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Strong throat muscles are important for a variety of reasons, including improving swallowing, reducing snoring, and improving sleep apnea. Swallowing exercises, such as tongue-strengthening and larynx-lifting exercises, can help increase the strength and mobility of the muscles in the throat, improving swallowing ability. Additionally, mouth and throat exercises, such as pronouncing vowel sounds, singing, and myofunctional therapy, can help reduce snoring and improve sleep apnea by toning and strengthening the muscles around the airway. These exercises can lead to better sleep and improved health and quality of life.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Larynx-lifting exercises | Help improve swallowing by increasing the strength and mobility of the muscles of your larynx (voice box) |
| Mendelsohn maneuver | Swallow and use throat muscles to stop your Adam's apple at its highest point for a few seconds |
| Falsetto exercise | Use your voice to slide up the pitch scale as high as you can, hold the high note for several seconds with as much strength as possible |
| Myofunctional therapy | Improve muscle strength in the mouth, face, and throat, as well as encourage proper tongue posture and breathing |
| Nasal breathing exercises | Improve strength and muscle tone in the mouth and throat area, encourage breathing through the nose, and maintain an open airway during sleep |
| Singing exercises | Strengthen and tone mouth and throat muscles |
| Tongue-strengthening exercises | Improve swallowing by increasing tongue strength and mobility |
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What You'll Learn
Tongue-strengthening exercises
- Inhale and hold your breath tightly. Bear down as if having a bowel movement and then swallow while continuing to hold your breath. This is called a super-supraglottic swallow.
- Pretend to gargle while holding your tongue back as far as possible.
- Pretend to yawn while holding your tongue back as far as possible.
- Perform a dry swallow, squeezing all your swallowing muscles tightly, as if swallowing a vitamin without water.
- Stick your tongue out as far as you can, hold it steady and straight for 5 seconds, relax, and repeat 5 times.
- Pull your tongue back as far as it will go, as if trying to touch the back of your tongue to the roof of your mouth (similar to making a /k/ sound). Hold for 5 seconds, relax, and repeat 5 times.
- Alternate between sticking out your tongue and pulling it back, holding each position for 5 seconds.
These exercises should be performed without any food or drink in the mouth, and it is important to only stretch the tongue muscles without causing any pain. Practising these tongue-strengthening exercises consistently, along with other types of swallowing exercises, can effectively improve swallowing ability and prevent aspiration.
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Larynx-lifting exercises
Mendelsohn Manoeuvre
- Begin the process of swallowing.
- Use your throat muscles to stop your Adam's apple, also known as the larynx or voice box, at its highest point for a couple of seconds. Initially, you may need to use your fingers to help keep it up until you understand the movement.
- Finally, complete the swallow by allowing your Adam's apple to return to its resting position.
Falsetto Exercise
- Use your voice to slide up the pitch scale as high as possible, to a high, squeaky voice.
- Hold the highest note for several seconds with as much strength as you can muster.
- While doing this, gently pull up on your Adam's apple.
Both of these exercises help lift the larynx, which may improve your swallowing ability. It is important to consult a speech-language pathologist (SLP) or a medical professional, who can advise on the specific exercises to perform and the frequency of practice. In many cases, these exercises need to be performed several times a day for the best results.
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Mouth and throat exercises
Tongue-strengthening exercises
These exercises can help improve your swallowing and are often prescribed by a speech-language pathologist (SLP). One such exercise involves extending your tongue to the bumpy part on the top of your mouth right behind your teeth, then curling your tongue back toward the back of your mouth as far as possible. Hold for a few seconds, then repeat 5 times.
Larynx-lifting exercises
These exercises help improve the strength and mobility of the muscles of your larynx (voice box) and may, in turn, improve your ability to swallow. One such exercise is the Mendelsohn maneuver: start to swallow, then use your throat muscles to stop your Adam's apple at its highest point for a couple of seconds. Then, finish the swallow by letting your Adam's apple return to its resting position.
Myofunctional therapy
This is a set of exercises that can improve muscle strength in the mouth, face, and throat, as well as encourage proper tongue posture and breathing.
Throat crunch exercise
Lie on your back with your head hanging down over the edge of a table or bed. Use the muscles at the front of your neck to lift your head up until your chin touches or comes close to touching your chest. Repeat this exercise 10 times daily.
Vowel sounds
Take time each day to pronounce vowel sounds, exaggerating and drawing out the sounds for several seconds. This can strengthen throat muscles.
Singing
Daily singing exercises may also strengthen and tone mouth and throat muscles.
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Myofunctional therapy
The exercises involved in myofunctional therapy include those that target the facial muscles used for chewing and swallowing. Tongue exercises are also included, which help to strengthen the tongue and improve its range of motion. For example, one exercise involves placing a button between the teeth and lips and then pursing the lips and pulling the button outward with a string. This exercise is repeated 10 times and can be made more challenging by placing the button flat between the lips.
The length of myofunctional therapy treatment depends on the individual's specific needs and conditions. It is typically prescribed by a myofunctional therapist, who will create a treatment plan tailored to the patient's requirements. The exercises are generally recommended to be performed consistently for at least three months, with 8 to 30 minutes of practice per day.
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Singing exercises
Improving the strength and flexibility of your throat muscles through singing exercises can enhance your vocal range and help you produce clearer, more resonant sounds. Here are some specific singing exercises to improve your throat muscles:
Humming
Humming is an excellent way to warm up your throat and vocal cords. Start by
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Frequently asked questions
There are several exercises that can help strengthen throat muscles, including:
- Singing or pronouncing vowel sounds
- Tongue-strengthening exercises
- Larynx-lifting exercises
- Myofunctional therapy
Tongue-strengthening exercises can be done in several ways, including:
- Sticking your tongue out and trying to touch your chin, holding for 10-15 seconds, and gradually increasing the duration.
- Pressing your tongue against the roof of your mouth and holding for 10 seconds.
- Putting the tip of your tongue against your lower front teeth and pushing the back of your tongue against the floor of your mouth, holding for 10 seconds.
Larynx-lifting exercises are done to help improve swallowing. They involve swallowing and using your throat muscles to stop your Adam’s apple at its highest point for a few seconds.
Myofunctional therapy is a set of exercises that can improve muscle strength in the mouth, face, and throat, as well as encourage proper tongue posture and breathing.
