As you age, the effects of gravity and loss of collagen cause skin to lose elasticity and tone. Facial features succumb to wrinkling, drooping, dragging and sagging. Skin, and the facial muscles that lie just below its surface, may benefit from exercise. To help banish crow's feet, frown lines, double chins and jowls, start a regular routine of facial fitness.
When Should You Exercise?
Face-firming exercises can be performed anytime, but it's best to exercise when you feel well rested and not fatigued. Never exercise if your muscles feel rubbery or quivery. You can set aside 15 to 20 minutes before retiring as a relaxation ritual, or you can exercise upon awakening. Just remember to get a schedule, and stick to it. According M.J. Saffon, beauty expert and author of "The 15-Minute-Day Natural Face Lift," noticeable results occur after performing facial exercises once or twice daily for three or more months.
Preparation
Coating your face with a generous amount of cream before exercising helps to prevent temporary lines from forming. Before applying a lubricating cream, however, cleanse and dry your face thoroughly, and then spray on a mist of mineral water. Next, apply a protein cream over your wet face. Smooth the cream around your mouth outward from your lips toward your ears. Conversely, smooth eye cream from the ears inward. Don't forget the front and back of your neck, earlobes and under the lobes as well. Stand in front of a mirror, and you're ready to go.
Eye Exercise
To reduce lower eyelid puffiness and puffiness below the lid, position three fingers under your eye. Gently pull the skin down while simultaneously trying to close your eye. After holding the position for 10 seconds, repeat the exercise four more times. If your under-eye skin sags or you have crow's feet, Annelise Hagen, author of "The Yoga Face," recommends the temple dancer exercise to tone the ring muscles around your eyes. With a stationary neck and head, simply dart your eyes from left to center to right three times.
Frown Line Exercise
To smooth the brow, lift the eyes and reduce frown lines, perform the brow lift exercise. The brow lift helps firm the frontalis muscle, the forehead's largest muscle, and increases blood circulation to the area for a rosy glow. Raise your eyebrows, and with one finger of each hand, mimic windshield wiper movements as you smooth your forehead creases from your outer brows to your temples.
Neck Exercise
Chewing not only helps improves skin tone, but it also counters sagging jowls and loose neck skin. Simply move your mouth up and down in a circular manner for about 20 to 30 seconds. Rest, and then start again.
References
- "The 15-Minute-A-Day Natural Face Lift"; M.J. Saffon; 1981
- Time Magazine: Skip the Botox. Try Facial Yoga
- Fat Free Kitchen: Facial Yoga: Facelift Through Face Exercise
- "The Yoga Face"; Annelise Hagen; 2007
- "The Yoga Facelift"; Marie-Veronique Nadeau: 2007
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