Ok. I’ll admit. Last week was very “entry-level” when it comes to constipation. And that’s kind of the point! Like the rest of our health, a lot of times little tweaks make all the difference. (pssstttt missed last week? Check out part one here)

Sometimes though, that’s not enough. So what do we do next? We have to check your pooping posture!

Our western toilets are made for ease of getting on and off of them, not for helping us get rid of waste. Our bodies were made to poop in a squat – a deep squat. Western toilets don’t allow for us to fully relax our pelvic floor, requiring an increase in pressure to get stool out.

It’s time to prop up your feet. You can use the squatty potty (if you want a silly giggle go watch this), a stepping stool, a lidded trash can, the edge of your bathtub (if your space allows), yoga blocks, or textbooks! I have had patients use a tissue box in a pinch.

Why does this work? First, we need a little anatomy lesson. There is a small muscle nestled deep in your pelvic floor called your puborectalis. It plays an important role: keep you anally continent. It does this by pinching the rectum off, keeping your stool in. If this muscle is too good at its job, it doesn’t allow the rectum to fully open up and allow stool out. For you visual people, here’s a lovely image that I drew (please applaud my artistry):

Do you see how relaxing/stretching that muscle gives stool a smaller angle to overcome? How do we get that effect? Putting your feet up and leaning forward allows for that muscle to relax/stretch, opening the rectum and allowing your stool to pass more easily. Here’s an image from the APTA:

So while traveling (or at home), put your feet up to help you have a bowel movement!

-Naomi