Speech is a complex process in which various organs are involved. Articulatory gymnastics for children helps to train the muscles of these organs, as a result of which speech development occurs faster and the child develops correct pronunciation. There are various sets of exercises. Some are aimed at general speech development, others help cope with diction problems.

A speech therapist will help you choose the right set of exercises. After examining the baby and talking with him, he will pick up individual program classes. In case of severe lag in the development of speaking skills, it is advisable to consult a neurologist, since problems in speech development may be associated with serious illnesses.

There are exercises designed to induce active speech, and if the child is healthy, then the mother can work with him on her own. Although a consultation with a speech therapist will still be useful: a special program may be needed. Exercises train certain muscles and help the baby begin to actively talk. They develop mobility and dexterity of the articulatory apparatus:

• language;
• bridles.

Gymnastics for children should be made colorful and interesting. If the exercises are presented in the form of a game, the little fidget will practice with pleasure and quickly master the subtleties of the world of sounds. It is good to reinforce verbal descriptions with visual images, preparing colorful pictures with images for each exercise.

What else needs to be taken into account: the child does not see his own language, and therefore it is difficult for him to understand the requirements of adults if something goes wrong. Therefore, it is good if he can perform the exercises in front of a mirror and see the position of his lips and tongue. If he still can’t cope, you need to help him by guiding his tongue with a spatula, the handle of a spoon or another clean, oblong and non-sharp object.

At the beginning of classes, you need to invite the child to perform several exercises, and add the rest gradually, no more than one new exercise per lesson. If there are problems in performing old ones, then new exercises should not be introduced. It is better to let the child get comfortable and feel that everything is working out for him.

Complex for children 1-4 years old

It’s hard for kids to concentrate on something for a long time, and they get tired quickly. Therefore, gymnastics should last no more than 10 minutes a day, and it should start with two or three, gradually increasing the time.
Dynamic exercises for children under 4 years old:

• "Snake";
• “Kneaded the dough”;
• “Brushing our teeth”;
• "Watch";
• "Swing";
• "Fed hamster";
• "Balloons".

Static exercises:

• "Hippopotamus";
• "Smile";
• "Proboscis";
• "Pancake";
• "Hungry Hamster"

Alternate static and dynamic exercises, then the child will not get bored. Accompany your explanations with elements of fairy tales or stories about animals. For example, during the “Proboscis” exercise, you can tell that the child is pretending to be a little elephant learning to stretch out its trunk.

A set of exercises for children 4-7 years old

Children at this age are already more prepared for classes, so their duration increases. Articulation gymnastics for children can last 15-20 minutes. This will be enough for the development of the corresponding muscles, and the child will not have time to get tired during this time. The exercises can be performed in any order, but it is better to start with lip exercises. One exercise should last about 5-10 seconds or be repeated 5-7 times. All elements from the complex described below are suitable for this age group.

It is not clear to the child how long he should do the exercise, so the adult should count out loud to 5 or 7 while doing it.

A block of exercises for developing lip muscles.

• "Smile". The child should be asked to smile without showing his teeth. This muscle position is maintained for up to 5 seconds.
• "Proboscis". The lips need to be folded into a tube and pulled forward as much as possible.
• "Hippopotamus". The child should be asked to open his mouth wide and sit in this position for 5 seconds.
• "Fence". We explain that you need to smile so that the upper and lower teeth are as open as possible. This facial expression also lasts for about 5 seconds.
• Alternating exercises “Smile” and “Fence”. Performed 5 times.

Block for developing tongue muscles.

• “Pancake” (spatula). The relaxed tongue should be placed on the lower lip (without sticking out). Lasts 5 seconds.
• "Angry Pussy". The tip of the tongue rests on the lower teeth, the lateral ones rest on the molars, and the middle part imitates a slide. The child should lightly bite the “slide” with his teeth. The exercise is performed with open mouth.
• "Swing" . The mouth opens and the tongue alternately rises up and down.
• "Snake". The tongue sticks out as far as possible, while the child should try to make it as narrow as possible. After this, the tongue is hidden. The action is repeated up to 7 times.
• “Brushing our teeth.” The tip of the tongue needs to be brushed across the upper and then lower teeth from the left to the right edge. Perform 2 times from above and below.
• "Sail". The end of the tongue rests on the upper teeth and is held in this position for 7-10 seconds.
• "Painter". We run our tongue across the palate in the direction from front to back (from teeth to throat). You can tell your child that the tongue is a paint brush that paints the sky.
• "Turkeys". The tip of the tongue should be moved quickly back and forth along the upper lip.
• "Watch". The child should open his mouth slightly and alternately touch the left and right corners of his mouth with the tip of his tongue. To make it more interesting, you can explain that this is an imitation of a clock pendulum. You need to make 5-10 movements back and forth.
• "Cup". With your mouth wide open, you need to keep the tongue up, but not touching the teeth.
• "Delicious jam". The upper lip is licked with a wide tongue (licking off the jam), after which the tongue is hidden. The exercise must be repeated several times.
• "Woodpecker". Use the tip of your tongue to quickly and forcefully tap the back of your upper teeth for 5-7 seconds.
• "Motor". The position is as in the previous exercise - the mouth is open, the tongue knocks behind the upper teeth. At the same time, you need to exhale strongly to make the sound “dyn-dyn-dyn.”
• "Kneaded the dough". The tongue rests on the lower lip (pancake position), while the mouth opens and closes.

For the sublingual ligament of the tongue.

• "Horse". The child should click his tongue, voicing the clatter of hooves.
• "Fungus". The tongue is firmly applied (sucked to the palate) and held in this position for 5 seconds.
• "Accordion". Holding your tongue in the “mushroom” position, you need to open/close your mouth 5 times.

