6 Myofunctional Exercises to Breathe Better, Feel Better, and Look Better
Introducing Myofunctional Exercises
Do you ever consider the strength of your mouth, jaw, and tongue? Just like any other muscle group in your body, they require attention and exercise to maintain optimal function. Enter myofunctional exercises – a set of targeted movements designed to strengthen and improve the coordination of the muscles involved in breathing, chewing, swallowing, and speaking.
Beyond just oral health, myofunctional exercises offer a multitude of benefits. They can enhance breathing patterns, alleviate snoring, improve facial aesthetics, and aid in speech therapy. Let’s explore six myofunctional mouth exercises that can help you unlock a new level of health and strength.
- Tongue Scrapes: Begin by placing the tip of your tongue against the roof of your mouth, just behind your front teeth. Press your tongue firmly against the roof of your mouth and pull back, similar to if you were trying to scrape peanut butter from the roof of your mouth. Relax and repeat this movement for 10 repetitions.
Benefits: Strengthening the tongue muscles, improving tongue posture, and stretching the bottom of the tongue.
- Tongue Clicks: Again, begin by placing the tip of your tongue against the roof of your mouth, behind your front teeth. Press and click your tongue forwards, to create an audible clicking sound. Repeat for 10 repetitions.
Benefits: Stretching the bottom of the tongue, strengthening the tongue muscles and posture.
- Teeth Scrapers: Keep your mouth closed and move your tongue to the outside of your front teeth. Gently move your tongue in a circular motion, effectively scraping the outsides of all your teeth. Continue for 30 seconds, then reverse directions and repeat for another 30 seconds.
Benefits: Improves lip seal, tongue strength, and functionality.
- Tongue Resistance: Keep your mouth closed. Place your hand against the side of your face/cheek and try to touch your tongue to your hand, while simultaneously pressing back against the tongue with your hand. Hold for 10 seconds, then relax and repeat on the other side.
Benefits: Strengthening jaw muscles, improving jaw stability, increasing tongue strength and coordination.
- Tongue Pointers: Stick your tongue out, engaging your cheek muscles. Then, rotate your tongue to point straight upwards, straight downwards, and to the left and right sides. Relax and repeat for 10 repetitions.
Benefits: Exercises the cheek and tongue muscles, improving tongue strength and coordination.
- Lip Smacks: Press your lips together and inwards, then press outwards and open your mouth as wide as you can, causing an audible “smack” sound. Continue for 30 seconds.
Benefits: Improving lip seal and exercising the muscles in and around the cheeks.
Incorporating these myofunctional mouth exercises into your daily routine can yield significant improvements in oral health, facial muscle tone, and overall well-being.
Orthodontic Benefits
As Santa Cruz CORE Founder, Jaimi Jansen mentions in the video below, “We don’t chew as much as we used to, because [our] food is more processed. When we chew, it really helps our jaw development/helps our chin come forward…since we’re not doing this as much, these exercises are really helpful,” (1:50).
Jaw Injury Benefits
Jaimi discusses how these mouth exercises (in combination with other treatments) have also helped herself and others in restoring jaw function after traumatic injury to the head and jaw.
Sleep Benefits
Furthermore, regular practice with myofunctional exercises can improve the quality of your sleep. Jaimi explains that without a proper lip seal, and a weak or “lazy” tongue, your mouth will stay open when you’re asleep. This causes snoring, and over-breathing because “you’re getting so much oxygen, but you don’t have the nitrous oxide to do the gas exchange,” (2:40). Sleeping with an open mouth can cause dehydration, as excess saliva is produced and then evaporated, effectively drying out your mouth and muscle tissues.
How Santa Cruz CORE Can Help:
At Santa Cruz CORE Fitness + Rehab, we understand the importance of comprehensive health and wellness, including oral health. Our team of experienced practitioners are here to help target any areas of dysfunction you may be experiencing. In addition to practicing better myofunctional care, you can expand your health and wellness with Santa Cruz CORE’s massage, acupuncture, chiropractic care, osteopathic manual therapy, professional supplementation, and so much more.
Unlock your potential with myofunctional exercises – your mouth will thank you!
Sources:
- Guimaraes KC, Drager LF, Genta PR, Marcondes BF, Lorenzi-Filho G. Effects of oropharyngeal exercises on patients with moderate obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2009;179(10):962-966. doi:10.1164/rccm.200806-981OC Link
- Yoon A, Zaghi S, Ha S, Law C. Potential benefits of myofunctional therapy on reducing symptoms of sleep-disordered breathing: a preliminary systematic review and meta-analysis. Sleep Breath. 2017;21(1):283-294. doi:10.1007/s11325-016-1414-7 Link
- Van Lierde KM, De Bodt M, D’Haeseleer E, et al. The effect of vocal warm-up exercises on the speaking voice of adult women. J Voice. 2010;24(6):726-732. doi:10.1016/j.jvoice.2009.05.002 Link
- Hwang JH, Wu CC, Hsu YW, Liu TC, Yang WS. Myofunctional therapy on sleep-disordered breathing in children: A meta-analysis. World J Meta-Anal. 2021;9(4):269-279. doi:10.13105/wjma.v9.i4.269 Link
- Jansen, Jaimi. “Jaimi Explains: 6 Myofunctional Exercises.” Youtube, uploaded by Santa Cruz CORE, March 21, 2024, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6LlkSabgZw