| Author | Message | ||
     James P New member Username: James0414 Post Number: 1 Registered: 06-2008 |
I'm having trouble following exercise #2. Am I supposed to resist (try to pucker my lips), as I pull apart with my fingers? And, when I return to the starting position, should I try to pucker my lips, as I resist with my fingers? On #3: This one really confused me.I'm not sure what movements comprise the motion. Is is like trying to kiss your nose and then opening your mouth? Any tips and advice would be appreciated. I got my girlfriend to try these, and she is confused about these two exercises as well. | ||
| Thomas Hagerty Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 69 Registered: 05-2006 |
James P: Exercise two is not hard to learn as is exercise five, the scalp exercise. The muscles around the mouth, the orbicularis oris and others, are under immediate voluntary control. But to do the exercise correctly usually takes a little time. What you and your girlfriend want is a smooth contraction and extension of these muscles that surround the mouth: 1. You never need to stretch the mouth with your fingers; you just want a steady, even pressure. 2. There will be a slight puckering of the lips as you contract the orbicularis muscle but you don't have to pucker you lips too much. What counts is the steady pull of the fingers. 3. In the extension phase of the exercise, try to hold the mouth in this position for a second or two. This will contribute to the toning of all the muscles surrounding the mouth. It will also contribute to keeping smile lines from forming. Do a lot of repetitions and use a mosturizer when doing all facial exercises. Exercise three is easy to do. It's not only good for the chin muscle, the mentalis, but also tones up the muscles at the front of the neck - the first area where deterioration appears as people reach middle age. 1. When you force you chin down as you see in the photo - Exercise Three - the chin muscle contracts as do the muscles at the front of the neck. If the muscles at the front of the neck are not working, you are not exerting enough power in the contraction. 2. When you force the chin up, your lower jaw will go down a little (your mouth will open slightly). Don't let anyone photograph you in this position especially if you intend to run for political office because you will look like a nut. 3. Hold both the up and down contractions for a few seconds. You don't need many repetitions of this exercise if you do it right - perhaps ten or fifteen reps is enough. In all the facial exercises, stress good form over length of time or number of repetitions. | ||
| James P New member Username: James0414 Post Number: 2 Registered: 06-2008 |
Thanks. I think I have No. 2 now, but I still have a question on three. Should your jaw come forward a bit when you bring the chin up? By the way, I think I got number five, which surprised me. I'm working on perfecting it. Thanks again | ||
| Thomas Hagerty Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 70 Registered: 05-2006 |
James P: My jaw does not come forward when I do exercise number three. The way you can tell if you are doing this exercise effectively is to place your fingers firmly under the chin (between the chin and the front of the neck) and feel if the muscles in this area become hard. I really think this exercise is more beneficial for the front of the neck than for the chin muscle. But of course it tones up both muscle groups. | ||
| James P New member Username: James0414 Post Number: 3 Registered: 06-2008 |
Okay, it's working then, because both the chin (right under the lip), and the area between the chin and front of the neck are certainly getting a workout (get hard when I contract). Thanks so much! | ||
| Anonymous |
Hi Thomas, I have recently start using your facial exercises, so far I can definitely fell and see the results in my face. I've had a small problem though, exercise 2 has firmed up the muscles on the right side of my mouth to a greater extent than the left. The result is that my lips look bigger on the right side of my mouth than the left. I have attempted to only do the exercise on the left side of my mouth to compensate for the look. Can you tell me what I'm doing wrong and what you would do to remedy the situation? I would greatly appreciate you assistance in this matter. I've found you facial exercises to be very effective. Thanks so much | ||
| Thomas Hagerty Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 139 Registered: 05-2006 |
Anonymous (Jeff): Are you doing Exercise Two - Muscles Around the Mouth? I think if you do this exercise correctly for a period of time, the orbicularis oris muscles will regain their symmetry. "I have attempted to only do the exercise on the left side of my mouth to compensate for the look." I don't know how you do this. Are you talking about Exercise Two? Anyway, I don't think it is a good idea to exercise just one side of the face to compensate for muscle imbalance. If you exercise both sides of the face equally, you will probably achieve a proper balance - this may take a few months though. | ||
| Debbie D New member Username: Debbie Post Number: 4 Registered: 03-2009 |
with exercise three...should only our chin be moved down?? i have been moving my head down, then realized what i hope you meant by keeping your head still | ||
| C M New member Username: Ceeme Post Number: 118 Registered: 06-2007 |
Debbie, your head should not move at all when doing that exercise. Tom writes:
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| Jo Brown New member Username: Jbrown79 Post Number: 1 Registered: 03-2009 |
Firstly, love the site and the exercises but I do I have two questions. In exercise 2, how long should it take to see results if I did around 3 sets of 10 a day? I am only 30 but the "pouches" around the sides of my mouth are drooping already and Im getting quite jowly :/ Also, has Mr Hagarty ever considered maybe putting some videos on Youtube to show how to do the exercises properly - step by step. This would be a great help to people like me who can do certain facial exercises in a few different ways but not sure if they are doing it correctly. A visual would be a great help to show a step by step to what my face/muscles should be doing. Many thanks J. Brown | ||
| Thomas Hagerty Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 142 Registered: 05-2006 |
Jo Brown: "In exercise 2, how long should it take to see results if I did around 3 sets of 10 a day?" I don't think 10 reps are enough. I do 3 or 4 sets of 20 to 30 reps. Of course 10 reps are enough when you start on the facial exercise program. Time frame questions are always hard to answer because everyone responds differently. Usually if the problem is just the facial muscles, you should see results in just six months or perhaps much less. But if there is too much fat on the face, results might be a long time in coming because fat and its buddy gravity pull down on the face. If you have no excess fat problem, though, you'll see improvement as the weeks go by. Don't get impatient unless of course you have an impending screen test. Facial muscles do respond if you do the exercises three or four or five times a week. I've been a film fan since I was a teenager. I had the fantasy of making a really smart DVD, perhaps 20-minutes long, about facial exercises. It would be neat if I could find some guy or gal right out of film school to help me do this. I just don't like the idea of putting some cheap hand-held camera video up on Youtube though. | ||
| Jo Brown New member Username: Jbrown79 Post Number: 2 Registered: 03-2009 |
Thank you for your reply. I am just starting the exercises so will increase the reps over time. I have only been doing them 3 or 4 days but will increase once I feel I am doing them correctly. Unfortunately, I do have quite a "podgy" face but not sure if I have "too much" fat on my face but maybe the "podgyness" of my face may make the exercises take longer to work. I completely understand about the Youtube thing but if you did do a DVD on the facial exercises - I would buy it! Thanks again for your help! | ||
| Roos New member Username: Rosita Post Number: 3 Registered: 05-2009 |
Thanks Tom, for all the answers to my questions on ex.4&5. I have another one on ex.3: What exactly do you do with your lower lip when elevating it: should it in the first step cover the upper lip, or should it curl over the lower teeth? | ||
| Thomas Hagerty Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 159 Registered: 05-2006 |
Roos: When you lower your chin your teeth can be together. (But don't contract your jaw muscles.) You can see the photo of me doing that - Exercise Three. In the second stage of the exercise when you raise your lower lip, the teeth are not in contact - in other words, your teeth are parted slightly. Your chin muscle, the mentalis, will contract firmly in both stages of the exercise. The muscles of the front of the neck will also be worked strongly. I look like a Neanderthal man in this photo, but here is what stage two of the exercise looks like.  |
