Sometimes losing weight comes at a price. Specifically, you may find that the muscles in your face tend to sag or droop. Strengthen these muscles using facial exercises to firm and tone the approximately 50 small muscles that make up the muscle structure of the face. Perform facial exercises up to three to five times daily for best results.
Mouth Pucker
Begin this exercise by puckering your lips as if to kiss someone. Hold it tightly for approximately five seconds before relaxing for a moment. Do this about 10 times. Next, pucker your lips again, but this time move your pucker from one side to the other without moving your tongue. Do this an additional 10 repetitions, making sure to do each one slowly. These exercises will help to firm the muscles around the mouth, including in the cheeks and lips.
Smile
Begin by smiling big and showing your teeth and gums. Gently clench your teeth together, and hold each repetition for a count of five. A variation of this exercise involves starting out in a pucker and transitioning into a smile, as before. Repeat this movement 10 times.
Puff Your Cheeks
Exercise the muscles of your cheeks using the cheek puff. Start by taking a deep breath and puffing out your cheeks with the air. Hold the air in your cheeks while clenching your lips together tightly; hold for five seconds before releasing. Next, take another deep breath and hold the air in your left cheek for a moment before switching it over to the opposite cheek. Do 10 to 15 repetitions on each side.
Lip Clench
This effective facial exercise requires the use of a flat stick, tongue blade or similar instrument. Place the flat stick between your lips. While using only your lips for balance, hold the stick straight out from your mouth. Ohio State University Medical Center recommends holding the stick in this position for a period of one minute, or as long as you possibly can.
Full Facial Regimen
University of California, Davis Health System has put together an effective full-face workout consisting of 11 exercises completed in succession of one another. Make sure to use exaggerated facial expressions with each movement for best results. Begin by raising your eyebrows, and then closing your eyes tightly. Next, wrinkle your nose and hold for a moment. You then will want to transition into a very big smile, making sure to show your teeth and gums. Make a frowning expression, and bring your eyebrows together for a five count. Next, do five repetitions of opening and closing your nostrils. The seventh movement consists of making a whistling expression five times with your lips. Perform a total of five cheek puffs, and then transition into five left and five right cheek puffs. The tenth facial exercise movement is repeating the letters A-E-I-O-U five times, being sure to exaggerate each one with your face. Finally, smile big once again, and do a total of five repetitions. Repeat this facial-strengthening regimen up to five times daily.
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