Tongue Range of Motion Exercises

Keep the Muscles in Your Mouth Moving! The tongue is a very important muscle for swallowing and speaking. These exercises are designed to increase the range of motion of your tongue. When doing these exercises, it is important to move your tongue 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.

RANGE OF MOTION:

1. Tongue Extension

• Stick your tongue out as far as you can.
• Hold your tongue steady and straight for 5 seconds.
• Relax and Repeat 5 times.

2. Tongue Retraction

• Pull back your tongue as far as it will go. Imagine you are trying to touch the back of your tongue to the roof of your mouth (as if making a /k/ sound).
• Hold for 5 seconds.
• Relax and Repeat 5 times.

3. Tongue Extension and Retraction

• Go back and forth between the two exercises above, hold each position for 5 seconds.
• Relax and Repeat 5 times.

4. Tongue Tip Up

• Place tongue on the bumpy area behind your top teeth or gumline.
• Open mouth as wide as possible with tongue tip firmly in place. Still complete this exercise even if the tip of your tongue does not reach the top of your mouth.
• Hold for 5 seconds.
• Relax and Repeat 5 times.

5. Tongue Side To Side

• Stick tongue out. Move your tongue tip to left side of mouth, reach as far as it will go. Hold for 5 seconds.
• Move your tongue tip to right side of mouth, reach as far as it will go. Hold for 5 seconds.
• Relax and Repeat 5 times.

Your tongue will get tired! That is okay. Take breaks as needed. Think of these exercises as a “work out” for the muscles important to swallowing.

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

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