Face Exercises for Wrinkles

Yes facial exercises really work. As we age our skin loses some of its elasticity and our muscles also lose some of its tone. We are all familiar with theses unpleasant signs of aging in our bodies, but many people don't realize that it's this same loss of elasticity and tone in our face and neck that causes us to look older.

This is actually good news, because just as exercising your arm and leg muscles increases your tone appearance, exercising your face and neck has very similar results. The even better news is facial muscles, unlike the muscles elsewhere in your body, are attached directly to your skin. This means exercising the muscles in your face should yield even greater visual results than toning your arms, legs, etc.

To get the most benefit out of facial exercises for wrinkles, do them once daily for 6 weeks. Then do them 3 times weekly to maintain your results.

The one part of your face that ages you most is your neck and jawline. As you age, the muscles of your neck and jaw begin to give way to gravity and sag. The loss of firmness in these muscles also leads to a double chin. Doing neck and jaw exercises routinely will significantly decrease a double chin and give you an overall younger appearance.

1. Sit up straight, look forward, and place your index finger and thumb on your neck. Gently pull the skin down as you lift your head. Hold for a count of 5. Return to your resting position. Repeat this exercise 10 times.

2.Sit up straight and tilt your head back. You should be looking at the ceiling. Keep your lips closed and start a chewing movement. You should be able to feel the muscles in your neck and throat working. Chew for a count of 20.

3. Sit up straight and tilt your head back. Keep your lips closed but relaxed. Pucker your lips together in a kiss. Stretch the kiss, pretend that you are trying to kiss the ceiling. Keep your lips in this position for 10 counts. Relax and bring your head back to a resting position. Repeat the entire exercise 5 times.

4. Again, sit up straight, tilt your head back, and keep your lips closed but relaxed. Open your lips and stick out your tongue and try to touch your chin with the tip of your tongue. Keep your tongue out in this position for 10 counts.

5. Again, sit up straight and tilt your head back. Keep your lips closed but relaxed. Move your lower lip over your top lip as far as possible and keep it there for a count of 5. Relax and repeat 5 times.

6. Sit up straight and face forward. While keeping your lips together, separate your teeth by dropping your jaw and then extend your jaw forward. Hold this position for 10 counts. Return to the starting position. Repeat the entire exercise 5 times.

7. Lie on your bed with your head hanging off the edge. Slowly bring your head up towards your chest and keep it there for 10 counts. Relax and lower your head towards the floor again. Repeat this exercise 5 times.

8. Sit up straight and gently drop your head forward. The weight of your head delicately stretches the muscles in your neck. Hold this position for a count of 5 and return your head to normal position. Repeat this exercise 5 times.

9. Sit up straight and gently turn your head to the right, keeping your chin level, until you feel a stretch in your neck. Hold for a count of 5. Now do the same stretch while looking right. Return your head to its original position (looking forward). Repeat the entire exercise 5 times.

Lips always give away a person's true age. As we age our lips lose their fullness. Lip thinning ages your face beginning as early as your thirties, long before those pesky lines begin to appear around your mouth. Doing lip exercises regularly helps develop the underused muscles around your mouth, thus strengthening the muscles that create your lips' outline. Lip exercises also increase blood flow to the lips, which helps plump them back out.

1. Pucker your lips slightly and when in this puckered position try using your mouth muscles to bring the corners of your mouth together as close as possible. Keep your lips in this position for 5 counts. Relax and repeat 5 times.

2. Sit up straight and face forward. Purse your lips together. Lift your pursed lips towards your nose and keep them there for 5 counts. Relax and repeat 5 times.

3. Sit up straight and face forward. Keep your lips closed and teeth together. Smile as broadly as possible, without opening your lips. Hold this position for 5 counts. As you relax, start puckering your lips in a pointed kiss. Keep there for 5 counts. Relax. Repeat the entire exercise 10 times.

4. Move your lips into a puckered kiss and while relaxing the kiss, keep your lips closed and curl your lips into your mouth across your teeth. Hold this position for a count of 10. Repeat 5 times.

5. Sit relaxed with your lips barely open. Pucker your lips outwards. While your lips are in the outward position, move your puckered top lip towards your nose. Hold this position for 10 counts. Repeat 5 times.

All women dread getting crow's feet. Of course doing routine eye exercises will reduce crow's fee, the fine lines that appear around the eyes. But doing eye exercises regularly will also reduce eyelid sagging and the fine lines between your eyes.

1. Press two fingers on each side of your head (at the temples). With your fingers still gently pressing, begin opening and closing your eyes rapidly. Repeat 5 times.

2. Sit up straight with your eyes closed and relaxed. While keeping your eyes closed, look down and then look up as far as possible. Repeat the exercise 10 times.

3. Sit up straight with your eyes open and relaxed. Lift your eyebrows while also closing your top eyelids until they are halfway closed. Open your eyelids wide until the white of your eye shows over your iris. Repeat 5 times.

4. Sit up straight and look forward with your eyes open. Look up then down, while keeping your head still. Repeat 10 times. Now do the exercise while looking left and right. Repeat this 10 times.

5. Sit up straight with your eyes closed and relaxed. Keep your eyes closed while lifting your eyebrows and stretching your eyelids down as far as possible. Hold this position for 5 counts. Relax and repeat 5 times.

Image: graur codrin / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

No one wants frown lines. Doing forehead exercises regularly will reduce the frown lines you already have and help prevent future frown lines.

1. Sit up straight and face forward. Bring your eyebrows down over your eyes and wrinkle your nose as far up as possible while also flaring your nostrils. Hold this position for a count of 10. Relax and repeat 5 times.

2. Frown as much as possible and try to bring your eyebrows over your eyes while pulling the eyebrows toward one another. Then lift your eyebrows as far as possible while opening your eyes as far as possible. Repeat 5 times.

3. Lie on your bed facing the ceiling with your head hanging off the edge and open your eyes very wide. Relax and repeat 10 times.

The cheek area is often overlooked. As you age your cheeks lose their fullness and begin to sag. This not only ages your face, but it also gives you a tired and worn out look. Look younger and refreshed by doing cheek exercises.

1. Sit up straight and face forward with your lips closed but relaxed. Pucker and pout your lips using the muscles in your cheeks. (Feel with your fingers to make sure you are using your cheek muscles.) Hold this position for a count of 10. Relax and repeat 10 times.

2. Make a relaxed smile with your lips closed. Now suck in your cheeks on to your teeth. Hold this position for 10 counts. Relax and repeat 10 times.

3. Pout your top lip and turn the corners of your lips upwards, while moving your cheek muscles towards your eyes. Try to get your top lip to touch your nose. Hold this position for 10 counts. Relax and repeat 5 times.

4. Smile as widely as possible, while keeping your lips closed. Try to make your mouth corners touch your ears. Next wrinkle your nose. Your cheek muscles should move upwards and you should be able to feel these muscles working. Hold for 5 counts. Relax and repeat 10 times.

5. Keep your teeth and lips closed and blow air under your top lip and keep it there for 10 counts, then move it to your left cheek, hold for 10, to your lower lip, hold for 10 and then to your right cheek while holding it for a count of 10. Repeat 5 times.

These facial exercises, along with some great anti-aging products and articles can be found at Ageless. You can even sign up for their free anti-aging newsletter.

*These facial exercises are shared with the permission of Ageless