Resistance Exercises for the Tongue

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 strength 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.

RESISTANCE EXERCISES:

1. Tongue Push Forward

• Stick out your tongue as far as you can.
• Put something flat (back of a spoon or a tongue depressor) against your tongue.
• Push your tongue tip against the flat object at the same time as you push the flat object against your tongue.
• Hold for 5 seconds. Repeat 5 times.

2. Tongue Push Up

• Push down on your tongue with a tongue depressor and push up with your tongue at the same time.
• Hold 5 seconds. Repeat 5 times.

3. Roof of Mouth Push up

• Push your tongue up to the roof of your mouth as hard as you can.
• Hold for 5 seconds.
• Repeat 5 times.

4. Tongue Push To The Side

• Extend your tongue as far as possible to the corner of your mouth, then press against a tongue depressor or back of a spoon.
• Hold for 5 seconds.
• Repeat 5 times.
• Repeat for each side of the mouth.

5. Tongue Inside Push

• Put your fingers on the center of your cheek about 1" from the corner of your mouth.
• Push your tongue against your cheek where your fingers are touching. Push as hard as you can.
• Hold for 5 seconds.
• Relax and Repeat 5 times, for each side of the mouth.

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.

Back to ENT Patient Information