Pooping isn’t something most of us give much thought to doing. You sit, go, get up, and get on with your day.
But there’s more to pooping than you might think. Do it in the wrong position and chronic constipation could be in your future.
People have been squatting to poop for centuries. It’s only fairly recently that we started sitting on toilets, and experts say this position makes it harder to fully empty our bowels.
When you poop, you’re supposed to relax your pelvic floor — the muscles that act like a sling to support your intestines, your bladder, and the other organs inside your pelvis. Sitting makes you tighten instead of relax those muscles and forces you to strain to empty your bowels.
You don’t have to abandon the toilet completely — you can just change the way you sit on it. Here’s how to put your body in the optimum pooping position.
