What Exercises Actually Work to Slim Your Face?

It might seem that no matter how hard you work out, you still keep chubby, round cheeks. While there are some exercises that you can do to slim your face, your face shape is also genetically determined, so there is only so much you can change.

While a round face will never look as slim as a thinner, elongated one, regular cardio exercise and some yoga poses can help you make your face appear a little slimmer.

Regular cardio exercise not only boosts your energy and keeps you fit, it is also the fastest way of burning calories to lose body weight. While you can't spot reduce, regular cardio exercise, such as biking, swimming and jogging, will help you lose body weight overall, including on your face.

One pound of body weight equals 3,500 calories, so you need to burn 3,500 calories more than you take in just to lose 1 pound of weight. According to the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, adults should perform moderate-intensity aerobic activity for 150 to 300 minutes per week.

Read more: How to Lose Body Fat Naturally

The lion pose is a classic yoga pose for your face, and it can help stretch, build and tone your facial muscles.

Kneeling on the floor with your right ankle crossed over your left, sit back so that you are resting on your right heel. With your palms firmly pressed against your knees, splay your fingers. Taking a deep breath in, drop your jaw and open your mouth wide, sticking your tongue out downwards towards your chin. Breathe slowly out of your mouth while making an "ah" sound. Do the lion "roar" three to four times before changing your feet cross and repeating the full exercise.

More associated with glamorous old Hollywood movies, the act of blowing kisses can help tone your lip and face muscles, giving your visage a slimmer, stronger appearance. You can do this exercise anywhere you have a bit of privacy, unless, of course, you enjoy blowing kisses to strangers.

Make an exaggerated kissing face with your two lips, puckering up and sticking your lips out as far as you can. Make a smooching sound as you push out and release, bringing your lips back to rest. Repeat 20 times.

A slightly goofy pose, you can do this exercise anywhere, although it works perfectly when playing with young children — they think it's a funny game and you can fit in your workout at the same time.

Sucking in your cheeks and the corner of your lips, keep your lips closed so that you create a bulging pucker with your lips. Next, raise your eyebrows as high as they can go, creating a slight stretch in your eyelid area. Hold the pose for five to 10 seconds before taking a slight break. Repeat 20 times.

Read more: How to Lose Weight in Your Face Fast