Exercises for the cheek muscles.

• "Balloons" . The cheeks are puffed out, then the child should hit them with moderate force to force the air out.
• "Fed hamster". First, both cheeks are inflated, then the right and left ones alternately.
• "Hungry Hamster". The cheeks are drawn in and held in this position for 5-7 seconds.

Parents or teachers?

Children with poorly developed speech apparatus will not demonstrate dizzying success. Gymnastics is difficult for them, and it is the parents’ responsibility not to give up, despite failures. At the same time, you should not show your dissatisfaction to the child. It is not in vain that speech therapists study the basics of pedagogy. Parents will also have to become a little teacher and a little psychologist to work with their child.

Be kind and patient with your child, behave calmly. What an adult perceives as the norm for little man- whole new world, it takes time to master it. Patience will definitely be rewarded and your baby will delight you with correct diction.

In all exercises, the starting position is sitting on the bed in Turkish style, shoulders down, back straight.

Exercise 1. Pull your lips in with a tube, puff out your cheeks and move the air alternately from one cheek to the other. At the same time, pronounce the vowels “o”, “a”, “u”. Repeat the exercise 3-4 times.

Exercise 2. Inhale through your nose, exhale through your mouth. In this case, the lips should be relaxed. Then repeat the exercise, but only with your lips stretched out like a tube, as in a kiss. Repeat the exercise 3-4 times.

Exercise 3. Inhale through your mouth through clenched teeth and hold your breath. Exhale through the left corner of your mouth and then through the right. Repeat the exercise 3-4 times.

Exercise 4. Purse your lips, but do not purse them. Tighten the corners of your mouth, as if you were sucking two pieces of lemon into your back teeth. Don't clench your teeth. Try lifting the corners of your mouth in a subtle smile. Now, on the contrary, lower it slightly. Move your fingers in the corners of your mouth with tiny pulsating movements up and down until you count 30. Relax.

Exercise 5. Purse your lips (but don’t purse them), don’t clench your teeth. Tap the middle of your lips with your index finger. Slowly remove your finger from your lips (but not all the way) until you feel a burning sensation. After this, make a quick pulsating movement up and down with your finger until the count is 30. Relax.

Effect: the age-related “sad mask” - drooping lips - disappears; lips are enlarged and wrinkles around them are removed.

Exercises for the mouth - a set of exercises “in between”

This set of exercises to strengthen orbicularis muscle mouth especially recommended for office workers

In all exercises, the starting position is sitting, with your back resting against the back of a chair, your hands resting relaxed on your knees.

Exercise 1. With your nostrils widened, inhale deeply through your nose, puff out your cheeks and exhale forcefully through closed lips. Repeat this exercise 3-4 times.

Exercise 2. Pronounce the sounds “a”, “i”, “u”, “o”, “s”, repeating them 5-6 times.

Exercise 3. Inhale through your nose, trying to stretch your lips forward like a tube. Use three fingers to hold the corners of your mouth. Exhale calmly through your mouth. Do the exercise 4 times. The movement should be energetic.

Exercise 4. Slowly open and close your mouth, holding the open-mouth position.

Exercise 5. Open your mouth halfway, pull your lips inward. Tense and hold the position for a few seconds, then relax and repeat all this 5 times.

Exercise 6. Raise each corner of the mouth separately, then together.

Exercise 7. Pursing your lips, curl them inward until they disappear.

Exercise 8. Lower the corners of your lips one by one, holding this position for several seconds.

Exercise 9. Place your index fingers on the corners of your mouth and try to smile. Create tension with your fingers. Then relax. Repeat 20 times.

Exercise 10. Lower both corners of your lips together, holding this position for several seconds.

Exercise 11. Lift right side lips up, then down; the same - on the left side.

Exercise 12: Move both sides of your lips up and down.

Exercise 13. Place your fingers above your lips and begin to gradually bring them together. The space between them should warm up and become softer. Slowly relax your mouth muscles.

Effect: strengthening all muscles around the mouth, straightening vertical folds around the mouth, smoothing out wrinkles on the upper lip.

Exercises for the cheeks - a set of exercises "morning"

This set of exercises for the cheeks is performed immediately after waking up.

When performing these exercises, the starting position is sitting on the bed in Turkish style, shoulders down, back straight.

Exercise 1. Inhale calmly and deeply through your nose - the wings of your nose tense. Exhale slowly and evenly through your mouth 2-3 times at intervals of 3-4 seconds.

Exercise 2. Inhale deeply through your nose. Hold your breath - internal muscles faces tense, blood rushes to the face. Without inhaling, with your lips closed, puff out your cheeks. After 2-3 seconds, release the air through your mouth with force and tension. Repeat 2-3 times.

Exercise 3. Inhale deeply through your nose while sucking in your cheeks. After briefly holding your breath for a second, exhale through your mouth (slowly, evenly) with your lips slightly closed and your cheeks puffed out. Repeat 2 times.

Exercise 4. Take air into your mouth and “roll the ball” up, down, right, left.

Exercise 5. Press your index fingers to the top of your cheeks. Open your mouth and slowly part your lips so that they form an oval. Smile and feel the muscles under your fingers tense. Repeat 10 times.

Exercise 6. Purse your lips and puff out your cheeks. Place your fingers on your cheeks and press, keeping your lips closed and not releasing air. Count to 10, then relax and repeat the exercise 10 times. Gradually increase the count to 30.

Exercise 7. With your left hand, grab your right cheek so that your thumb rests on the inner part of your mouth, and the rest fits tightly to the skin running from the wings of your nose to the corners of your lips. As you inhale through your nose, try to smile. The cheek muscles will contract, and the fingers will counteract them. During rest, the fingers unclench. Do 2 times for the right and left sides.

