One of the best things we can do for our digestive system is to sit properly on the toilet when having a bowel movement.
How should we sit?
Sitting with our legs apart, and knees raised above the level of our hips, puts our pelvic floor muscles in the perfect relaxed position. Lean forward with the top of your body to rest your elbows on your knees. Then let it go.
How to change it up?
You can use anything in your house to recreate this semi-squatting position; a step, some books, some upended dustbins, or even some toilet rolls or cans. We spend so much of our day sitting that changing things up on the toilet is necessary. Think about it, we often try and do a poo in the same sitting position as when we are sitting by our desks. Adopting good toilet posture cues the body that it is time for action.
What to do while sitting on the loo.
While sitting in this position practice some deep belly breathes to get things going. Breathe in belly big, breathe out belly flatten and tighten. Remember no straining allowed! Straining is when we are pushing so hard that we can’t breathe, talk, or make a sound. Straining also causes our pelvic floor muscles to tighten; a tight pelvic floor is not what we want while doing a poo. We need to relax to let it out.
Who should use this toilet posture?
This is not just for ladies, pregnant or postpartum mums; this position is for everyone who poo’s; in other words, it’s for everyone! Next time you go to do a poo I challenge you to try the squatting position and see the difference that it makes.