Face Building...Who Knew?

When I was much younger I was given a great book called “Face Building.” It was full of all kinds of exercises designed to reduce wrinkles and tone your face so that things that had started sagging, wouldn’t. I thought it was a great idea but I didn’t need it then, so I tucked it away…But I think I need it now. Of course, after about 5 relocations for work, that book is long gone. What to do? Thankfully, Catherine Pez, author of “The 5-Minute Facial Workout” has come to my rescue. Catherine tells us to forget about all those pricey creams and expensive treatments that can often hurt. She says that the newest trend in anti-aging is very easy and couldn’t be more effective. “Simply working the muscles that support the face at a quick pace counteracts sagging and erases winkles.” The key here is to work out those facial muscles rapidly for the best results. I LIKE QUICK RESULTS IN A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME, HERE ARE FOUR REALLY EFFECTIVE FACIAL EXERCISES Lift Those Sagging Eyelids: Smoking, sun exposure and that loss of elasticity that comes with aging can cause the skin around our eyes to droop. We can reverse the effect of sagging lids by toning the upper orbicular muscles that encircle the eyes. Sit down in front of a mirror and stare at yourself with your eyes as wide open as possible. Keep your head immobile while attempting to touch the upper part of your eyelids with your upper eyelashes. Keep the intervals short and repeat 10 times. Tone Up the Jaw Line: For many of us one of the first not so subtle signs of aging are the small pouches that begin to droop at the bottom of each cheek. We need to strengthen two small triangular shaped muscles on either side of the chin called the depressor angulioris muscles. You will need to drop the corners of your mouth in an exaggerated pout. Make sure you grimace in the extreme. Hold this pose for 5 seconds, then release. Repeat 10 times. Plump Up Those Lips: Unfortunately our lips naturally loose fullness as we age; but with Catherine’s lip plumping routine we can forgo those painful injections. All we need to do is to exercise the orbicular muscle that encircles the mouth which helps our lips appear fuller and help to smooth fine lines. Look into you mirror while you press your upper lip against your lower lip while drawing both your lips inward. Do this with some force. You should see the top of your upper lip bulge a little. Keep the tension for 5 seconds before you release. Do this 10 times. Dump the Double Chin: Who wants to see that annoying skin flap under the chin? Turns out it is pretty easy to eliminate. The secret here is to firm up the platysma muscle that extends from the corners of the mouth down to the pectoral region of your chest and both sides of your collarbone. This easy stretch is the secret. Stretch your neck by raising your chin to the ceiling while moving you lower jaw forward. This move will stretch and tone you neck without adding bulk. Hold for 5 seconds, then release. Do this 10 times. Catherine’s book is full of fixes for your eyes, forehead, cheeks and just about any spot on your face that needs attention. There are plenty of illustrations to help you on your way. One suggestion: Do these moves privately. Otherwise, your family will think that you may have gone a little crazy.