Your palate is comprised of several bones and muscles that travel along the top of your mouth. The posterior region, called the soft palate, separates the passage between your throat and nasal passage, and maintaining a strong soft palate can prevent breathing problems and snoring while you sleep. Consult your health-care professional to figure out which workouts can strengthen your soft palate.
Frenzel
The frenzel technique uses your diaphragm to gather air into your mouth and stretch the soft palate, opening it up to allow air to flow through. According to Eric Fattah, the inventor of the frenzel technique, this exercise works best when you wear fluid goggles and a nose-clip. Inhale as much air as possible into your eustachian tube and generate light pressure with your tongue, mouth and cheeks. Hold briefly and exhale and avoid inhaling over your personal limit.
Valsalva
The valsalva exercise focuses on breathing through your mouth as you block your nasal airways. Pinch your nostrils and exhale by contracting your diaphragm. Push as much air out of your eustachian tube as possible and slowly inhale to regain your breath. Avoid exceeding your personal limit and when you exceed your personal limit, hold the position briefly.
Hands-Free
The hands-free exercise opens your eustachian tubes voluntarily and keeps your neck and throat muscles from contracting when the pressure around them increases. Flex your neck and throat muscles to help maintain constant air pressure and air flow, and briefly inhale. This techniques helps conserve energy when performed correctly. Exhale and repeat, and avoid excessive inhaling and exhaling.
Mouth Stretching
Mouth stretching exercises can help strengthen the muscles of your soft palate and can be done at home. Start by puffing out your cheeks and press your fingers against one cheek without allowing air to escape from your nose or mouth. Hold this position for five to 10 seconds and progress to blowing into a straw, covering the other end with your finger. Maintain the air in the straw for five to 10 seconds and progress to stretching your mouth as wide as possible, holding the position for five to 10 seconds. Perform five to 10 repetitions of each exercise three times daily.
