Can Your Tongue Get Stronger? The Surprising Health Benefits of Lingual Exercises

September 21, 2025 •

5 min read

The tongue is not a single muscle, but a complex group of eight different intrinsic and extrinsic muscles that allow for a remarkable range of motion and function. Like any other muscle group in the body, the tongue can be strengthened through regular exercise. So, can your tongue get stronger? The answer is a definitive yes, with significant health implications.

Quick Summary

Yes, strengthening your tongue is possible through targeted exercises and can improve swallowing, speech clarity, and even reduce symptoms of snoring and sleep apnea. These benefits stem from increased muscle endurance and mobility, promoting better oral function.

Key Points

Tongue is a Muscle: The tongue is not one muscle, but a complex group of eight that can be strengthened through targeted exercises, much like any other skeletal muscle in the body.
Improves Swallowing: Strengthening the tongue is a key therapy for dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, by improving the control and force needed to move food safely.
Enhances Speech: Coordinated tongue exercises can improve articulation and reduce slurred speech, particularly in individuals with conditions affecting motor control.
Reduces Snoring and Sleep Apnea: A strong tongue helps maintain an open airway during sleep, reducing the risk of obstruction that causes snoring and symptoms of OSA.
Supports Oral and General Health: Proper tongue posture, maintained by strength, can alleviate jaw pain (TMJ), correct poor body posture, and prevent dental issues like shifting teeth.
Variety of Exercises: Effective exercises range from simple tongue stretches and side-to-side movements to resistance training with a spoon and effortful swallowing techniques.

Understanding the Anatomy of Your Tongue

Far from a simple mass of tissue, your tongue is a dynamic and intricate muscular organ essential for critical functions like chewing, swallowing, speaking, and breathing. It is composed of two main groups of muscles:

Intrinsic Muscles: These four muscles are located entirely within the tongue and are responsible for changing its shape, allowing it to lengthen, shorten, narrow, and flatten. This control is vital for forming speech sounds.
Extrinsic Muscles: These four muscles originate outside the tongue and insert into it, allowing it to move in and out, side to side, and up and down. These are crucial for positioning the tongue during swallowing and chewing.

Like any skeletal muscles in the body, the tongue's muscles can lose strength and tone over time, especially with age. However, just as you can strengthen your biceps with resistance training, you can train your tongue muscles to improve their function and endurance.

The Health Benefits of a Stronger Tongue

A strong, coordinated tongue is vital for more than just eating and talking. Its overall strength and resting posture can have a ripple effect on your general health and well-being. Regular lingual exercises are shown to produce a number of notable health benefits:

Improved Swallowing (Dysphagia): One of the most significant benefits is improving swallowing function. Weak tongue muscles can make it difficult to move food around in the mouth and push it down the throat properly, increasing the risk of choking. Targeted exercises can improve the strength and coordination needed for a safe swallow.
Better Speech Articulation (Dysarthria): Clear speech relies on precise and controlled tongue movements. Strengthening the tongue can help individuals with conditions that cause slurred or muffled speech, such as dysarthria, to produce sounds more accurately and clearly.
Reduced Snoring and Sleep Apnea: A weak tongue is prone to relaxing and collapsing backward into the throat during sleep, which can obstruct the airway. Strengthening the tongue and surrounding muscles can keep the airway open, significantly reducing snoring and alleviating symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
Enhanced Oral Posture and Jaw Health: Poor resting tongue posture—when the tongue rests on the floor of the mouth instead of the palate—is linked to jaw pain, teeth grinding (bruxism), and poor body posture. Practicing proper tongue posture, supported by muscle strength, can help mitigate these issues.
Improved Vocal Control: Singers and voice actors often perform tongue exercises to relieve muscle tension and improve resonance and vocal clarity. A flexible, strong tongue offers greater control over vocal production.

Effective Tongue Strengthening Exercises

Exercises for the tongue are collectively known as oral motor exercises or lingual resistance training. These can be done with or without resistance, using simple tools like a spoon or tongue depressor.

