Many people complain about too much fat around the neck. This can be embarrassing and uncomfortable. Neck fat has the power to make one appear to be more overweight than they actually are. While there is no miracle cure for neck fat, some exercises do help thin, tighten and tone the neck. But I must stress that Neck fat cannot be lost simply by exercising the muscles of the neck, because the use of these muscles does not burn enough calories. To lose fat on any part of the body you must lose general body fat by doing aerobic exercise, anaerobic exercise and maintaining a healthy diet. Today I have put together a few exercises to help reduce and tone the neck area.

Neck Exercise

Neck exercises may not burn enough calories to reduce your body fat but they can add definition to your cervical muscles. The more developed the muscles of your neck are, the less obvious the fat of your neck will be. An example of a neck exercise would be tilting your head in a certain direction and using your hands to provide resistance. This should be done five to 10 repetitions in every direction at least three times a day.

Aerobic Exercise

Unfortunately, there is no way around it. Other exercises will tighten and tone, but truly to burn off neck fat, you will have to do some type of aerobic exercise. Running, dancing, and biking are all examples of aerobic exercises that can help you burn the fat on your body. Remember, aerobic exercise starts burning fat after 20 minutes of continuous movement. If you perform these exercises early in the morning before eating, they will begin to burn fat from the beginning of the workout. Three to five aerobic sessions a week will help you to reach weight loss goals. You can do any exercise that you enjoy as long as it gets your heart rate up. Having said that, walking at a leisurely pace is NOT going to help you lose neck fat, but speed walking will.
Many people say that they get the best full-body, fat-burning workout by jogging either outside or on the treadmill. To increase the calorie-burning power of a jogging workout, alternate several minutes of jogging with several minutes of walking. During your walking periods, lift three- or five-pound hand weights. This will incorporate your strength training into one workout with your aerobic exercise and help to burn neck fat even faster.
Anaerobic Exercise
Anaerobic exercise is also known as resistance training and is another type of exercise that can lower your body fat. It is different from aerobic exercise in that this type of exercise does not burn as many calories immediately. Resistance training increases the muscle mass of your body. The more muscle mass you have, the more calories you burn, even when you are at rest. Regular anaerobic exercise increases the speed of your metabolism. Anaerobic exercise is especially important for people over 40. After you reach 40, your body’s muscle mass begins to decrease and anaerobic exercise can prevent that decrease. Bench presses, bicep curls, sit-ups and push-ups are examples of anaerobic exercises.

Weightlifting Exercises

Lifting weights will tighten and tone the muscles in the neck, making the neck appear slimmer. Start by loosening up tight next muscles with gentle stretches. Tilt your head as far as you can to the right and then to the left. Look up, hold for several seconds, and then look down. When your neck no longer feels strained or tense, you are ready to begin lifting weights.
Use the heaviest set of dumbbells you feel comfortable with. Begin by holding one in each hand and simply doing shoulder shrugs. You can start with 10 and build up to more as you get stronger. Also try some shoulder rotations for a variation on this exercise. Next, do rowing exercises with your dumbbells. Keep your hands close to your body, bend your arms and raise the dumbbells as high as you can. Repeat 10 times and build up to more over time. Both of these exercises will build neck muscle and make the neck tighter and more toned.

Chair Exercises

Nothing beats an exercise you can do sitting down at your desk at work. You can tighten up your neck while sitting in an office chair any time you want. Start by sitting up nice and tall with your back all the way against the chair. Loosen your neck muscles the same way you would before beginning weight lifting exercises.
Look up. Point your chin as high towards the ceiling as you can. Really pull your chin up. You will feel the stretch through your chin and neck. To intensify this exercise, open and close your mouth slowly. Repeat 10 times. Next roll the neck in a circle to the left and then to the right. Do this slowly, and pause after each rotation to avoid getting dizzy. These exercises will tone the next and help tighten up loose skin as well.

By Teri Mendes