Sagging jowls? How exercise can help!

A sagging jawline is a common sign of ageing.  Most people who work out focus their efforts on tummies, legs and arms.  But what about your face?   For some reason, people seem to forget that facial muscles also need to be exercised on a regular basis in order to maintain a healthy muscle tone. Exercising the lower face and chin and jaw muscles may help prevent jowls or loose, sagging skin around the jawline as you age.

This blog post is part of a gifted collaboration.

Exercises for sagging jowls (photo iStockphoto)

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​Here are some simple exercises you can do at home to help:

​The Yawn

The yawn exercise helps to eliminate wrinkles, tighten flabby neck skin, reduce sagging jowls as well as erase drooping around the nose and mouth areas.

Open your mouth wide as if yawning. Slowly close your mouth counting to 20 but do not allow your upper and lower teeth to close. Repeat 3 times.

Cow Face (yes really!)

The cow face exercise helps to create definition in a sagging jawline. Not only does the exercise reduce sagging in the neck and jowls, but it also stimulates blood circulation for a rosy glow. Marie-Veronique Nadeau, author of "The Yoga Facelift" teaches this beneficial facial exercise in her workshops.

Let your jaw go slack and limp so that your mouth slightly opens. Protrude your jaw and position your lower front teeth over your upper front teeth. Raise your right arm, rotate your head to the left and look up at the ceiling. Hold for five seconds, then relax your jaw. Keeping your right arm raised, protrude and raise your jaw again. Hold the position for 10 seconds. Perform the exercise three times, lower your arms and repeat the movements with your left arm.

Baby Bird

Annelise Hagen, New York City-based yoga instructor and author of "The Yoga Face," recommends the baby bird yoga exercise to help reduce sagging jowls. Tilt back your head and look up at the ceiling. Press the tip of your tongue to the roof of your mouth, then swallow while tilting your head to the left. Finally, tilt your head to the right and swallow. Repeat four times. Hagen also suggests head and neck rolls to relieve pinched expression lines and to tone the neck, throat and chin areas.

Chewing

Chewing fatty foods may contribute to a double chin, but chewing sugarless gum may actually help tone and firm sagging jowls and loose neck skin. Move your jaw up and down in a circular motion. Chew for about 30 seconds, rest and begin again. Perform the exercise a minimum of three times per week for slow but noticeable improvements.

Poke your tongue out (it works for Miley Cyrus!)

Practice sticking out your tongue (when you're alone and in private, of course!). Now, tilt your head backward and look at the ceiling. Stick your tongue out, pointing upward toward the ceiling as well. You will feel the stretch and pull not only at the back of the tongue, but all along the front of the neck and underneath the jaw or chin line. Hold the position for about five seconds and then relax. Repeat this exercise three or four more times as comfortable. You can repeat this exercise several times a day if you wish.

Exercises for sagging jowls (photo iStockphoto)

​Radio frequency treatments from ERA Skin & Laser Clinic in Thame can also help tighten your jaw line, for more details you can read my blog post on the benefits of radio frequency treatments for skin tightening and skin rejuvenation.

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Photo source iStockphoto