The head and neck are composed of a complex network of muscles and tendons. All muscles in the body can be worked and toned. Slimming the neck is best done with toning exercises to firm and shape the muscles of the neck. A variety of yoga and resistance exercises are used for shaping and slimming the muscles of the neck and face.
Shoulder Shrugs
The shoulder muscles are connected to the throat muscles. The trapezius is the big muscle of the neck that holds the head upright. Shoulder shrugs have the highest level of muscle activation, according to the National Institutes of Health. Shrugs will tone and firm the muscles of the neck and are a great stress reducer.
Shrugs can be done with dumbbells, barbells or without weights. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding your arms at the sides grasping dumbbells. Raise your shoulders toward your ears and tighten, hold for 5 seconds and then release. Repeat for 3 sets of 15 repetitions.
Say Ahhh
This is a yoga exercise that tones the skin directly under the chin. Sit with your spine erect and stick out your tongue as far as it will go and say "ahhh." Hold this position while keeping the rest of your face relaxed. Hold for 60 seconds. Your eyes may start to water, but this is normal. Do these twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening.
Kiss the Ceiling
The skin on neck directly under the jaw gets saggy with age. These muscles can be firmed up and toned by kissing the ceiling. Stand or sit with your arms at the sides. Tilt your head back slightly, not parallel with the ceiling, pucker up and try to kiss the ceiling. You will feel a tightening and stretching in your neck muscles. Hold for 10 seconds and release. Repeat this exercise five times. Annelise Hagen, author of "The Yoga Face," teaches this exercise in her facial-yoga classes in New York City.
Neck Toner
This exercise has two parts. Start by lying on the floor face up. Grasp your neck with both hands as if you were choking yourself. Hold lightly, but do not choke. Lift your head up off the floor about a half-inch, lifting with the front of the neck. Hold and return to the starting position. Repeat for 30 repetitions.
The second part is in the same position, but with the hands at the sides. Lift your head and neck off the floor a half-inch, lifting with the front neck muscles. With your head still elevated, turn from side to side for 20 repetitions. After the muscles get strong, work up to 30 repetitions.
This exercise strengthens and tones the platysma, sternocleidomastoid and the trapezius muscles of the neck. This is an exercise from Carole Maggio, author of "Facercise."
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