Exercise 8. Inflate left cheek and exhale through the left corner of your mouth. Then puff out your right cheek and exhale through the right corner of your mouth. Repeat 3-4 times.

Exercise 9. With your right hand, fix the left half of the neck. Three fingers of the left hand are on the left corner of the mouth. Inhale through your mouth, the contracted muscles pull down the left corner of your mouth, your hand holds it in place. During exhalation, the muscles relax.

Exercise 10. Imagine two points: one in the middle of the upper lip, the other in the middle of the lower lip. Open your mouth and stretch both points so that a regular oval is formed (the upper lip is pressed against the teeth). Place your fingers, without pressing, on top part cheeks While holding the oval, smile at the corners of your mouth. Now lower the corners. Repeat quickly.

Exercise 11. Open your mouth and roll your lower lip inward, resting it on your lower teeth. Pull the corners of your mouth towards your back teeth and roll them tightly inside your mouth. The upper lip is pressed against the teeth. The index finger is on the chin to provide light resistance. Open and close your jaw with a slow scooping motion. Extend your chin 1 cm after each movement. When your chin points toward the ceiling, pause and count to 30. Relax.

Exercise 12. Move your lower lip forward as far as possible. Then pull it in sharply and cover it with your tense upper lip. If performed correctly, you will feel muscle tension in the cheek area.

Exercise 13. Try blinking one eye without closing it. You should feel your cheek muscles lift. Repeat 10 times and then do the same with the other cheek.

Effect: the muscles of the cheeks and neck are strengthened, sagging skin of the cheeks is lifted, the effect of “sunken” eyes disappears, and the oval of the face improves.

Sometimes it is enough to detect early problems in the formation of a child’s jaw and contact a specialist for help. Then you can prevent many anomalies using simple, accessible and free methods, spending just time practicing with your beloved child.

What is myogymnastics?

This is a specific set of exercises for the facial and chewing muscles, which are located around the dentition and in one way or another affect its formation. With their help, you can change the beginning of bite defects, improve diction, and also partially influence the correct formation of the jaw and facial contours. It is not surprising that myogymnastics occupies such an important place in orthodontics.

Its use is especially effective for children 4-7 years old. It is believed that after a child reaches 9 years of age, these exercises are no longer able to act as a therapeutic method. Yet they are often prescribed in addition to other orthodontic treatments on the dental system.

A. Rogers developed the first diagnostic parameters and gymnastic complexes of this type back in the last century. Based on his work, new exercises are being developed in dentistry today, trying to prevent or correct most problems in the functioning of the jaw muscles.

Facial myogymnastics is most often prescribed in the following variations:

• as an independent method of treatment;
• as preparation for any orthodontic interventions;
• or as an additional influence during such correction;
• to consolidate the result after special treatment;
• and as a method of preventing future jaw function.

Doctors say that it is important to initially carry out the appropriate diagnosis and only then decide on the exercises that will be adequate in each specific case. Therefore, self-medication is completely excluded. Only a specialist can determine what exactly is right for the child and choose the best option.

Operating principle

To achieve the expected result, you need to adhere to the following basic principles of treatment:

• sequence - first studied and actively used simple exercises, and only after mastering them can you proceed to more complex complexes;
• systematic - you need to practice daily, regularly, on an ongoing basis, without taking long breaks;
• consciousness - myogymnastics helps best when the child understands what is required of him and performs the correct movements with great desire;
• activity - muscles must perform maximum amplitude;
• individual approach - only taking into account the jaw structure of a particular child can we talk about any exercises, since they are not universal and different combinations are used in each clinical case;
• age range - the best period for effective results is from 4 to 7 years;
• integrated approach – the greatest achievements can be boasted by those patients who used myogymnastics in conjunction with other methods of treating dentoalveolar anomalies, for example, the Rokabado complex is often supplemented with autogenic training and acupressure.

Advantages and disadvantages

The effectiveness of myogymnastics is determined by the following advantages:

• restores full functionality of the masticatory muscles;
• normalizes the overall tone of the face;
• improves the functioning of the lower jaw, making it more mobile;
• influences the development of essential joints.

The advantage of the method is that it is applicable not only in orthodontics, but also in speech therapy, having a positive effect on diction.

True, there are some disadvantages:

• when performing special exercises, it is quite difficult to control the correct impact on the desired muscles and accurately set the required duration of the session;
• Unfortunately, not all forms of malocclusion and other jaw anomalies are amenable to such effects, and for adults they turn out to be ineffective.

Thus, it would be unnecessary to perform gymnastic activities in case of hypertrophy of the facial muscles, paresthesia of the cheeks and other anomalies caused by the pathological structure of the bone itself.

Myogymnastics for malocclusion

Depending on the shape of the occlusion and the intensity of the defect, the following exercises are prescribed.

1. Stand up straight, extend your arms and bring them back. Raise your chin and try to push it forward as much as possible. Periodically return to its original position. Do up to 10-15 repetitions in one session. You need at least three approaches per day.
2. Gradually increase the load and after 30 days make it more difficult. By pulling the lower jaw forward, they try to position the incisors in front of the upper ones.
3. In addition, it is proposed to perform a special Rubinov exercise. To do this, you need to close and open your mouth without any displacement for at least 3-5 minutes. Repeat at least five times a day.

1. You need to strongly squeeze and unclench your teeth. To check how well the child is doing, you can press your fingers to your face in the area where the molars are growing.
2. To add gain, do the same thing, but with increased resistance. Place the index and middle fingers on the front part of the row and, when opening the mouth, try to prevent active movements of the jaw. Thus, a person puts in much more effort, working the right muscles well.
3. Another exercise is done using a pencil or stick of a suitable size. A rubber tube is placed on this object and bitten with the incisors.

