Puffy cheeks are not something anyone wants. Unfortunately for some people, when a few pounds are added to the abdomen, a few pounds are added to the face. Thankfully there are a couple positive things about face fat. First: people who gain their fat on their abdomen rather than on their faces have a higher risk for many diseases such as diabetes, gallbladder disease, arthritis, and various other conditions. Second: you aren’t alone! John Travolta and Jason Alexander and many others pack on pounds to the face. Also, there are a few things you can do to bid goodbye to your chipmunk cheeks.
- Exercise – That’s a given. If you want to lose any weight, anywhere, you’ve got to exercise. Power walking, jogging, and running and other aerobics can help purge those pounds.
- Drink Water – Drink 8 glasses of water per day. If you deprive your body of water it could cause bloating, which just adds to the size of your face.
- Reduce salt – Salt causes water retention. If this water retention occurs in your face it will give you a bloated look. Reduce the amount of salt in your food.
- Get a massage – Have a facial massage at a spa. This will increase your faces metabolism and reduce the amount of fat. If a massage is too expensive try doing it yourself or with girlfriends. Always massage upward in strokes!
- Face Exercises – While looking in a mirror make an overemphasized smile, but keep your lips closed. Smile as wide as you can as if the corners of your mouth are trying to touch your ears. Do this for 8 seconds, then relax and repeat.
Another face exercise you can do to reduce fat is as follows: keeping your mouth closed, puff your left cheek out with air, hold this for 8 seconds and then do the same to your left cheek. Repeat this 5 times.
If you have a double chin you can try these exercises:
- Chin Taps – Tap your chin with the backside of your hand. Do this for as long as you can bear.
- Chewing gum – The chewing movement forces you to move your jaw a lot, without the downside of calories (which you would have if eating a meal).
- Good posture – Keep good posture while sitting and standing. Bad posture can give your muscles too much slack and cause loose skin.
- Platysma – The platysma muscle, when exercised can help rid of a double chin. Open your mouth and pull your bottom lip over your bottom teeth. Move your jaw up and down continuously. This exercise is called the shovel and despite its absurdity it will work if you do it on a daily basis.