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Although many people have heard that smiling uses fewer facial muscles than frowning, it is only fairly recently that research has actually proven this to be true. Those who spend more time smiling have been shown to develop fewer facial wrinkles than those who are stressed and frown a lot. The amount of people who want to look younger has increased so dramatically that some fitness trainers have even developed classes that teach people how to smile.
Proven Benefits of Smiling
Heike Hoefler who is a fitness instructor, has taught thousands of people the benefits of what she refers to as facial gymnastics. By teaching people how to smile through various forms of facial exercises, it helps the facial skin to retain more of its elasticity, thereby preventing the premature formation of deep lines and wrinkles. Because the skin is composed of collagen and elastin fibers, if it is not exercised and stretched correctly, it can lose its elasticity and start sagging and wrinkling, especially around the eyes and mouth. This is why people who are under a lot of stress tend to show the effects of ageing on the face quicker than those who live a more peaceful and relaxed life.
Various Facial Exercise Methods
The reason why smiling is good for preventing wrinkles is because it trains the muscles around the lips, mouth and cheek areas and prevents them from sagging prematurely. All that a person needs to do a few times a day is place their thumb and forefinger on the corners of their mouth and outer eye area, raise the fingers upwards a little and held in that position for around six seconds at a time. A ten second rest should be had between each repetition. Although there are specific creams and lotions that can be massaged into the problem areas of the face that help prevent wrinkles, it should be used in conjunction with these exercises in order to obtain the best wrinkle-preventing results.
Combine Exercise with a Healthy Diet
Another exercise that can help prevent the formation of wrinkles on the face is one that involves pushing air into your cheeks and holding it there for a few seconds. It has also been shown that sticking out one’s tongue helps to work the chin muscles and prevent wrinkles and sagging skin from developing in that area. By ensuring that a healthy diet coupled with plenty of pure drinking water is followed, it will also help retain a youthful-looking skin for longer. It has also been shown that smiling as often as possible helps to reduce stress and improve heart health at the same time.
So there we have it. Smiling definitely is beneficial to the health in many ways. Not only does it keep you looking young, it also keeps your heart healthy by lowering stress levels. Because these simple exercises take just a few minutes a day, there is no reason for anyone to not be able to do them.