Treatment involves the following effects:

1. They try to reach out with their tongue and press hard on the back of the palate. Do this for 3-5 minutes or until the first feeling of muscle fatigue.
2. They throw back their head and open and close their mouth. When the jaws are closing, you need to reach with your tongue towards the far edge of the palate.
3. Over the course of some time, the lower jaw is pulled forward until the upper incisors are completely covered.

If detected: open the jaws wide, trying to move the lower one to the side where it is observed problem area. And then they close them in the same position and hold for up to five seconds.

1. They try to pull the lower row of teeth forward so that it is in front of the upper one. Hold the position for at least 10 seconds.
2. Complicate the previous version by simultaneous turns of the head, first to the left, then to the right. Repeats are performed 10 times.
3. You need to put your feet shoulder-width apart, throw your head back, and put your hands behind your back. Try to push the lower jaw so that the edges of the teeth meet.

Tongue exercises

Also, in some cases, myogymnastics is needed to correct the position and functioning of the tongue. Most often it is prescribed in cases of problems with swallowing. The following exercises are used:

1. “Clock” - with carefully closed lips, make movements with the tongue in a circle, passing along inside lips
2. “Naughty tongue” - place it in an extended position, slightly pushing it forward. Closing your mouth, do it so that you can “slap” it with the top row.
3. “Painting the ceiling” - let the child imagine that the tongue is a brush and the sky is the ceiling. You need to try to move it along the upper part of the mucosa with maximum care, without missing anything.
4. “Jackhammer” - the mouth is opened wide and the tongue is reached to the roof of the mouth. In this position, they try to quickly close their lips, imitating a hammer blow.

In cases of cutting the frenulum of the tongue, the following exercises are suggested:

1. Lick the upper and lower lips alternately. Movements should be carried out from one edge to the other, and also try to reach the chin and the edge of the nose.
2. They do it in a similar way to count all the teeth in a row.
3. Place the tip alternately on each cheek.
4. They make clicking sounds like a horseman, with their mouth open.

Repeat the complex up to ten times.

If you have difficulty swallowing, to develop the function of the anterior part of this organ:

• The tongue is held in the “column” position.
• Cut rubber rings from the pipette, place them on the tip of the tongue and press them against the alveoli. In this position, swallow and close the mouth without closing the dentition. It is important to constantly ensure that the rubber rings do not slip off. Swallow up to 10-12 times in one go. You can start with five or even two.
• Hold the same ring with your tongue with clenched teeth. Gradually increase the execution time from 5 to 15 minutes.

Ideal for correcting the functioning of the middle part of the organ:

• clicking 50-60 times;
• press the rings to the palate with your tongue with closed teeth and parted lips.

The rear part is designed as follows:

• gargle simple warm water for a while;
• perform yawning movements.

For lips

If there are problems with their closure, do similar exercises, but in a different combination:

• squeezing your mouth tightly, move your tongue in a circle;
• they pull it forward, placing it on the lower lip, and try to hit it with the upper lip;
• opening the mouth, place the tip of the tongue on the palate, and when closing it try to imitate the sound of a hammer;
• extend the bottom row until the upper incisors overlap and hold this position for 10 seconds;
• complicate actions by performing them with turns to the sides;
• extend the lower jaw, throwing the head back.

That is, some of the exercises are repeated similarly to some other problems.

For the orbicularis oris muscles

The following options for myogymnastics are especially effective if you have interlabial space and the habit of not breathing through your nose:

1. They alternately stretch their lips forward, as if blowing out a candle, and then stretch them into a wide smile. At the same time, you can try to pronounce sounds.
2. Purse your lips tightly, and at this time draw in as much air as possible with your nose to inflate your cheeks. Now you can press sharply on them with your fists and exhale. The lips do not unclench.
3. If there is a problem such as protrusion of the incisors, then again the jaws are clenched tightly and try to take in more air. But they do this under each of the lips, upper and lower, alternately.
4. A cardboard strip is clamped between the rows and held for up to an hour. But for the first exercises, they start with just a minute.
5. For additional training, let the child blow on some light moving object - a feather or a piece of cotton wool.
6. They stretch the corners of the mouth with their little fingers, and at the same time try to bring them together with their muscles.
7. Make cotton rolls and place them under the lips near the frenulum on both sides. They try to pronounce dull sounds (p, m, b).

How to increase the effectiveness of exercises?

To achieve the best results, you need to adhere to a certain technique and the following rules:

1. Actively work the muscles with maximum amplitude.
2. But at the same time, the physiological limits of permissible movements are maintained.
3. Gradually increase the speed, intensity and difficulty of each exercise.
4. To remain safe, you need to allow your muscles to rest for exactly the same amount of time as they worked before.
5. Repeat each movement until you feel tired.
6. Set aside a specific time for classes and strictly follow it on a regular basis.

Video: about myogymnastics.

Special devices

The following aids are also used in orthodontics:

• Vestibular plates - they are worn during sleep in order to normalize breathing and correct the position of the tongue and lower jaw. You need to insert it with your thumb, while simultaneously pulling out the special ring.
• Metal disc - aimed at weaning the child from bad habits by type of thumb sucking, as well as correction of mouth breathing and distal occlusion. You need to close the disc with your lips, and at the same time move your lower jaw slightly forward. It is necessary to ensure that its position is strictly horizontal.

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Reducing wrinkles on the forehead

Exercise technique

1. Place the index finger of one hand with the entire side surface above the eyebrow. Use your thumb to create a stop, placing it as far as possible from your index finger and ensuring tension on the skin in a horizontal direction.

2. With the other hand, throwing it over your head, write out large spiral circles, starting from the eyebrow line and moving up to hairline. It is necessary that with each new spiral the skin is pulled up and the eyebrow rises higher.

