Your face might not be the first thing you think of in terms of your exercise regime. But there are some real benefits to working out your facial muscles and keeping them ‘fit.’ Your face has more than 50 muscles, which we use much less than our other muscles. So it makes sense that giving them a workout now and then is a good idea.
Facial exercises – sometimes known as face yoga – can work by stimulating your muscles, keeping them tight and toned. They can help to boost your circulation, which keeps your skin looking and feeling healthy. And they can help to relax your muscles, reducing any tension.
Here, we’ll explore what type of exercises you could try to keep your complexion in tip-top condition.
How to get started
Set some time aside in the morning or evening for your exercise session. Add some moisturiser to make sure your skin is nice and hydrated and start off with some light tapping, just to warm your muscles up.
Go right up to your hairline and around your jaw, and very lightly tap around your eyes – this will also help with lymphatic drainage.
Then you can start your exercise routine. Here are a few you could try:
Firm your forehead. Begin by frowning as hard and deeply as you can manage, really bringing your eyebrows in over your eyes. Then reverse the move, lifting them up high onto your forehead and making your eyes as big and wide as possible.
Smooth your neck. Our necks can really show signs of ageing, so it’s good to exercise this area too. Lift your chin and look up at the ceiling, hold for a few seconds then relax and repeat.
Lift your cheeks. Give your widest smile then press your fingertips into the folds between your nose and mouth. Try to lift the muscles up as you press – this is great for toning and strengthening your cheek muscles.
Work your eyelids. Close your eyes and lift your eyebrows up using your index fingers, stretching your eyelids as high as you can. This can help to smooth out lines and wrinkles.
Love your lips. Purse your lips and make a sound like ‘oooh’, really exaggerating the movement. Then make an ‘eeee’ sounds, opening your mouth widely and again really emphasizing the movement. This will help keep your lips strong and shapely.
Try some brow lifts. Using your index and middle fingers, push your eyebrows up and down, keeping your eyes close. This can help to strengthen your forehead.
Target your crow’s feet. Pull your lips to one side and squeeze one eye shut, holding for around ten seconds. Then work across to the other side and the other eye. Again, really exaggerate the movements, as this is a great exercise to tone your whole face.
Try to aim for three 20-minute sessions as week, or if that’s not doable then break it down into shorter 10-minute sessions. Go for 10 reps on each exercise, repeating on the other side for your eyes.
The great thing with facial exercises is that you don’t need any equipment, you don’t need to go to the gym and they’re free! You can do them anywhere, even just while you’re watching TV, so they don’t need to feel like an extra thing to add in or think about. But working out these muscles can really help to keep your skin in good condition, strengthening and conditioning.