Here are several effective exercises you can incorporate into your routine:

Resistance Push-ups: Stick your tongue out and push the tip against the back of a spoon. Simultaneously, push the spoon back against your tongue. Hold for 5 seconds and repeat 10 times. Vary the direction by pushing against the sides, top, and bottom of your tongue.
Roof of Mouth Push: Press the entire surface of your tongue firmly against the roof of your mouth, as if suctioning it. Hold for 5-10 seconds, then relax. Repeat 10 times. You can also try to "swallow" this suction for an effortful swallow.
Side-to-Side Stretch: Extend your tongue out as far as possible towards the corner of your mouth. Hold for a count of five, then move to the opposite corner. Repeat 5-10 times.
Effortful Swallow: Swallowing as hard as you can activates and strengthens all the muscles involved in the process, including the tongue. Perform this exercise with saliva, swallowing as if you are trying to swallow a large pill.
Tongue-Hold Swallow (Masako Maneuver): Gently hold the tip of your tongue between your front teeth. In this position, perform a swallow. This forces the back of the tongue to work harder to compensate, strengthening its base. Do this only as prescribed by a professional, as it can put stress on other swallowing muscles.

Causes of Tongue Weakness

While age-related sarcopenia is a common factor in tongue weakening, it is not the only cause. Several other conditions can compromise tongue strength and function, including:

Neurological Conditions: Diseases such as stroke, Parkinson's disease, muscular dystrophies, and dementia can affect the nerves and muscles that control the tongue, leading to weakness and incoordination.
Head and Neck Cancer: Radiation and chemotherapy treatments for head and neck cancers can damage oral tissues and muscles, resulting in tongue weakness and swallowing difficulties.
Tongue-Tie (Ankyloglossia): A condition where the frenulum (the band of tissue connecting the tongue to the floor of the mouth) is too short or tight, restricting tongue movement and potentially limiting strength.
Poor Oral Habits: Long-term poor tongue posture or constant mouth breathing can cause the tongue muscles to become inactive and lose tone over time.

Comparing Common Tongue Exercises


Exercise	Primary Focus	Benefits	Potential Downsides
Resistance Push-ups	Overall strength and coordination	Highly effective for building strength and endurance in multiple tongue muscles. Improves clarity of speech.	Can be challenging initially; requires consistency.
Effortful Swallow	Swallowing muscles, including tongue base	Strengthens all swallowing muscles simultaneously, addressing dysphagia. Promotes proper swallowing coordination.	Less focused on specific tongue-tip or side muscle strength.
Tongue-Hold Swallow	Back of tongue (tongue base) strength	Specifically targets and strengthens the base of the tongue, crucial for propelling food.	Should be used cautiously and under professional guidance due to potential strain.
Side-to-Side Stretch	Range of motion and mobility	Improves flexibility and coordination of tongue movements. Important for speech and food manipulation.	Does not build significant resistance strength on its own.

Seeking Professional Guidance

If you experience chronic issues with swallowing, speech, or suspect tongue weakness, it is best to consult a healthcare professional. A speech-language pathologist (SLP) is specially trained to assess oral motor function and design a personalized plan of exercises. For complex issues, a dental professional or an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) doctor can also offer specialized insights. You can find comprehensive resources and information on swallowing and tongue-related disorders through authoritative sources like the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). Visit their website for more information on the role of an SLP in treating communication and swallowing disorders. https://www.asha.org

Conclusion

While often overlooked, your tongue is a powerful muscle that significantly impacts your overall health. From improving speech and swallowing to reducing snoring and supporting proper posture, the benefits of a stronger tongue are undeniable. Incorporating a few simple exercises into your daily routine can help you maintain or improve this vital muscular organ's strength and endurance, contributing to a healthier and more comfortable life.

Frequently Asked Questions

The time it takes to notice improvement varies based on consistency, the severity of weakness, and the exercises performed. However, with regular practice (e.g., a few times daily), many people report noticeable improvements in swallowing and speech within a few weeks to a few months.

While many basic tongue exercises are safe to perform at home, a speech-language pathologist (SLP) is the best resource for diagnosing the root cause of weakness and prescribing a tailored, effective exercise program, especially for serious conditions like dysphagia.

Yes, targeted tongue and oral motor exercises can strengthen the muscles that keep the airway open during sleep, reducing obstruction. Studies have shown these exercises can help alleviate symptoms of mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

This is a common myth. The tongue is not a single muscle but eight, and while incredibly agile and powerful for its size, other muscles (like the masseter in the jaw) can generate more force. Its strength comes from its coordinated movement, not pure power.

Tongue exercises are generally very safe. The main risks are pain or discomfort if overexerting yourself. If you experience any pain, stop the exercise and consult with a healthcare provider. Always follow proper technique and avoid injury.

The correct resting posture involves the tongue gently resting against the roof of the mouth, not the bottom or pressed against the teeth. The tip should be positioned just behind your front teeth.

Yes, long-term poor tongue posture can influence facial structure. Resting the tongue at the bottom of the mouth can lead to a longer, flatter facial shape or a jutting chin over time, while proper posture can support facial alignment.