3. Perform the exercise on the other side.

4. Treat the midline of the forehead. Place your palms on your forehead. The little fingers touch each other and are pressed to the midline of the forehead. Using massage spiral movements, move from bottom to top, rolling out wrinkle rollers.

The direction of the spirals is from bottom to top and from the center of the forehead to the periphery, in the direction of the frontal muscles.

Focus on moving your little fingers up the midline of your forehead, nudging them with a facial lift of your eyebrows.

Anatomical structure of the frontal muscles

Elimination of wrinkles in the décolleté area

Wrinkles in the décolleté area are caused by tightening thoracic to the center due to slouching and the habit of sleeping on the side, curled up into a ball. In addition, the skin in the décolleté area is thin and very vulnerable, as it has few sebaceous glands. By performing techniques for the décolleté area, we ensure that the décolleté area good nutrition and restore microcirculation.

Exercise technique

1. Place your fingers right hand on the skin in the hollow between the breasts, the fingers of the left - on the upper part of the sternum.

2. Bring your fingers as close to each other as possible into a fold. Hold for 30 seconds. Stretch. Lock it in. Do this technique in two directions - vertical and horizontal.

Lips

Let's look at the second risk area - orbicularis oris muscle.

Orbicularis oris muscle

Unlike the rest of the skin, which usually more or less loosely covers the muscles, orbicularis oris muscle firmly “glued” to the skin, so this area always creates problems when plastic surgery, it cannot be torn off and straightened. In case of severely wrinkled skin in this area, the plastic surgeon suggests other procedures for its rejuvenation - resurfacing or chemical peeling.

Usually drying out orbicularis oris muscle leads to the mouth sinking inward, to thinning of the mucous membrane of the lips.

Structure orbicularis oris muscle plays one of the main roles in the formation of “jowls”, drooping corners of the mouth and various folds and wrinkles going down from them. All these defects are formed because with age the muscle begins to shrink to a point, twisting both centrifugally and centripetally. For those who have forgotten what this means, I’ll explain: centripetal is when all the tissues are compressed towards the center, and centrifugally, when the fibers of the mouth muscles begin to twist to the periphery - into its corners. Therefore, you should understand the structure of the orbicularis oris muscle in more detail. It has the appearance of a flat muscular plate, in which two layers are distinguished: deep and superficial. The muscle fibers of its deep layer go radially to the center of the mouth - this is exactly the direction in which the “lip” vertical wrinkles that we so hate are formed.

The superficial layer consists of two arched fascicles running along the upper and lower rims of the mouth. "Thanks" to them orbicularis oris muscle has the peculiarity of “rolling into a tube” - as a result, with age, thin withered flagella remain from beautiful, lush young lips.

Arc-shaped beams mouth muscles repeatedly intertwined with other muscles approaching the oral fissure - triangular And buccal muscles.

With age, when orbicularis oris muscle begins to contract towards the center, i.e. close, like the diaphragm of a camera, the fibers of these muscles curl in the corners of the mouth, forming lumps.

Relaxation of the red border of the lips, reduction of wrinkles in the corners of the mouth

Exercise technique

1. Lower your lower jaw as much as possible and open your mouth.

Tighten your lips, stretching them out like a tube, as if pronouncing the sound “O”.

2. Press the index fingers of both hands on the corners of your lips, and at the same time resist this movement with your lips (Fig. 1).

Wait 30 seconds. The exercise is over.

Relaxation of the orbicularis oris muscle from the inside. Tongue massage

Exercise technique

You can massage your tongue by repeating this exercise many times throughout the day - while watching TV, preparing dinner, traveling in public transport, etc.

1. Feel in your mouth with your tongue the most problematic, hard, that is, the most spasmodic place. You should always start with worst place- it is very important.

2. Press your tongue into this spasm and, without reducing effort, count 30 seconds.

3. Thus, go over all the spasmodic areas of the oral mucosa. Do not forget to run your tongue along the inner line of the red border of the lips. Without this finishing touch the effect will not be complete. Press yourself not under the lips, but into the red border of the lips itself, pulling it from the inside with your tongue and relaxing it in the same way.

4. Swipe screening test– feel the difference in sensations before and after performing the exercise. To do this, before starting the massage, remember your feelings.

At the end of the exercises, check them - the difference will be colossal; the width of the inner surface of the mouth will resemble a bottomless barrel, into which it is impossible to rest your tongue!

When performing this exercise, the chin is lifted and the chin lymph nodes are worked on.

Folds and sagging

As mentioned earlier, all folds are laid in very early age. It will be difficult for an unprepared reader to believe that this happens almost from birth.

It is believed that the normal cellular aging process of skin and muscles begins at age 25. But it has nothing to do with the formation of folds. This type of deformation arises so early that the only way to explain why we don’t see it is through stereotypes and patterns that “blur” our eyes. We are accustomed to the fact that we should look for nasolabial folds on the face after 35 years. Alas, they are laid out a little earlier. And not at 25 years old, and not even at 15. So, the nasolabial folds near the nose begin to form in the muscle layer (like all deep wrinkles and folds) already in childhood.

Predisposition to the appearance of nasolabial folds in the lower part of the face (“jowls”) (left) and in the upper part of the face (right).

Look at these photos of smiling or crying children: their facial expressions already demonstrate a characteristic picture of the most common nasolabial folds. Suddenly discovering them after 30 years, you will begin to nod at age and stretched skin.

In fact, these folds began in childhood, one might say from birth. The only difference is that after 30 you no longer have to grimace to find them.

Want to make sure of this? Compare two faces (Fig. 1) and you will easily find that the nasolabial folds adult woman comes from childhood.

