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Exercises for the Lips

Keep the Muscles in Your Mouth Moving! These exercises are designed to increase the range of movement of your lips which will help your speech and swallow functioning. When doing these exercises, it is important to move your lips as far as you can in each direction until you feel the muscles stretch. You shouldn’t feel any pain, only a strong stretch. Do not have any food or drink in your mouth when doing these exercises. Practice these exercises 3 times per day.

Lip Closure:

1. Lip Press

• Press lips tightly together for 5 seconds.
• Relax and repeat 5 times.

2. Lip Press on Tongue Depressor

• Press both lips tightly on a tongue depressor as hard as you can.
• Hold for 5 seconds.
• Relax and Repeat 5 times.

3. Puff Cheeks

• Fill cheeks with air. Hold for 5 seconds.
• Move air from one cheek to the other 5 to 10 times.
• No air should escape from around the lips or the nose.
• Relax and Repeat 5 times.

Lip Range of Motion:

1. Lip Protrusion

• Pucker lips as if you are going to whistle.
• Hold for 10 seconds.
• Relax and Repeat 5 times.

2. Lip Retraction

• Pull lips back into a wide smile.
• Hold for 10 seconds.
• Relax and Repeat 5 times.

Questions? Call UMMC Speech-Language Pathology 601-815-6064.

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