I’ve been practicing face exercises since the 1980s and they definitely make my face and eyes feel alive and have minimized sagging and wrinkles.
You may wish to sit or stand in front of a mirror to humor yourself!! I often practice my face exercises when I’m working on the computer, reading, or even practicing yoga. I find it helpful to be alone so others don’t laugh too hard or think I have really lost my mind!
When practicing your face exercises, sit or stand straight and tall, elongating your spine and neck like someone is pulling a string through your body, running up your spine and through the top of your head.
It doesn’t sound like it would feel very good . . . but it really does help you to sit up straight and tall!
And sitting and standing straight and tall with shoulders back and down (just like yoga) helps to make you appear taller and thinner. Try it!
Happy Face
Smile really big! This helps our cheeks, eyes, jaw line, and endorphins!
- When we smile, we can feel all the muscles at work pulling up your cheeks.
- Concentrate and feel all the little muscles from your cheeks to your jaw bone.
- Smile as big as you can.
- Stretch your lips across your teeth, feeling all the small muscles.
- Hold for a count of 5 and repeat 5 times
- Remember, the more we smile, the more muscles we move and the happier we feel. Research shows that even a fake smile can help release endorphins throughout our bodies making us smile even more!
Puffy Cheeks
This exercise helps minimize wrinkles in our cheeks.
- Puff out your cheeks, keeping the air inside.
- Make fists with your hands and press gently against your cheeks for a count of 5.
- Repeat 5 to 10 times.
Lips Screw Up
This exercise works on our cheeks and jaw line
- With your lips together, pull your lips over to the right. Hold for a count of two.
- Pull your lips over to the left. Hold for a count of two.
- Feel the muscles in your cheeks as you pull and the muscles along your jaw bone as you stretch.
- Repeat 5 to 10 times on each side.
Scrunchy Eyes
This exercise works on the muscles under our eyes.
- Look into a mirror and try to lift only the muscles under your eyes.
- Keep the upper eye still
- Lift and hold for a count of 2 to 5 and release. Repeat 5 to 10 times
- You may want to open your eyes really wide and hold your upper lids still as you raise and lower the bottom of the eye area.
Eyes Wide Open
This exercise works on the areas above the eyes and eyelids.
My family is known for small eyes and droopy eyelids. This really helps to keep your eyes wide open.
If you are one of the lucky ones who can raise one eyebrow . . . letting your children know you really mean business . . . you are half way there!
A little more practice . . . and you will learn to do it on the other side, which I swear is impossible!
- Raise both eyebrows as high as you can and open your eyes wide. Hold for 2 counts. Repeat 10 times.
- Focus on all the tiny muscles that are used in the movement.
- As you lift up, try to pull out and away from your eyes at the outer corner.
Hold Your Tongue
This exercise tightens under the chin, jaw bone, and neck.
- Sit up straight, elongating your neck, chin up, shoulders back and down.
- Place the top of your tongue against the roof of your mouth.
- Smile as big as you can.
- Sit up straight, elongating your neck, chin up, shoulders back and down.
- Place the top of your tongue against the roof of your mouth.
- Feel the stretch and pull of your neck muscles.
- Hold for a count of two. Release and repeat 5 to 10 times.
Lion's Face
A yoga move that strengthens the muscles in your face and neck.
- This is a yoga move used to force the air from your belly, but it also works to strengthen the muscles in your face and neck.
- Sitting straight and tall, place your hands on the top of your thighs.
- Open your mouth wide and stick out your tongue forcefully, exhaling the air from your belly.
- As you forcefully exhale, open your eyes and mouth wide.
- Return to start and repeat 5 times.
- This movement may also be used to scare trick or treaters on Halloween.
- Try it with your face painted green and your lips bright red.