Tests

If you want to find out whether you are at risk for developing nasolabial folds, do a couple of tests. Repeat the same facial movements shown by the babies in the photos above. With a predisposition to nasolabial folds, smiling either further increases the density of the tissue around the mouth or spasms the nasal muscle, pushing the tissue upward vertically along the nose. Ideally, when smiling, the folds should not remain static, framing orbicularis oris muscle, but should slide upward, diverging towards the temples.

If you open your mouth and round your elongated, tense lips in the shape of the letter “O”, lowering your jaw as far as possible, you can see hard sides emanating from the wings of your nose. In the absence of a predisposition to nasolabial folds, this area should look completely smooth.

You will also be able to tactilely palpate this area through the oral mucosa and detect at the site of formation of the nasolabial wrinkle the beginning “flagella” of a denser structure than the rest of the mucosa.

If you are convinced that the nasolabial folds are already “ripening”, there is no need to wait until they are in full bloom. It is better to work with beginning folds prophylactically. The sooner you start fighting them, the more effective its outcome will be. The opportunity to change your “genetic” predisposition to them (in this context, the word “genetic” only means “weak link”) really exists. True, some will succeed without difficulty, while others may encounter difficulties along the way.

And all only because problems are hidden not only in the muscles themselves, but also under them. After all, the muscles are stretched over the skull, the bones of which are a moving biomechanical structure, the complex laws of interaction of which determine our appearance.

And if we want to understand why our youth is so short and where lies the enemy that often changes our faces beyond recognition (when strangers cannot identify us in photographs taken in our youth), we must delve a little deeper into anatomy.

We will start with the simplest thing - with the muscle layer connecting the two parts of the facial skull - the lower and upper jaw.

Our skull consists of 29 bones (these numbers vary in different sources), but only the lower jaw is the only actively mobile bone (with a muscular connection and a large range of motion).

In addition to the usual age-related processes that occur with the bone mass of the skull (decrease in its mass, shortening of the height of both jaws, especially due to the loss of teeth, etc.), its muscular part becomes the main risk area. Actually, most often this problem is the primary one, leading to resorption (resorption) of bone mass. It is here, at the junction of its two halves - the upper and lower jaws, that the first basis for changing the face is laid. This connection is made by a small group of masticatory muscles: masseter muscle, temporalis, medial and lateral pterygoid muscles. They are attached to the bones at two ends, just like all the skeletal muscles of the body. These masticatory muscles with age they begin to deform, straining, sometimes in a state of compression, sometimes, on the contrary, stretching, as they participate in the complex motor processes of chewing, yawning and other jaw facial expressions. And following these changes, the face also begins to change its shape.

Without seeing what is happening under the skin, in most cases we miss the initial stage of the metamorphoses happening to us, and the first unpleasant amazement usually strikes us when viewing amateur photographs or videos where the lens “caught” us in an unfavorable angle or lighting. Some shadows on the face, sunken eyes, hollows on the cheeks, deepened nasolabial folds, a sagging oval line, a double chin... In Everyday life When we look at ourselves in the mirror, we instinctively tighten our facial muscles, lift our chin, and stretch our neck. Therefore, traces of destruction caused by time elude our attention. But those who are not afraid to face the truth can get to know their own faces better.

Tests

Start with the eyes. Try to raise your eyebrow with your fingers. And if it goes up freely, it means your eyebrow has long been out of place. And since the eyebrow has drooped, that means folds have hung on the upper eyelid. Good way testing your face means looking at your profile using a second mirror, lowering your head slightly so that you have a true idea of ​​the line of your oval. This is usually how others see us. Carry out the second stage of the examination while lying down, using your fingers to probe the areas of skin in front of the ears and the posterolateral part of the neck. If the skin in these areas is flaccid and loosely stretched, then this is the first alarm signal. If folds hang over the ears and neck, this is the minimum skin that the surgeon will cut off during plastic surgery as excess. And that “extra” skin that hangs over your ears when you lie down will become the main component of your “jowls,” “dog cheeks,” “bulldog cheeks,” and nasolabial folds when you stand up. And lastly, it is better to carry out the third examination of your face after taking something sedative, especially if you are over 40, and the mirror you take will have a magnifying effect. Tilt your face over this mirror, and everything will immediately become clear to you: nasolabial folds hanging from the ears to the lips and pouches of skin of the upper and lower eyelids; in general, a sedative will definitely not hurt. And as already mentioned, in most cases the cause of aesthetic defects is simple to the point of banality - muscle hypertonicity, age-related muscle shrinkage and the associated loss of soft tissue tone!

As the most striking evidence, I would like to once again give an example that everyone understands, confirming that it is hypertonicity that spoils our face, and not “age-related muscle atony” - this is the effectiveness of botulinum injections in the fight against wrinkles.

But! We must not forget that botulism toxin is not at all so harmless. The rapid effect of smoothing out wrinkles is based precisely on the ability of this toxin to block the functioning of nerves, which, with its constant use, leads to their atrophy. But the matter does not end there. The bones of our skull are prone to drying out, like, in fact, all the bones of our skeleton, which demonstrates the well-known phenomenon of age-related osteoporosis.

Loss of cranial volume leads to the appearance of excess soft tissue. And these losses, it must be said, are not small. Japanese scientists cite the following facts: the volume and weight of the brain in the cranium decreases significantly with age. By the end of life, losses reach 1/10 of his former weight (100–120 g)! Accordingly, the size of the skull itself decreases by the same amount. Remember the skull of “poor Yorick” lying on the hand of the great Smoktunovsky: Hamlet seems to be addressing not the skull of an adult man, but the skull of a child.

