By Cynthia Rowland

Strappy sandals with colorful toe nails, tan limbs, easy-breezy haircuts, aromatic suntan lotions and wild-patterned beachwear. Ahhhh, summer!

There’s a lot of preparation that goes into getting ready for summer. Many people begin working out months in advance with a vengeance so they can sport toned, washboard abs, tighter thighs and hips and shapely arms. They carefully shop for the perfect outfits, shoes, bathing suits and revealing togs to compliment the newly sleek physique.

Getting ready for fun in the sun basically encompasses the region from the neck down to the toes and most people forget to include their faces in the regimen. Sure, they remember to slather on sun block, wear a hat and sunglasses, and are careful not to overexpose their bodies with too much sun but the fact remains that unattended faces can make one look older than their years.

An unattended face is droopy because skin care is not enough; there are jowls and pouches, thin unexpressive lips and usually a double chin or tired, lined eyes. Most people are unaware that exercise can work for the face just as it works for the body. Just like your body, your face has muscles under the skin and these facial muscles require exercise to keep the skin from dragging downward. When the skin loses its resiliency the facial muscles no longer support the cheeks, lower mouth or forehead and a misshapen face develops over time. Even lips will lose fullness as the face loses volume.

How does one recapture a youthful visage? Will creams, lotions and potions reverse sagging muscles and make the skin tighter? Only if they would; we could all have toned tightened skin on every area of our body. Just think about it…sagging underarms – no problem, let’s just slap on a little cream or rear-end looking a little droopy – where’s that magic potion? Alas, that’s not possible.

Surgery for the face and lips has become epidemic yet there are many men and women who would rather count on natural methods to help them look their best. Nothing beats exercise. It forces oxygenated blood to the tissue, helps you look healthier and feel more alive. Imagine a younger looking face to match that new “ready for summer” body using an exercise routine that can be completed in just minutes a day. Not all exercise programs are created equal so for optimum results, choose one that offers isometric and resistance type movements.

In the face, the muscles are attached to bone on only one end; the other end inserts into another muscle or the skin. To achieve resistance the muscle and skin must be anchored. Only when the muscle is anchored can a contraction occur and when this happens, the muscle responds by tightening and repositioning; the face looks younger because the muscles, just below the skin, are in much better physical condition.

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