Just exactly how effective is shadowing practice for you?

Hi there,

Pretty much the title. I've done plenty of shadowing practice, but I don't think I've done enough of it, prioritizing other things such as reading, keep a daily Japanese Diary, etc.

The reason I ask this question is because I've heard from multiple different sources that shadowing is a very good method for speaking practice, and getting used to the flow of how Japanese speech is output. So, what is your opinion on the effectiveness of shadowing? I'd like to know whether or not I should incorporate more of it into my daily studying. Also, is shadowing considered input or output? (maybe a dumbass question!)

Thank you.