Never mind the Botox – give your facial muscles a workout!

Most of us resign ourselves to the effects of gravity and age. But the good news is you can do something and the ideal time is right now. 

Even if you consider yourself still “young”, don’t kid yourself into thinking your porcelain features will last, you’re simply in what the experts call the incubation period whereby ultra-violet radiation, environmental pollutants and dietary toxins are beginning silently to take their toll but are yet to reveal the cumulative effects.

However, before you rush off to buy expensive lotions, let your face become a pincushion or call the plastic surgeon, sit tight. The answer is a lot closer to home.  You could say it’s right under your nose (although all around it is a better description).

It’s somewhat ironic to think that some of us spend time conditioning our tums and bums yet do nothing for the risorious (actions a smile), the zygomaticus (opens/closes the eyes) or the procerus (effects a frown) even though these are the ones on show all the time!

So get ready to iron out your frown lines, tone up your turtle neck and lift the jowls with these simple exercises.
 

Guidelines

• Sit in front of a mirror to check technique.  Remember, these muscles are untrained so you will need to practice each technique.
• Shoulders and neck need to be relaxed so do a little mobility work and perhaps stretch these areas before your workout.
• Ease into each movement and hold for six to eight seconds, then slowly release.
• Repeat each exercise five times.
• Take a deep breath in between each repetition.

Exercises

Beat the double chin

1. Keep back teeth together, extend chin forwards.
2. Lift bottom lip over top lip.
3. Press tip of your tongue against roof of your mouth

Lose the lip lines

1. Thumbs under top lip, thumb nails resting against your gums.
2. Contract upper lip muscles in small movements to press thumbs.

Rock your jawline

1. Head up, chin forward, upper lip gripped by lower teeth.
2. Feel stretch in front of neck.
3. Slowly smile without losing grip of top lip.

The eyes have it

1. Place index fingers under eyebrows, thumbs on side of head.
2. Push eyebrows up and hold by pressing against eye socket bone.
3. Gently close the eyes.

For your eyes only

1. Place palms on forehead to fix eyebrows in place.
2. Gradually open eyes as wide as possible.
3. Release and look down, as low as you can.

For fitness and weight loss needs visit Dean's website www.why-weight.co.uk