flow to tight muscles.

3) Great for desk work

Since sedentary professions are known to contribute to poor posture and accompanying aches and pains, shoulder rolls are a wonderful stretching exercise for people who engage in desk jobs.

4) Loosen your shoulders and upper back

Shoulder rolls should be included in the stretching routine of people who regularly deal with stiff shoulders and back muscles. Your shoulders and upper back will feel significantly better after just a few sets of this exercise.

Tips to remember while doing shoulder rolls

Now that you know the procedure and the benefits of this wonderful shoulder exercise, you are all set to perform these. But before getting there, remember the tips given below. This will help you in exercising better and avoid any chance of injuries:

1) Do not make haste

Many people rush through stretches to finish them. Take your time and move through all the stretches, including shoulder rolls, slowly and softly. Stretching too quickly might lead you to overstretch a muscle, which can be unpleasant and require medical attention.

Do not rush (Image via Pexels/Andrea Piacquadio)

2) Engage your core properly

Keep your core engaged during all exercises and stretches, as a strong and tight core protects your spine from damage. Even when you're just sitting down watching TV or working, you may practice engaging your core.

Engage your core properly (Image via Pexels/picjumbo.com)

3) Do not hunch your back

Many people have poor posture due to excessive sitting and hunching over phones and laptops. Exercising can help you optimize your posture, but not if you do it with bad posture.

Do not hunch your back while doing this exercise (Image via Pexels/Karolina Grabowska)

Maintaining a tall, neutral spine without rounding your back should be a key priority when practicing shoulder rolls.

4) Do not protrude your neck

With this exercise, you're attempting to release tension in your neck, not add to it. When practicing this exercise, be careful not to extend your neck out too much, as you may end up with more neck pain rather than less.

Keep your neck straight (Image via Pexels/Karolina Grabowska)

Key Takeaway

Consider including shoulder rolls in your workout program if you want to strengthen your shoulders, neck, or upper back muscles or if you want to enhance your posture.

If you have chronic neck pain, shoulder shrugs may be a suitable choice. Discuss this workout with your doctor or physical therapist.