Forget fillers and facelifts, try face-firming exercise

Exercise is the closest thing you have to the fountain of youth. Studies show that it keeps you younger on a cellular level, protects you from age-related diseases and slows the physical signs of aging.

So hopefully you already have a vigorous workout penciled into your daily schedule.

But even if you do, there’s one area of your body that you’re probably forgetting about in your daily anti-aging workout…

Your face.

There are a whopping 43 muscles in your face. And keeping those muscles toned and in-shape keeps you looking young. In fact, the latest study from Northwestern University shows that doing facial exercises daily could have you looking and feeling younger within a few months.

So instead of spending a boatload of money on Botox and anti-aging serums, start flexing those facial muscles…

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Facial exercises make you look younger

Northwestern University researchers recently found that middle-aged women who practiced facial exercises regularly knocked three years off their appearance in just 20 weeks.

The study included 27 women between 40 and 65 years old. First, the women received two 90-minute training session from a facial exercise instructor. Then they were asked to practice facial exercises at home for 20 weeks.

For the first eight weeks, they practiced these exercises for 30 minutes every day. Then for the next 12 weeks, they practiced every other day. And their diligence paid off!

The longer they exercised their face, the more the years melted off. After eight weeks, dermatologists reported that the women looked about a year younger. And by 20 weeks, they looked nearly three years younger. Their upper and lower cheeks were noticeably fuller.

The women who participated said they were highly satisfied with the results, and that they noticed improvements in every area of their face.

But why exactly does exercising your face make you look younger?

Read: 4 ways to boost collagen

Well, as you get older, your skin’s elasticity dwindles. The fat pads that give your face that plump, youthful look get thinner too. This lost elasticity and those thinning fat pads are a double-whammy that make your face sag and lose its shape. But if you build up your facial muscles, it fights some of that thinning and loosening that typically comes with age and keeps your face plump and full. Which is great news for anyone looking for a cheap, non-invasive way to look younger.

“Assuming the findings are confirmed in a larger study, individuals now have a low-cost, non-toxic way for looking younger or to augment other cosmetic or anti-aging treatments they may be seeking,” said lead study author Dr. Murad Alam, vice chair and professor of dermatology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a Northwestern Medicine dermatologist.

Starting a facial exercise routine

So if you can spare 30 minutes per day—or even 30 minutes every couple of days—you can start shaving years off your face. If that sounds like a big time commitment, learn to multitask…

Do your facial exercises while you work on the computer, wash dishes, watch TV, drive or do other monotonous tasks that don’t involve a lot of thought.

The women in the study learned 32 exercises and practiced them each for about one minute per day. Of course, you don’t have to include quite so many facial exercises in your daily routine if you don’t want to. Just pick several exercises you like and stick to them. Here are two to get you started:

  • The Cheek-Lifter: Make an O-shape with your mouth, your upper lip covering your teeth. Smile to raise your cheek muscles and place your fingers lightly on your upper cheek. Keep alternating between the O-shape and the smile.
  • The Happy Cheeks Sculpting: Smile with your mouth closed. Purse your lips, then smile again. Put your fingers on the corners of your mouth, then slide them up to your cheeks. Hold this position for 20 seconds and repeat.

These are two of the exercises participants in the study used. But if you’re more of a visual learner, here’s a facial exercise video you can use daily for a more youthful-looking face.

Jenny Smiechowski

By Jenny Smiechowski

Jenny Smiechowski is a Chicago-based freelance writer who specializes in health, nutrition and the environment. Her work has appeared in online and print publications like Chicagoland Gardening magazine, Organic Lifestyle Magazine, BetterLife Magazine, TheFix.com, Hybridcars.com and Seedstock.com.

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