When you think of building muscles, more often than not you think about bench presses, jump squats, deep knee bends and abdominal crunches. But there is a set of muscles that you work every day that you may not even be aware of--your smile muscles, also known as "facial" muscles. Just like the rest of the muscles in the body, they can be worked by engaging in some specific exercises. The nice thing about these exercises is that you do not need any fancy equipment, and you can do them from the comfort of your living room, car or bedroom. As an added bonus, you can also prevent wrinkles by keeping your skin taut.
Step 1
Smile really wide. To do this exercise, close your lips and extend them straight out as far as you can. Now pull them back as far as you can in a big smile. Hold each position for five seconds and alternate back and forth 10 to 12 times.
Step 2
Do some curls. Pucker your lips straight out as if you were going to kiss someone. Now curl your lips in as far as you can over top of your teeth. Hold for about 10 seconds, release, take a few breaths and do it again. Perform five to six reps.
Step 3
Draw your cheeks in. With your lips closed, open your jaws as wide as you can. Now suck in your cheeks as far as you can over the top of your teeth. Hold for 10 seconds and release. Do five to six reps total. Be careful not to put too much pressure on your cheeks to avoid scraping them.
Step 4
Open and close your mouth. Start with your lips closed and your face in a relaxed position. Open your mouth as wide as you can and hold for five seconds. Rest for five seconds, then open again for five seconds. Alternate back and forth 10 to 12 times.
Step 5
Use some air. Close your lips and get some air in your mouth. Forcefully push the air under your top lip. Then move to your lower lip, your right cheek, your left cheek and finally your whole mouth. Hold each spot for 10 seconds and perform five reps total.
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