And indeed, as English studies confirm, the mass of the skull melts noticeably with age, decreasing especially strongly in the center of the face, i.e., in the place where typical nasolabial folds form. And this is quite logical: deep muscle hypertonicity is always accompanied by a spasm of the bone to which the muscle is attached. In addition to the middle part of the face, the same process occurs with the jaw bones, which are affected by spasm of the masticatory muscles. Like a saboteur acting from within, it causes enormous damage to the jaw, leading to its resorption (resorption). And this is understandable - when a muscle is normally supplied with blood, the bone to which it is attached retains elasticity, moisture and, accordingly, volume.

The results of research presented by American aging specialist David Kann at a conference on plastic surgery in America showed that changes in the human facial bones are involved in the appearance of general “sagging” of the face: significant deformations in the angles of the jaw and loss of overall cranial volume.

Another Phys-Org report: Howard Langstein, head of the plastic and reconstructive surgery service at the American University Hospital, based on his numerous studies, claims that with age there is a change in the angle of the lower jaw (shown). yellow), the length and height of the jaw body itself.

Skull of a young man

Old man's skull

And since the lower jaw is the main bone of the facial part of the face, any changes in it affect general form faces.

Undoubtedly, the volume of the skull, like the work of the brain, directly depends on the work of the facial and masticatory muscles. At the same time, they must work physiologically - the way they are supposed to by nature - any “pumping” of the facial muscles only leads to the growth of hypertonicity - blocks that prevent normal blood supply to the bones of the skull, and therefore to even greater resorption.

At the same time, attempts to relieve this hypertonicity with the help of botulism toxin lead to immobility of the facial muscles. And this, in turn, leads to secondary osteoporosis, that is, osteoporosis is not age-related, but is a consequence of fractures and other injuries leading to temporary immobilization (immobilization) of the limbs. Experiments on mice prove that after injections of botulinum, their bones did not restore the lost amount of calcium, even after the mice gained motor activity. During scientific experiments, a single dose of Botox was injected into the muscles of mice knee joint with the goal of causing paralysis of a limb for 3–4 weeks. The mice continued to use their damaged paws to maintain balance, meaning the pressure of their body weight on the bone remained the same. After 21 days, the weight of the Botox-treated muscle was significantly reduced, and signs of osteoporosis were evident. Twelve weeks after the injection, the difference between the paws was still evident, meaning the osteoporosis was only partially reversible.

If even the active work of the body muscles of mice is not able to completely return calcium to the bones, what can we say about the muscles of a person’s face!

Therefore, those who abuse botulinum injections into central part faces, the upper jaw on X-rays amazes dentists with their “holeiness”, which prevents qualified care for their clients.

Counteracting shortening of the jaw line

Do the exercise with oil or cream. Before performing the exercise, mentally divide the jaw arch into 2 halves. Work each half separately, securing the fabric in the middle.

Exercise technique

1. Using one hand, secure the triangularis muscle (the depressor anguli oris muscle) on the jaw arch. With two fingers of your second hand, grab the jaw line: the index finger on top, the thumb under the lower jaw. Move your hand along the jaw line along the masseter muscle to the corner of the jaw, smoothly and slowly stretching the jaw arch (Fig. 1).

2. Change the position of your hands. Now fix the angle of the jaw along with the adjacent masseter muscle and firmly move along the jaw line with the index and thumb of the other hand towards the chin. Slowly and smoothly stretch the jaw arch (Fig. 2).

The only thing that can compensate for the loss of muscle and bone mass (provided there is no muscle hypertonicity) is normal blood supply to the face. And only the neck is responsible for this.

Neck

Without any exaggeration, we can say that our face begins precisely from the neck, the beauty of which gives the face nobility, and aging primarily reveals our age. And again, the appearance of a young neck is not always determined by the youth of its skin. One of the characteristic indicators of age is rather its correct fit - maintaining its statics (physiological bending).

Who doesn’t know the coinage depicting the famous profile of Nefertiti? The ideal of beauty, recognized for centuries. Everyone who saw the portrait of this Egyptian queen first of all noted the slenderness and beauty of her neck. Unfortunately, in our time, 90% of women who look closely at themselves in the mirror, so to speak, “from the front,” completely forget about their “profile.” And this profile, alas, is not in better condition. Especially if a woman spends 8 or more hours doing sedentary work: at a desk, computer, etc. At most, she notices that a hump is growing on the back of her neck - the so-called “withers” (Fig. 1 on the right).

Rice. 1. Correct physiological bend A=A 1 (left). Hyperlordosis of the cervical spine – B more than B 1 (right)

Moreover, again, she explains the growth of this hump exclusively as “salts” - osteochondrosis and does not connect it with the changed statics of her spine. Normally, the spine, as is known, should not be straight, like a stick, but should have physiological bends. In particular, the cervical spine, consisting of 7 vertebrae, should normally be slightly bent inward (Fig. 1).

Rice. 1 Normal statics of the cervical spine. Straightening the cervical spine. Hypelordosis of the cervical spine

What do we really have? Usually, with age, our spine begins to deform, “sag,” and change statics. As a result, a small physiological bend hypertrophies, and cervical vertebrae begin to fall inside the neck, which occurs especially intensely during “sedentary” work.

If you look at the face, it seems like the woman is still young, taking care of herself. And if you look from the side, the old woman is just hobbling, hunched over, her neck leaning forward, her head thrown back, her shoulders clenching. Well, she doesn’t see herself, otherwise she would be very upset.

Due to the fact that the discs between the vertebrae flatten with age, the length of the neck is shortened, often quite significantly (Fig. 1).

Rice. 1. Cervical spine

The appearance of transverse wrinkles and folds on the side of the neck is an accurate sign of this phenomenon.

