Eva Fraser's Facial Workout
Apr. 22nd, 2011 05:02 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
narcasseNot so long ago I started coming across this fairly frequently as a method of quick and easy facelift. I'm sure it works since Slendertone products do tend to provide a quick and dirty method of creating muscle definition, if you've let your exercise regime slip by the wayside for a short while, but they're also rather expensive for what they do. This latest product retailing at a much higher price than the rest of their range. I can't say that I wasn't tempted because I have been indulging in a certain degree of self-absorbed discontent about the definition of my facial features over the last two months or so. I can't really pinpoint where that began but it's probably had a fair bit to do with discovering an old ID photograph of myself at the very tail end of my late teens, where my skin really did have the appearance of being shockingly flawless but my facial features were equally alarmingly undefined. These days, while my skin does show some concession to time, my features are quite wonderfully defined, save for a few minor imperfections that have been beginning to irritate me, to the point where I pondered looking into liposuction, albeit not entirely seriously.
Since I wasn't going to fork over £300 for a machine to do all the work, or honestly consider a surgeon to correct only minor issues that centred around the zygomaticus major, some kind of facial workout book was in order. I wasn't really sure where to start when it came to that but since The Telegraph ran an article recommending Eva Fraser that seemed a sensible place to start. I picked up a copy of Eva Fraser's Facial Workout and only really had a look at it last night, the result of which being that I went to bed, having just done the warm-up exercises with the muscle directly around my eyes aching. Despite knowing that previously underutilised muscles, once put to work, would ache, I was fairly stunned by the actual evidence and really too surprised and sore to attempt anything further last night.
This morning, the warm-up section was far easier to manage, most likely because of a bit of luck on my part with muscle memory. There is after all no reason why muscle memory for the face might work any differently to the rest of the body, in which case my facial muscles are certainly a step ahead of my arms. Having made it through the warm-up without incident, I managed the basic workout that followed, though afterwards my entire face was sore enough that I couldn't tolerate any pressure against it, which made attempting a nap somewhat interesting. The result of which being that I am reconsidering my opinion of this which I'd seen advertised as useful in cosmetic surgery recovery, among other things. I did manage something of a Bank Holiday lie-in, flat on my back, and, being something of a masochist when it comes to exercise, when I woke up again decided to go through the whole thing again. The book recommends doing the basic workout twice a day, steadily, until you have a good grasp of it, after which you add on the basic workout plus program as well.
What's been quite interesting so far is where my face aches specifically. The muscles around my eyes seemed to cope quite well after the initial shock, and while the odd bone grinding noises haven't entirely dissipated when it comes to the neck warm up, I'm not experiencing any ache of any kind there. That may of course be due to the very same neck exercises being part of the warm-up routine at the dance class I haven't been to for over a month now, so my neck muscles may be fairly well conditioned already. The main source of a fairly low grade ache seems to be around my cheekbones. I am feeling something of a pull at the outer sides of my eyes as well but it's of minimal distraction. In fact, what's surprised me most about the basic workout is just how mobile my cheeks are in the first place. It's not something I've ever thought about, though, in hindsight, it's probably more of a surprise that I hadn't managed to connect the fact that I can only wear small framed glasses because otherwise my cheeks will keep bumping against the frames when I laugh, to what that meant in terms of facial mobility.
I am intending to keep up with this, as well as get back to both the gym and the above mentioned class, and I expect that the initial muscular ache will fade with time as I get use to using hitherto underutilised muscles. The initial results certainly seem to suggest that this program may well work wonders for my face. I just need to reach the point where afterwards it doesn't hurt to smile as a result.
Since I wasn't going to fork over £300 for a machine to do all the work, or honestly consider a surgeon to correct only minor issues that centred around the zygomaticus major, some kind of facial workout book was in order. I wasn't really sure where to start when it came to that but since The Telegraph ran an article recommending Eva Fraser that seemed a sensible place to start. I picked up a copy of Eva Fraser's Facial Workout and only really had a look at it last night, the result of which being that I went to bed, having just done the warm-up exercises with the muscle directly around my eyes aching. Despite knowing that previously underutilised muscles, once put to work, would ache, I was fairly stunned by the actual evidence and really too surprised and sore to attempt anything further last night.
This morning, the warm-up section was far easier to manage, most likely because of a bit of luck on my part with muscle memory. There is after all no reason why muscle memory for the face might work any differently to the rest of the body, in which case my facial muscles are certainly a step ahead of my arms. Having made it through the warm-up without incident, I managed the basic workout that followed, though afterwards my entire face was sore enough that I couldn't tolerate any pressure against it, which made attempting a nap somewhat interesting. The result of which being that I am reconsidering my opinion of this which I'd seen advertised as useful in cosmetic surgery recovery, among other things. I did manage something of a Bank Holiday lie-in, flat on my back, and, being something of a masochist when it comes to exercise, when I woke up again decided to go through the whole thing again. The book recommends doing the basic workout twice a day, steadily, until you have a good grasp of it, after which you add on the basic workout plus program as well.
What's been quite interesting so far is where my face aches specifically. The muscles around my eyes seemed to cope quite well after the initial shock, and while the odd bone grinding noises haven't entirely dissipated when it comes to the neck warm up, I'm not experiencing any ache of any kind there. That may of course be due to the very same neck exercises being part of the warm-up routine at the dance class I haven't been to for over a month now, so my neck muscles may be fairly well conditioned already. The main source of a fairly low grade ache seems to be around my cheekbones. I am feeling something of a pull at the outer sides of my eyes as well but it's of minimal distraction. In fact, what's surprised me most about the basic workout is just how mobile my cheeks are in the first place. It's not something I've ever thought about, though, in hindsight, it's probably more of a surprise that I hadn't managed to connect the fact that I can only wear small framed glasses because otherwise my cheeks will keep bumping against the frames when I laugh, to what that meant in terms of facial mobility.
I am intending to keep up with this, as well as get back to both the gym and the above mentioned class, and I expect that the initial muscular ache will fade with time as I get use to using hitherto underutilised muscles. The initial results certainly seem to suggest that this program may well work wonders for my face. I just need to reach the point where afterwards it doesn't hurt to smile as a result.
