5 Exercises to Eliminate the Dreaded Double Chin

It seems that there are a lot of exercises and methods available to us for losing arm fat, toning our legs or flattening our tummies, but what about the dreaded double chin? If you start to notice that you’re getting one of these, the first answer, of course, could be weight loss. But if that stubborn double chin isn’t going anywhere, don’t lose hope (or resort to surgical solutions) just yet. There are actually easy exercises that you can do that help tone your neck and chin. Take a look at what we learned from Live Strong:

Stick Out Your Tongue

Open your mouth wide and stick your tongue out as far as you can (you’ll be aiming to touch your chin with your tongue, even though you probably won’t get that far). Hold for 10 counts, and repeat this 10 times.

Head Lifts

Start by lying face up on your bed with your head dangling off the edge. Then here’s what you do:

Contracting the muscles at the front of your neck, slowly lift and curl your head toward your chest as far as you can while keeping your shoulders flat on the bed. Hold for 10 seconds, then, being careful not to let your head drop, slowly relax your neck to return your head to the starting position. That’s one rep. Complete three sets of two reps each, sitting up between sets to prevent dizziness. If you experience dizziness, take sitting breaks between each rep or perform the exercise on the floor with your neck in a straight line for the starting position.

Kiss the Ceiling

Stand with your neck and back straight. Then, tilt your head back so that you look at the ceiling. Try to “kiss” the ceiling by puckering your lips and extending them as far away as you possibly can. Hold for 5-10 second, then relax and return to the starting position. Try two sets of 15 reps.

Chin Rotations

Sit or stand with a long spine. Then, leading with your chin, gently and slowly rotate your head in a full circle, moving from your shoulder to your chest to your other shoulder and to your back. Keep your shoulders shoulders down and your back straight as you move through these. Do 10 of these in one direction, and 10 in the other direction.

Jaw Release

Either sit or stand tall with a straight back. Then, do this:

Moving your jaws up and down like you are chewing and keeping your lips together, inhale deeply through your nose then slowly exhale while humming. When you finish the exhale, open your mouth as wide as possible with the tip of your tongue gently pressed against the back of your bottom teeth. Holding this position, inhale then exhale with an audible “ahhh” sound. The entire move should take 90 seconds. That’s one rep. Complete two.