Bartsok-gymnastics course for the face

Maybe you want to remove wrinkles above the upper lip, achieve lip augmentation at home, or tighten sagging lips. All this can be done with just one exercise for the lips, more precisely, for the orbicularis oris muscle. Proper lip gymnastics is more effective than injections or surgery, as it creates not only a visible lip shape, but also improves the quality of the skin, making it more elastic and less susceptible to wrinkles. In addition, restoring or enlarging lips at home is a pleasant, face-toning exercise.

To prepare and perform the exercise, you need a mirror, attention and careful monitoring of the workout, as well as a clean face and hands. To learn how to perform the exercise correctly, without the risk of harming yourself, you will need 20-30 minutes. The exercise in the future will take about 1 minute, or a minute and a half if using audio support.

What this lip exercise can do for you:

• prevent or remove wrinkles above the upper lip;
• prevent lip thinning, achieve lip enlargement at home;
• remove sagging lips, eliminate wrinkles on the lips, improve the shape and color of the lips, eliminate their laxity.

The proposed lip exercise is done in an isometric form: strengthening the orbicularis oris muscle should occur without stretching the skin.

The orbicularis oris muscle is located around the mouth opening, being the basis of the structure of the lips. The muscle closes the mouth, pulls the lips forward, and provides the shape of the lips. Origin and insertion of the orbicularis oris muscle: the skin of the corner of the mouth and the skin at the midline of the mouth. When tense, the muscle contracts towards the center of the mouth.

Closing your mouth and pursing your lips, tensing the orbicularis oris muscle, is not the same thing. Pursed lips indicate that the person is dissatisfied and frowning. Often pursed lips indicate a person's closed nature.

The lips are compressed due to the formation of folds of skin above the upper lip. This also applies only to slightly compressed lips, if they do not relax after compression, maintaining residual tension for a long time. Over time, they can turn into early wrinkles. Thus, if, unbeknownst to yourself, you often purse your lips, then soon you will have to decide how to remove wrinkles above the upper lip.

If the lips are compressed extremely rarely, then they begin to lose their shape, becoming pale, flaccid and increasingly thin. Weakening and sagging, the orbicularis oris muscle creates the effect of sagging lips, stretches and wrinkles the skin above the upper lip and it ceases to be smooth and elastic.

Isometric exercise does not create such a danger. In addition, this lip gymnastics exercise is much more energetic.

Regular training of the orbicularis oris muscle without stretching the skin will make it stronger, restore shape and color to the lips, increase the elasticity of the skin around the mouth and prevent or reduce wrinkles above the upper lip. By learning to control this muscle, you can easily release residual muscle tension and use the muscle freely without fear of premature wrinkles.

Preparing for a lip gymnastics exercise.

Look at yourself in the mirror and squeeze your lips forcefully towards the center without pulling them forward. The mirror will reflect an expression of disbelief.

Now try to squeeze your lips together as hard as you can. Press your index or middle fingers flat (you can do both at once) to the edges of your lips, and gently, but firmly, pull your lips to the sides with your fingers so that the lips can return to their normal length. The lips need to be stretched exactly to their normal length so that folds do not form on the cheeks. This will make your lips look tight and flat. Feel and remember the force that your fingers had to apply now, and relax your lips.

To prevent the formation of folds on the cheeks, it is more convenient to perform the exercise in reverse order. To do this, use the acquired skill. Place your fingers on the edges of your lips and try to compress your lips towards the center, but use your fingers to gently press on the skin so that your lips cannot close. The lips should become tense and flat, but not change their length. In this case, folds on the cheeks should not form. The face remains calm, all facial muscles, except the orbicularis, are relaxed.

Remembering to carefully monitor what is happening with the help of a mirror, repeat this technique several times to adapt to the correct and confident execution of the exercise, helping to contract the orbicularis oris muscle mentally and starting to tense it simultaneously with inhalation. As you exhale, relax your lips, moving your fingers slightly away from the skin. Feel the relaxation spreading from the corners of your mouth to the periphery of your face.

Performing lip gymnastics exercises.

While looking at yourself in the mirror, place your fingers on the edges of your lips. The fingers lie softly and only press slightly inward.

In this exercise, you should try to move your lips towards the center as much as possible, but your fingers should press down the skin at the edges of the lips so that the corners of the mouth remain in place.

Helping mentally, simultaneously with inhalation, increase the strength of squeezing your lips to the limit. Count down 6 seconds to yourself and relax your lips at the same time as you exhale, moving your fingers slightly away from your lips.

Repeat the exercise 4-5 more times with breaks of 2-3 seconds between tensions.

You must learn to feel well not only the tension, but also the relaxation of the orbicularis oris muscle: try after each approach to feel the relaxation that spreads from the edges of the lips to the periphery of the face.

During the exercises, carefully watch your face: all other facial muscles should remain relaxed, new folds should not appear on the face or existing folds should deepen.

Perhaps it would be convenient for you to practice with audio accompaniment, reminding you of what you need to pay attention to when doing lip gymnastics. “Audio Support: Orbicularis Oris Exercise” is designed for such an activity.

If this lip gymnastics exercise caused you difficulties, you can take the lesson you need from a trainer via Skype.

About the regularity of training.

To remove wrinkles above the upper lip, achieve lip enlargement at home, eliminate sagging lips, or to return lips to their shape and color, it is advisable to train 5-6 times a week. To remove wrinkles above the upper lip or sagging lips, to obtain lip augmentation at home in a short time, you need to gradually, over 2-4 weeks, increase the number of repetitions of tension to 10-12. With such training, a visible effect can be achieved after 2-3 months of training.

To prevent wrinkles and thinning lips, and maintain normal blood circulation, it is enough to exercise 1-2 times a week.

Training the orbicularis oris muscle will give you the ability to easily express and use emotions without the fear of getting wrinkles, as your skin will become more elastic.