Practice these 5 exercises for better sleep quality
What's the story
The genioglossus muscle is vital for swallowing, speaking, and most importantly keeping the airway open during sleep. By strengthening this muscle, you can improve its functionality and decrease the likelihood of sleep-related breathing disorders. In this article, we will discuss five exercises that can help you strengthen your genioglossus muscle and improve its functionality.
Push-ups
Tongue push-ups for muscle activation
You have to push your tongue against the roof of your mouth, hold it there for a few seconds, and then release it. This exercise creates resistance, which in turn activates and strengthens the genioglossus muscle. By doing 10 repetitions, three times a day, you can greatly enhance muscle tone over time.
Stretching
Enhancing strength with tongue stretching
This exercise is pretty straightforward - stick out your tongue as far as you can, then try to touch your nose with the tip. Next, attempt to touch your chin. This stretch is great for improving the flexibility and strength of not only your genioglossus but also other muscles involved in moving your tongue. Performing this stretch for five repetitions twice a day can lead to significant improvements.
Presses
Resistance training with tongue presses
By pressing down on your tongue with a depressor or a clean spoon, and then pushing your tongue against these objects, you're essentially giving your genioglossus muscle a mini workout. This is like weightlifting for your tongue, building both strength and endurance. Three sets of 10 presses a day should be enough to effectively engage and strengthen this crucial muscle.
Breathing
Improving functionality with breathing exercises
Exercises that emphasize diaphragmatic/deep breathing can strengthen the genioglossus muscle indirectly by enhancing overall respiratory strength and efficiency. By inhaling deeply through the nose to the point that your stomach expands (not your chest), you are training your throat muscles including your genioglossus to work harder. Doing this exercise for 10 minutes daily can significantly improve both respiratory function and throat muscle tone.
Singing
Boosting endurance with singing or humming practices
Regularly singing or humming is a great way to exercise your throat muscles, including the genioglossus. Both of these activities naturally involve controlled movements of the tongue, offering it a gentle yet effective workout. Just 15 minutes of daily singing or humming can greatly improve the endurance and strength of these muscles over time.