5 Effective Exercises To — Finally! — Help Tone Your Turkey Neck

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As a child, the only poultry neck I’d seen was the one my grandmother put in her simmering chicken soup. Her broth was delicious — especially when the questionable organs were replaced with homemade noodles.

It wasn’t until I was in my 50s and read Nora Ephron’s I Feel Bad About My Neck, that I realized why my friends wore scarves.

One day you wake up, look in the mirror and see your mother’s or grandmother’s sagging jawline. Gravity takes over as we get older. Neck muscles can also weaken because of genetics, smoking, sun damage or unhealthy diets.

“Turkey neck occurs when your neck muscles begin weakening, and your skin loses its elasticity or ability to stretch and stay tight,” Erica Cirino writes in Healthline’s “Can You Treat Turkey Neck?”

Fifty-seven muscles in the face and neck need to be regularly exercised, according to Danielle Collins, founder of the Danielle Collins Face Yoga Method. She has created an exercise program that increases circulation while removing toxins, resulting in healthier, more youthful skin. Her goal is to "look and feel the very best you can at whatever age you are."

Collins is an international yoga, relaxation and Pilates teacher, nutritionist and wellbeing coach who does not advocate fillers or surgery. “The earlier you start the exercises, the less likely you are to see signs of aging and tension in the face,” she claims.

She also recommends these exercises during times of stress to reduce telltale signs that can show up on your face. Unlike surgery or Botox, it’s natural and non-invasive.

Face Yoga is ideally practiced for 20 minutes a day, but any consistent routine, no matter how long, can help. “Go at your own pace,” Collins advises. “It’s never too late to start to strengthen muscles and release tension.”

All you need is a quiet place where you can sit with your feet flat on the floor, lie down or even stand. Drink a glass of water to aid hydration. Clean your hands and apply a facial moisturizer. Face Yoga exercises should be done with a lighter touch than traditional body massage to give your skin better circulation, a smoother and firmer look and a reduction of tension.

Correct posture is important — especially because many of us sit in front of computers in a slouched position. Start by taking in a breath for four counts, then exhaling for six. Bring your shoulders up to your ears, then drop them down several times while breathing out. Lengthen your spine, imagining a line or a string from the body’s center to the top of your head and moving upwards, releasing any tension in your shoulders.

Here are five of Collins’ key exercises for the chin and neck area:

· Look straight ahead with a level chin. Turn your head to the right, making sure it’s even with your shoulder. Tilt your head back. Hold for six to eight seconds. Do the same on the left side. This will lift and tone lines and wrinkles on the side of your neck and face.

· Looking straight ahead, place your fingertips on the top of your neck and lightly stroke the skin down as you tilt your head back. Bring your head back down and repeat twice more. Jut your lower lip out as far as possible, place your fingers on your collarbone and point your chin upwards, pulling the corners of your mouth down. Hold for four deep breaths. This releases neck tension, and tones and lifts the neck area.

· Link hands behind your neck. Open up your chest. Tilt your head back. Bring your lips together and lift your tongue to the smooth part of the roof of your mouth. You should feel this working under your chin and on your neck, strengthening these muscles.

· Place one hand under your chin, the other over the bottom of your neck. Lift your chin up with your hand, breathing deeply in and out through your nose. Tap your tongue up and down the roof of your mouth. Do 30 times and slowly let your chin back down.

· Clench the muscles in your neck. Turn your head and lift your chin up slightly with one hand. Gently push one shoulder back with the other hand, adding a bit of resistance. Bring your tongue out and up toward your nose. Hold for 30 seconds, then repeat on the other side.

You can watch YouTube videos of Collins and other Face Yoga experts demonstrating exercises for a more comprehensive program.

Collins recently started a program specifically for those aged 40 and up. I took her master class online and have integrated a Face Yoga into my daily self-care routine. Practitioners of Face Yoga say they have seen results in two to four months.

What do you do about your turkey neck? Let us know in the comments below.