How often have you spent way too long pooping in the toilet? No, you don’t have to answer that. We know.
About 80% of people suffer from constipation sometime in their lives, and the remedies are usually simple. Eat more fibre and drink more fluids. We learned all these in our earlier infographic: How Well Do You Know Your Sh*t.
However, while maintaining good dietary habits outside of the toilet is important, how you sit on the toilet matters as well. Turns out the less comfortable squatting trumps sitting when it comes to expelling waste. Learn more in the infographic below:
For a better toilet experience, check out Squatty Potty here. Thousands of people benefitted from using Squatty Potty. Read our personal experience here.
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While it may seem harmless, bad toilet posture could lead to several problems, including:
1. Constipation
Lack of fibre in your diet causes your poop to become dry and hard. And when paired with an ineffective toilet posture that obstructs the poop highway, you’ll have a hard time getting your poop out completely, which leads to constipation.
2. Hemorrhoids
Hemorrhoids are swollen veins in your anus that hurt like hell. They’re usually caused by you pushing overly hard to get the hard stools out.
3. Colon diseases
Clearing your bowels completely can help keep your colon healthy. However, an incorrect toilet posture often constricts the flow of your poop (imagine squeezing a garden hose, that’s what you’re doing with your colon when you’re sitting on the toilet). Research has shown that fecal build-up can cause diseases like colon cancer.
4. Difficulty peeing & urine infections
Urinary flow is usually stronger and easier when women squat to urinate. Your bladder empties more completely when you squat than when you sit. This reduces chances of urinary tract infections as well.
5. Pelvic floor issues
Pelvic floor problems is mostly caused by overstraining on the toilet. When you sit, you put a lot of pressure on the anorectal angle of the colon, causing the lower part to protrude into the wall of your vagina. If you squat, you can protect the pelvic floor nerves.
Science: Squatting Is Better For Your Health Than Sitting
Numerous doctors have suggested that many of our problems down under stems from sitting on the toilet instead of squatting. According to Gastroenterology, a standard medical text from 1964, “the ideal posture for defecation is the squatting position, with the thighs fixed upon the abdomen.” [1]
Let’s move to a slightly more recent study published in 2002. Iranian (squatting) and European (sitting) habits of bowel evacuations were compared. The results? Squatting allowed a wider anorectal angle and a larger distance between the perineum and the horizontal plane of the pelvic floor. Bowel evacuation was also more complete using the Iranian-style toilet. [2]
In another study published in 2010, researchers studied three positions on the toilet — sitting, sitting with the hip flexing at 60 degrees, and squatting. They found that participants were straining less when they squatted, and their anorectal angle increased from 100 degrees to 126 degrees. [3]
Squatty Potty: Squatting Comfortably
While research has proven that you should get off your butt when it comes to toilet matters, squatting isn’t the most comfortable position to be in. Squatty Potty designers took this in mind and designed a stool which can deliver all the benefits of squatting without stripping you of comfort. In a study conducted by Squatty Potty, 153 participants were given a Squatty Potty to use for one month. At the end of the month, their symptoms of constipation was reduced by 33% and those with hemorrhoids also improved their symptoms.
For a better toilet experience, check out Squatty Potty here. Thousands of people benefitted from using Squatty Potty. Read our personal experience here.
Another marketing stunt