Here's How You Should Be Pooping

After your body absorbs the nutrients from the food you eat, the remaining undigested food travels through your digestive system to be broken down and turned into waste. When this waste makes its way to your colon (large intestine), it’s softened and formed into stool. The process of passing stool through your rectum and anal opening is called a bowel movement—also known as pooping.

Many people don’t think about the position they adopt when they’re having a bowel movement, but it can matter. If you often experience constipation, changing your posture may help to relieve your symptoms and make pooping less difficult.

There are a few ideal positions that can help you have a bowel movement more easily, as well as a few other ways to relieve symptoms of constipation.

What Positions Help You Poop?

Most people in the United States and other Western countries sit upright on the toilet with their feet placed flat on the floor when they go to the bathroom. But this position may actually make you more prone to straining, hemorrhoids (swollen veins around the anus and rectum), constipation, and even digestive disorders. 

For example, one study found diverticulosis—a condition that causes small bulges to develop in the intestinal walls—was more common among people who used “Western-style” toilets (i.e., ones that encourage the user to sit in an upright position). 

In some parts of the world, such as the Middle East and Africa, squatting is the preferred position during a bowel movement. Research suggests squatting has several advantages in terms of health benefits and preventing constipation. 

Squatting places less pressure on the internal organs, relaxes the rectal muscles, and straightens out the anorectal angle (the angle at which the anal canal meets the rectum). This allows the bowels to be emptied out more easily. Meanwhile, sitting upright increases the anorectal angle and makes it harder for feces to exit your body.

If you’d like to adopt a version of a “squatting” position when pooping, you can try out a defecation posture modification device (DPMD)—also known as a toilet stool or potty stool. While sitting on the toilet, you can place your feet flat on the stool in front of you. This keeps your knees tilted upward and your legs spread and raised above your hips. In one study, researchers found people who used DPMDs for two weeks were able to empty their bowels more quickly, completely, and comfortably.

In addition to squatting, here are a few ways to position yourself to pass a bowel movement easily:

• Lean forward: Leaning forward and placing your elbows and forearms on your thighs can make it easier to poop. If you struggle to breathe deeply in this position, you may want to consider installing a grab-bar in your bathroom next to the toilet. This can help you stay “braced” and secure when you use the toilet without straining your breathing. 
• Sit with hips flexed: If you don’t want to adopt a squatting-like position, you can try sitting with your hips flexed at 60 degrees or more. There is some evidence that “hip-flex sitting” while you use the toilet can reduce abdominal strain and make it easier to poop. 
• Relax: Keep your stomach and rectum as relaxed as possible during a bowel movement to encourage stool to pass through easily. 

Finally, it’s best not to spend too long on the toilet. Spending more than about 10 minutes at a time on the toilet may increase your risk of developing hemorrhoids. If you’re having trouble emptying your bowels, don’t strain or push. Just try again later.

Signs of Constipation

If you have infrequent bowel movements or trouble pooping for three weeks or more, you may be constipated. Signs and symptoms of constipation include:

• Producing hard, pebble-like, dry, lumpy, or stringy stool
• Having difficulty passing stools
• Experiencing pain while pooping
• Feeling like your bowels aren’t fully empty even after you go to the bathroom
• Having fewer than three bowel movements a week

Constipation has many different potential causes. Some of the most common underlying causes for constipation include:

• Dehydration
• Low fiber intake
• Certain medications
• Pelvic floor disorders
• Irritable bowel syndrome 
• Pregnancy
• Hormonal conditions, such as hypothyroidism
• Metabolic disorders, including diabetes
• Intestinal obstructions
• Dietary changes

How Can You Make Pooping Easier?

In addition to adopting certain positions when you go to the bathroom, there are many changes you can make to relieve chronic constipation and prevent it in the future. Staying hydrated and getting enough fiber are the key first steps in regulating your bowel movements.

You can increase your fiber intake by eating fiber-rich foods like leafy greens, fruits, legumes, and whole grains, or by taking a fiber supplement.

To make your bowel movements easier, you can also try:

• Going to the bathroom at the same time each day
• Going to the bathroom as soon as you need to, and never holding in a bowel movement
• Trying to poop about 15-45 minutes after breakfast or lunch
• Drinking coffee
• Exercising regularly
• Taking magnesium supplements
  
• Taking over-the-counter (OTC) stool softeners or stimulant laxatives, if necessary
  

When to Contact a Healthcare Provider

Occasional constipation isn’t typically a sign of a serious problem. However, you should contact a healthcare provider if your symptoms persist or don’t get better over time. 

If you think a medication you’re taking could be causing your constipation, you may want to discuss alternative drug options with your healthcare provider. You can also talk to your healthcare provider about prescription laxatives if your symptoms don’t go away.

You should seek medical help if you go three or more days without pooping, or if you notice any of the following signs:

• Severe stomach pain
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Bloody stool
• Rectal bleeding
• Chronic bloating
• Mucus or pus passing with your stool
• Unexplained weight loss
• Fatigue
• Fever

A Quick Review

If you sometimes have trouble pooping, adjusting your posture may make things easier. Try to imitate the squatting position by keeping your legs lifted and spread apart. You can use a toilet stool to keep your hips flexed and your legs tilted upward. It may also be helpful to lean forward, place your hands or elbows on your thighs, and relax your stomach. 

If you are experiencing constipation—having fewer than three bowel movements per week—try increasing your fiber intake and drinking more water. If self-care measures and OTC laxatives don’t help, or you start to have symptoms like stomach pain or bloody stool, reach out to a healthcare provider for advice.