This is where the viral Squatty Potty—or something like it—comes into play. (Yes, they are scientifically proven to help.) Slide a stool (like this fancy one, or any of these) under your feet so your knees are above your hips, Barten says. Even a mini trash can can work—anything that prevents your legs from resting at a 90-degree angle.
Take some calm, deep breaths
Next, relax your body. Doing so can help ease tension in your pelvic floor and abdominal muscles. When those areas are tight, there’s less room for stool to squeeze by, Dr. Rajapaksa says. When they’re calm and loose, your brain sends a signal to your rectum that it’s time to open the gates.
To get there, Barten recommends practicing deep, gentle diaphragmatic breathing while on the toilet. Don’t overthink it: Just take 5 to 10 gentle, deep inhales and exhales. You want to imagine air traveling from your nose, through your stomach, and out of your bottom, Barten says. Barten also recommends lifting one knee to your chest and then repeating the exercise with the other knee to open up the pelvic floor, or doing any of the pre-pot stretches listed above.
Push—but don’t strain
If nothing’s happening, don’t force it. Yes, you want to squeeze slightly, but it’s best to avoid straining. To push properly, engage your abdominal muscles and, as Barten sings in her parody of the Spice Girls called Wanna Poo, “breathe and bear down and start to feel it crown.” A few clues you’re overdoing it: You’re holding your breath, squirming around in discomfort, or your sphincter is clenching (remember, the goal is for everything to relax).
The ideal push, according to Barten, should feel more like passing gas. “Imagine you’re in a quiet room and you want to pass gas very quietly so that no one hears,” says Barten. That’s the ticket.
Don’t linger on the pot
Barten says you shouldn’t hang out on the toilet for longer than 5 to 10 minutes. “If nothing’s happening, try later,” Dr. Rajapaksa advises. Sitting in that position for too long can stress your anal blood vessels and up your risk of hemorrhoids. If things still won’t budge, and you’re not going to the bathroom more than three times per week, here are four remedies that can help ease constipation.
Keep unnecessary wiping to a minimum
In a perfect world, you won’t need to use a half-roll of toilet paper each time you go. “You should be able to wipe with one or two pieces of toilet paper and be clean,” Dr. Rajapaksa says, as too much can agitate or even break the skin around your anus. “That can be painful and irritating or it could bleed, but also those tiny breaks in the skin could let bacteria enter and cause infection,” says Dr. Rajapaksa.
If you struggle with repeated swiping, consider wet wipes. (Just be sure to throw them away—don’t flush, as doing so can clog pipes.) And whether you’re using wet or dry, don’t forget to wipe front to back to avoid giving yourself a urinary tract infection. If you really want to up your bathroom experience, you can try a bidet, which is a plumbing fixture (you can usually install yourself) that can eliminate the need for toilet paper in general and be gentler on your skin and anus. See our favorite bidets here.
Instill good “maintenance” habits
Ideally, your poop should come out looking like a long, single, smooth sausage, or something that looks like corn on the cob. If you’re backed up, bloated, have to wipe endlessly, or notice that your bowel movements are soft, sticky, or loose, pay attention to how much fiber you’re eating, as taking in too much or too little can cause issues. (Women should aim for 25 to 30 grams per day, while men should take in 38 grams per day). Look at your water intake too, as dehydration can slow things down. Aim for roughly 8 to 10 cups a day, or as much that makes your urine light yellow.
A sedentary lifestyle is also a recipe for constipation, and as Dr. Rajapaksa says, the more you move, the more your colon moves. Finally, if things seem off—if you’re in pain or constantly have diarrhea—then it might be time to talk with a gastroenterologist. They can run some tests to figure out what’s going on and recommend tips or treatments to get your bowels running smoothly again.
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