Exercise Library

Shoulder Shrug

Upper Bodyisolation·desk-friendly

43

/100

low (0.37)
Decision Guide

Best when...

  • You need something you can do near your desk without much setup.
  • You only have about a minute between tasks or meetings.

Not ideal when...

  • You need something substantially more intense or more workout-like.

Pairs well with...

a short walk or lower-body movement after a long typing block

Better than X when...

Longer break routines when you only have 60 seconds and need immediate value.

Office-clothes alternative

Sit-to-Stand or Wall Push-Up are easy alternatives when you want something even more office-friendly.

Movement Profile
Muscular Demand
9derived

Targets trapezius, deltoids

Metabolic Cost
45modeled

MET 2 (modeled), 0.6x walking

Mobility Value
27modeled

Joint ROM: 20%, posture benefit: 35%

Desk Practicality
95modeled

Can be performed at or near a desk

Muscle Activations

trapezius

65%derived

deltoids

15%modeled
Energy Estimate
~0.6kcal

for 15 reps · roughly 0.1 min of brisk walking for a 70 kg person

Score by Rep Count

43

5 reps

43

10 reps

43

15 reps

43

20 reps

43

30 reps

Shoulder Shrug scores 43/100, strongest in desk practicality. Suitable for a desk break.

Caveats
  • Metabolic cost varies with body weight and fitness level
  • mobility value, desk practicality are estimated, not directly measured
  • Limited research data for this exercise
  • Study populations may not represent sedentary desk workers
Data Provenance

Measured (0)

    Derived (2)

    • trapezius activation
    • caloric expenditure

    Modeled (5)

    • MET value
    • deltoids activation
    • joint ROM
    • posture correction
    • desk practicality
    References

    2011 Compendium of Physical Activities

    Barbara E. Ainsworth, William L. Haskell, ... et al.

    Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise (2011) · Vol. 43(8) · pp. 1575–1581

    Established MET reference values for common activities

    Estimating energy expenditure during bodyweight resistance exercise

    Journal of Sports Sciences (2019)

    MET values specific to bodyweight resistance exercises at various intensities