A double chin develops when fat begins to accumulate between the jaw and the collarbone. Genetics, age, and weight gain are the main reasons people have excess fat around their chin and neck. Some people are genetically predisposed to a double chin, meaning they have a family history of skin with little elasticity, according to Medical News Today. (medicalnewstoday.com) Another cause may be poor posture. Weakened neck and chin muscles can lead to a double chin as the skin starts to lose elasticity in that area.
Whether due to weight gain, heredity, or posture, no one likes to see a double chin when they look in the mirror. It can make you look older than you feel and older than you really are. Eating a healthy diet filled with fresh produce, healthy fats, whole grains, and lean protein will keep the skin as healthy as possible. Diet and exercise can help, up to a point.
Chin Exercises That Slim and Firm Your Neck
When people think about exercise, they generally think of strength training that works the biceps, triceps, and more. However, chin exercises can help firm the jawline, strengthen the neck muscles, and minimize the look of a double chin. The following double chin exercises can help improve the appearance of your jawline and neck area.
Neck Rotation or Neck Rolls
This exercise helps reduce neck fat while also improving blood circulation in the shoulders.
Begin standing or sitting with your feet wide apart. Rotate or roll your neck clockwise, stretching as much as possible. Until you get used to this motion and build up neck strength, be mindful of stretching your neck too far back or too far forward. Make sure to keep your shoulders immobile. Repeat 20 times clockwise and 20 times counterclockwise.
Fish Lips
This exercise is excellent for toning cheek and chin muscles and reducing flabbiness in the neck area by strengthening and stretching the cheek muscles.
The name says it all. Sit or stand in a comfortable position. Suck your cheeks until your face looks like you have fish lips. Hold for 5 seconds. If you feel the burn in your jaw and cheeks, you are doing it right. Do this exercise as often as you can.
Chin towards the Ceiling
Practice the chin towards the ceiling exercise regularly to get rid of a double chin. It’s also great for reducing the appearance of loose skin and wrinkles.
Stand or sit comfortably with your spine straight. Gently tilt your head back and look at the ceiling. Hold the position for several seconds. Repeat this move 10-15 times each day. If you have neck strain, be mindful of how far back you tilt your head or skip this exercise.
Stick Your Tongue Out
This one needs virtually no explanation and is one of the easiest facial exercises to get rid of a double chin.
In yoga, this is called lion pose, and visualization of a lion’s roar is a great foundation for this exercise. Open your mouth as wide as you can and stick your tongue out as far as you can and slowly bring your tongue back in. Do this exercise a minimum of 10-20 times a day.
Mouthwash Exercise
The mouthwash exercise can help tone your cheeks and reduce the appearance of a double chin. Its descriptive name gives you a head start on how to do it.
Keep the visual of filling your mouth with mouthwash and swishing it from cheek to cheek in your mind. Now, fill your mouth with air and swish it around as if it was mouthwash. Keep this motion going for 5-10 minutes. Do this 5 times daily to tone your cheeks and reduce a double chin.
Ball Exercise
This one needs a prop in the form of a small, squeezable ball, the type you might squeeze for stress relief. The exercise helps reduce the fat around your neck.
Sit up straight and relaxed. Take the small, squeezable ball and place it under your chin. Slowly push your chin downward, putting pressure on the ball. Do this exercise for 20-30 repetitions several times a day.
Whistle to the Sky
This exercise strengthens the neck muscles and gives your neck a break from staring at a screen all day.
Sit straight and relax your shoulders. Lean your head back to look at the ceiling. Close your lips as if you were whistling. Keep your lips released but closed enough to feel your neck muscles contract. Hold the position for 10-20 seconds. Start at the lower end and work towards 20 seconds. Do ten repetitions.
Chewing Gum
And last but not least, chewing gum can reduce fat in your neck. It’s a great workout for your facial muscles, and especially for the jaw muscles.
How Can I Get Rid of My Double Chin?
If you have been unable to reduce the appearance of your double chin with exercise, consider cold laser therapy for fat loss. Cold lasers are a cutting-edge treatment that shrinks the fat cells so that they release the fat inside them, and your body’s natural processes get rid of it. Once the fat cells shrink, they become normal fat cells. This type of laser deliberately preserves the shrunken fat cells, which is healthier for the body.
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