Do you carry the weight of the world on your shoulders? If so, you could really use some exercises that help you carry the burden.

One exercise that can really take the weight is the shoulder shrug. Since it follows a very natural range of motion, it is easy on the joint.

The muscles that make up your shoulders consist primarily of the trapezius and the deltoid. When you raise or rotate your shoulders, you are using your trapezuis muscle. When you lift or pull, you use your deltoids. The trapezius or ”traps” also help keep your neck strong and well supported. The shoulder shrug is a great exercise for strengthening your neck and shoulders.

To perform shrugs, stand upright with your feet hip width apart, grasping 15- to 20-pound dumbbells in each hand with your palms facing your body. Your chest should be out, knees slightly bent and your shoulders back but relaxed with your arms naturally hanging down with the weight. Lift the dumbbells up by raising both shoulders up as high as they will go. This motion is called shrugging. Pause at the top while squeezing your trapezius. Then slowly release the contraction, allowing your shoulders to lower and arms to hang again loosely next to your body. Try 12 to 15 repetitions.

Many women shrug off training their trapezius, feeling they may thicken their necks. Don’t worry, it’s not going to happen. Exercisers would have to frequently move an inordinate amount of weight to accomplish this.

It’s important, however, for us to strengthen our shoulders and necks.

So, don’t give shrugs the cold shoulder, embrace them.

© 2004, Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.