This is certainly not a sexy topic, but it needs to be discussed.
Avoid Waiting
Go to the bathroom when you feel the urge. Holding your poop is okay every now and then, but try to go when you feel the need. Peristalsis is a worm-like contraction that helps move feces down. When the stool arrives at the bottom, nerves send a signal indicating the pressure in the rectum is increasing and, in turn, you feel ‘it’s time to go’. If you don’t relieve yourself, the colon can further extract fluid from the stool making it harder and drier. Obviously, hard/dry stool is not ideal.
Do not sit for too long
Keep the phone and magazines outside of the bathroom to prevent prolonged sitting. Instagram feeds are very interesting, but do not let them distract you from the end goal! Evacuation should take 10 minutes or less. Prolonged sitting transfers pressure down to the anus. And, I must mention all of those germs you might transfer to your phone screen, if it’s keeping you company…
Buy a Squatty Potty
This changes your sitting position to a squatting position (knees high). In a squatting position, a muscle called the puborectalis relaxes and the colon is able to empty completely. This is genius and how humans had been pooping for ages before the creation of the porcelain throne. And yes, I own one and it is that awesome.