Are you sitting comfortably?
The best loo position for better bowel movements.
So did you know that our bodies are not designed to have a bowel movement whilst sitting on the loo?
I remember learning this at college, changed my ways, then forgot to tell anyone as it was a habit that became so entrenched that I no longer thought about it!
But working with clients dealing with digestive health before spending lots of money on supplements and testing, there are some foundational lifestyle changes that we can take to support better bowel health.
This is one of them!
If you suffer from constipation, unsatisfactory bowel movements, haemorrhoids and diverticulosis then you could directly benefit from changing the way you sit on the loo.
Introducing squatting, the new sitting!
It’s actually quite simple, we were built to squat. This has been our natural poop position and it’s only been since the loo became an addition to households (which is relatively recent) that we have adjusted to sitting with our legs at a 90 degree angle.
A research study in Japan showed that squatting straightened out the intestinal muscles which led to a smoother exit of a bowel movement.
Another study showed that participants who squatted took a shorter time to eliminate and also reported a feeling of full, satisfactory bowel emptying vs those who took the normal loo position.
If you have time to read the paper on the loo then squatting could make it a whole lot more efficient!
Why should we squat?
Source: https://www.sydneypelvicclinic.com.au/good-bowel-habits/
Our colon has a natural bend in it known as the anorectal angle. This can be widened by a relaxed puborectalis muscle which will allow for a full evacuation of stools.
A quick and easy elimination is the name of the game! This takes the pressure of the colon reducing risk of diverticulosis and haemorrhoids.
…it remains a fact that the 1.2 billion people in this world who squat have almost no incidence of diverticulosis, and far fewer problems with haemorrhoids. We in the West, on the other hand, squeeze our gut tissue till it comes out of our bottoms and we have to have it removed by a doctor.
Giulia Enders Gut p.19
What can we do?
Source: https://www.futurelearn.com/info/courses/understanding-continence-promotion/0/steps/46110
Have you tried to squat on a Western loo? I have and its a very risky manoeuvre which could end up with a foot down the U-bend!
But you do not have to do a full squat. You can simply lean your upper body forward slightly and place your feet on a low footrest placed in front of the toilet and the puborectalis muscle will be relaxed and your colon open for elimination.
You can invest in something like a Squatty Potty, a Welles step, The Step and Go to help you with this, or simply using a footstool would be fine!
If you are out and about, maybe rest your feet on something you can find in the loo like a waste-paper bin.
The difference is noticeable straight away and you will soon not want to evacuate without one. As I said, it’s become second nature for me.
I love how much we can do to support our health at home and also I hope you now have an appreciation for those countries that still support the squat!
Also:
https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/588825/Signs-explain-how-to-SIT-on-a-toilet-after-growing-numbers-of-Asian-tourists-STAND-on-loo
When everyone guffaws at the tourists standing on the loo…you can be smug knowing how much better their bowel movements are!
Final Thoughts:
After writing all of this, frankly this video explains it far better: