Keeping Your Face Young
Facial exercises have been referred to as the "non-surgical face lift" and are used to promote toned, smooth skin, stimulate blood flow and circulation, relieve tension, and improve the overall appearance of the face. Exercises are simple, take little time, and are best performed when the face is clean and moisturized.
As the body ages facial muscles can become slack and baggy. Unlike the other muscles in the body, facial muscles are directly attached to the skin that is right on top of them. These inter-connected muscles are also connected to the bone supporting these muscles. Aging, gravity, and unhealthy lifestyle habits such as poor diet, lack of sleep and rest, and using addictive and/or toxic substances such as alcohol, cause the facial muscles to lose their tone, which in turn causes the skin covering them to sag.
Simply massaging the face with the hands is a good overall facial exercise. Stroke your whole face across your checks and over your forehead with both hands. Other overall toning exercises include inhaling through the nose and squeezing all the facial muscles while making fists. Follow by exhaling through the mouth and sticking out your tongue while rolling your eyes up, and opening your hands. Repeat this exercise three times daily for best results.
The following are exercises you can use to target specific areas of the face:
Eyes
Rub your hands together vigorously and place your palms over closed eyes. Take a deep breath and relax for five minutes--this is called "yoga for the eyes." Flush toxins from the eyes by taking your tongue as far out of your head as possible while keeping eyes wide open. Hold this pose for 60 seconds to flush out toxins.
Another exercise for the eyes involves first sitting with eyes closed and relaxed. Look up and down as far as possible while keeping eyes closed. Repeat 10 to 15 times. Also try sitting straight up with your eyes closed and relaxed, then lift your eyebrows and stretch your eyelids down as far as possible while keeping eyes closed. Hold this position for a count of 10, then relax and repeat the exercise 10 times.
Reduce eye puffiness by placing three fingers under the eye, and pulling down while trying to close your eyes. Hold this position for 10 seconds, then repeat five times.
Cheeks
Take your three center fingers and place them on cheeks. Push down while simultaneously raising your cheeks by smiling as hard as you can. Keep your head back while performing this exercise for best results.
Inflate both cheeks as though you wish to swallow a large amount of air. Move the air from one check to another and repeat until you are out of breath, then repeat four more times.
Also try smiling gently and lifting the corners of your mouth while maintaining relaxed eye muscles. Hold this smile for five to 10 seconds, keeping all other facial muscles relaxed. Repeat five times.
This next exercise makes you look like a fish trying to smile. Purse your lips slightly and suck your cheeks into the hollows of your face. Hold for at least five seconds and repeat five times.
Forehead
Place your index fingers just above the eyes and pull down the eyes while raising the eyebrows. Repeat 10 times to firm the forehead.
textNeck and Chin
Sit straight and tilt your head back. Look at the ceiling while keeping the lips closed and relaxed. Move your lower lip over your top lip as far as possible and count to 10. Relax and repeat 10 times.
For a double chin sit straight in a chair and tilt your head back. Look up at the ceiling and keep lips closed and relaxed. Make the lips round, count to 20, relax and bring your head back to normal position.
Another exercise for the neck and chin involves jutting your lower lip as far out as possible and placing your fingers on the collarbone. Point the chin as high as possible and then pull the corners of your mouth down.
It is important to study the particular facial muscles used in each exercise. This will allow you to concentrate on the muscles when performing each exercise. Failing to concentrate on a precise muscle during a specific exercise can undermine the exercise’s intended result. Try taking a few deep breaths before performing each exercise to help you better concentrate on the muscle group you are about to work.
A common misconception about facial exercises is that they will wrinkle the skin. This is only the case if the skin is dry and dehydrated, un-oxygenated or malnourished. Facial exercises do not cause healthy skin to wrinkle.
Facial exercises are best performed on just-washed skin with moisturizer on it. Be sure to apply enough moisturizer on areas of the face sensitive to wrinkling such as the eye area, naso-labial lines and forehead. Applying essential oil blends to the face pre-exercise helps brighten skin tone, fight wrinkles and contributes to relaxation and deeper concentration. Drink a glass of water prior to performing facial exercises to hydrate skin.
You can also practice smiling every day. This is one of the best exercises for the face and will also help boost your mood! So, smile everyone!
