2007
The New Craze: Facial Yoga
Everyone knows the importance of exercise in keeping our bodies fit and healthy. There are exercises for the muscles from the neck down, including those which focus on the upper, core, and lower body. We have body specific exercises for body sculpting, aerobic exercises to benefit our heart, yoga and more. With that in mind, it makes perfect sense to have exercises to tone and strengthen the 57 muscles of our face, neck and scalp.
This new craze called ‘facial yoga’ is packing sessions in health clubs and yoga studios across the United States. For around $250, participants, mainly female ranging in age from 30 to 70, learn how to control and strengthen the face muscles by employing resistance and isometric contractions using the thumbs and fingers. The exercises are based on a common sense approach: boost the circulation to your face, neck, scalp, eyebrows, and temple. This increases oxygen which is good for the cells.
Not only is facial yoga tightening tired faces, but it also helps increase mobility in people with partial facial paralysis and problems like crooked smiles. A Houston-based yoga instructor, Rose Hong Tran, worked with local physicians to develop a specialized yoga facial toning technique. Tran has certified other instructors throughout Texas and in Atlanta to use her technique.
As with any exercise program, the hardest part is keeping them up. Try to get into a routine, doing the exercises each morning, evening, or when watching television or taking a bath. You can even do them while you wait in line at the store or a drive through if you dare! Most participants reported seeing results within two weeks with as little as five minutes of daily face exercises.
Here are some basic facial exercises you can try at home. Dermatologists stress that good form is key in obtaining desired results.