The #1 Best Exercise for Getting Rid of Chin Fat, According to Personal Trainers
Do you constantly stick your neck out—literally—to avoid looking like you have a double chin? You're not alone. If you have it and you're self-conscious about it, you know that chin fat can be one of the most frustrating parts of your face and body to tone up. (It's not like they have a machine for this at your local gym, right?)
Getting rid of chin fat isn't impossible, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's easy. We consulted personal trainers to find a way to ease the annoyance and insecurity that can come with chin fat, and they generally agreed that you'll likely require more than one method to nix it.
"You burn fat by raising your metabolism, which is best accomplished by engaging in cardio exercise for a minimum of 20 minutes and up to an hour, three to five days a week," Harold Raschke-Robinson, NASM-certified personal trainer at Chelsea Piers Fitness, tells Parade. "Diet also plays an important role in reducing your fat. Meeting with a licensed nutritionist who can assess your eating habits and devise a plan to help you reach your goals would be the best way to change your diet."
We know, that's probably not what you wanted to hear. But fret not: There's also some consensus about the best exercise for getting rid of chin fat. Read on to learn what those exercises are.
Related: 12 Trainers Share Their Favorite Workouts for Weight Loss—and Yes, Walking Counts!
The Best Exercise for Getting Rid of Chin Fat
"In combination with a healthy lifestyle, the most effective exercise for addressing chin fat is neck stretches and resistance exercises," says Adam Cardona, expert CPT and founder of Elite Healers Sports Massage in New York City. These help tone and strengthen the neck muscles, which can improve the appearance of chin fat. However, results take time and consistency. To prevent chin fat, maintain a healthy weight and posture, and stay hydrated to support skin elasticity.
According to Cardona, the skyward chin stretch is the best exercise for getting rid of chin fact.
"The skyward chin stretch exercise is an effective way to stimulate your neck and jaw muscles and should be practiced 10 to 20 times daily," Cardona advises.
How to do it? It's easy! Cardona explains, "Stand or sit with your back upright, then lean your head back, directing your gaze to the ceiling. Delicately push your lower jaw in an upward direction, towards the ceiling. Hold this pose for a count of 10."
Related: How To Lose Weight In Your Face, According to Doctors
Other Ways To Get Rid of Chin Fat
While the skyward chin stretch is the best way to directly get rid of chin fat (besides cardio and diet), there are other methods that are also effective. Here are some exercises to try:
Supine chin-to-chest
"While no single exercise can specifically eliminate chin fat, hitting the muscles in the front of your neck and under your chin can help tighten up the area which can assist in chin fat reduction when coupled with overall weight loss," Domenic Angelino, exercise scientist, trainer and coach at Trainer Academy told us. "The supine chin-to-chest exercise is my top suggestion. Lie on your back and tilt your head backward, then bring your chin to your chest. Do each repetition slowly. Complete three sets of repetitions."
Related: The Best Treatments To Get Rid of Your Double Chin
Yoga
Lifetime Fitness instructor Dr. Kellie Kopach loves yoga for its ability to reduce your double chin to a single.
"The neck stretches and neck circles often performed within a yoga flow can help strengthen neck muscles and reduce the appearance of neck and chin fat," she said. "For example, start by sitting or standing tall with your shoulders relaxed. Then, slowly rotate your head in a circle, keeping your chin up and back straight. Complete 10-15 rotations in each direction and perform daily."
Related: 100 Best Yoga Quotes
HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training)
According to trainer and Balanced Body education director Joy Puleo, when combined with cardio, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) can be effective at burning fat in general, which extends to chin fat.
"If you are doing cardio with the intention of tapping into fat stores, you want your pace to be fast enough that your body requires more oxygen, hence your breathing rate increases, but not so fast that you exhaust yourself. When your oxygen need meets your muscle need you are in what is often called 'the zone,' and it is a place you can sustain for a period of time," she explains. "HIIT training can work here, provided you build up to the high intensity and then back off to more sustainable levels of intensity."
Next, Here's Exactly How to Contour to Hide Your Double Chin
