Squatting to poop

Squatting has been the natural position for humans to poop since time immemorial. It was only with the arrival of the WC in the Victorian age that people began to poop sitting down.

The benefits of squatting to poop

There are 1.2 billion in this world who squat and have almost no incidence of common conditions such as constipation, hemorrhoids and diverticulitis. This is because they squat to poop.

Studies have shown that squatting when having a bowel movement helps:

• relieve constipation

• reduce straining 

• lower the time spent having a bowel movement

• increase full bowel emptying

The Research

In a 2003 study performed by Dov Sikirov MD, the results were clear - adopting a squatting position the research subjects took an average of 50 seconds to empty their bowels, and reported a feeling of full, satisfactory bowel emptying. In comparison the average time to empty the bowels when seated, was 130 seconds, and the feeling of bowel emptying was not perceived by the participants as being as satisfactory.

A 2019 study into the benefits of using a ‘Defecation Posture Modification Device’ (aka a Squatty Potty - see below) found that 90% of people who used a device, strained less, and 71% had faster bowel movements. Fewer users also reported feeling like they still had to go after using the bathroom.

Why does squatting Enable An Easier, more Rapid Poo?

Giulia Enders answers this question in her book ‘GUT - the inside story of our body’s most under-rated organ.’

The closure mechanism of our gut was not designed for sitting on a toilet seat. There’s a muscle that encircles the gut that acts like a lasso when we are sitting and pulls the gut tube in one direction creating a kink. The kink means poop hits a corner as it makes its way out. This slows down the transit of the poop. Squatting eliminates any kink in the gut tube and creates a straight exit route so poop is free to leave without strain on our part.

How to squat

The good news is it’s possible to squat while sitting on the loo. To do this, just incline your upper body forward slightly and place your feet on a low footrest placed in front of the toilet. This position creates all the correct angles. See below.

To raise your feet off the ground, you can use a box or buy a made for the purpose toilet stool (aka squatty potty) as shown above, on-line.

References:

Giulia Enders - ‘GUT - the inside story of our body’s most under-rated organ.’ (pages 14 -18)

Dov Sikirov, MD - Comparison of Straining During Defecation in Three Positions Results and Implications for Human Health; Digestive Diseases and Sciences, Vol. 48, No. 7 (July 2003), pp. 1201–1205 (°C 2003)

J Clin Gastroenterol - Implementation of a Defecation Posture Modification Device: Impact on Bowel Movement Patterns in Healthy Subjects; 2019 Mar;53(3):216-219.doi: 10.1097/MCG.0000000000001143.