The shoulder joint is one of the most important joints in the body, because it is involved in almost every upper-body movement. It performs so many tasks that it's vulnerable to injury, so it's important to keep it strong. When you have strong shoulder and upper-back muscles, you'll be able to lift heavy objects with less difficulty. And sports like tennis and cross-country skiing will be more enjoyable (because they'll feel easier). The shoulder and upper-back muscles are also key to good posture. For this exercise, called the upright row, I recommend 5-pound dumbbells for most people.

Position yourself
1. Slowly pull the dumbbells upward along the front of your body.

2. Bend your elbows so they're pointing outward. Keep weights parallel to the floor and about 2 to 4 inches apart throughout the entire lift.

3. Elbows should be slightly higher than your shoulders. Now slowly lower the weights.

Tip: To protect your back, use proper lifting technique to pick up dumbbells from the floor (bend at the knees -- not at the waist -- and rise slowly).

Staying aligned
When I watch people doing strength training, one of the most common mistakes I see is poor posture. Bad posture not only keeps you from looking good, it also makes a workout less effective and invites injury.

For example, arching your back during the upright row can injure your lower back (arching your back is bad for you even if you aren't lifting weights). If you are hunched over at the shoulders during this exercise, you limit your range of motion. Your upper-back muscles, deltoid muscles and biceps won't be trained as effectively, and there will be undue strain on the forearms.

Good posture means feeling tall and relaxed whether you are standing or sitting. You should imagine that you're trying to extend your body upward, lengthening the neck and spine. Angle your chin slightly downward, just enough so that the neck is in line with the spine. Gently press your shoulders back, bring them down and relax. Keep your back straight. Tighten your buttocks a tiny bit, so that your pelvis is straight up and down and in line with your spine. Your knees are neither locked nor bent. My favorite trick is to imagine that there is a string attached to my head and someone is gently pulling it up. This creates a sense of standing tall and being strong, which helps adjust posture automatically.

by Miriam Nelson, PhD
Created 1997