Exercises to Loosen Up Face Muscles

The face is made of muscles just like any other part of the body but is often neglected by even the most avid gym-user. Facial exercises and stretches are designed to loosen those muscles and smooth out lines and wrinkles while strengthening the muscles around your eyebrows, jaw, eyes and cheeks.

Fish Face

• Purse your lips and suck your cheeks in as far as you can, then try to smile. Your cheek muscles will pull up and out as you smile, making it more difficult to keep them sucked in, but that's exactly the stretch you are after. This will stretch out your cheeks and strengthen your lip muscles.

Lion Face

• Clench your fists up near your neck and scrunch your face together as tight as you can--as if you are so angry you are about to explode. Breathe in through your nose as you hold that position for a few seconds, then breathe out through your mouth as you release all your muscles, open your eyes wide and stick out your tongue as far as you can. Picture a lion yawning--hence the name of the exercise--and remember that exaggerated facial movements are the name of the game here. You are trying to get your face to use muscles it does not normally use. The more over-the-top your expression is, the better.

Trumpeter

• Puff your cheeks out by pursing your lips and pushing air into your cheeks. Widen your eyes and raise your eyebrows as you do this. Hold this position with both cheeks puffed out for several seconds, then move the air entirely to one side. Hold one side puffed out for several more seconds, then slowly transfer the air to the other cheek. Do this transfer slowly. Picture it "rolling" from one side of the face to the other--to get a proper workout and stretch for a range of muscles.