Let’s be honest, talking about poop can be a little bit uncomfortable and somewhat embarrassing. In this article, we will be talking about constipation and ways to help have a normal, healthy bowel movement so let’s get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Constipation affects 1 in 3 women. Wow! What a statistic, right? This means the likelihood of you, the reader, having battled with constipation before is pretty high. But what exactly is constipation? And what does it look like?
Constipation Defined
Constipation is defined as having a bowel movement fewer than three times per week, along with straining to produce a hard bowel movement. Symptoms of constipation vary but can look like: abdominal pain or discomfort, gas, bloating, straining, hard/firm stool, and/or blood in the stools. There are many causes for constipation such as medicinal side effects, pelvic floor dysfunctions, and nerve/muscle problems to name a few. It can also be a result of another health condition you may be suffering from, but i’d like to talk to you about lifestyle factors that can cause constipation and provide some suggestions on “easy” changes you can make to improve your bowels. As a pelvic floor physical therapist assistant, these are some of the recommendations that I make to patients, family, and friends to help combat constipation.
Diet
It is important to make sure you are eating foods that are high in fiber, such as fruits, veggies, legumes, and whole grains. Dietary fiber can help increase the weight and size of your stool, while also softening the stool, which makes it easier to pass. It could be beneficial to slowly increase fiber intake to reduce bloating. Overall goal should be 25-38 grams of fiber per day. Fiber absorbs water, so if you’re eating more fiber you will need to increase your water intake, leading us to the next point. *see chart below to ideas on high fiber foods
Water Intake
Adequate hydration is very important for global health, but specifically not drinking enough water can cause you to have hard bowel movements, which can make them harder to pass. It is recommended to drink half of your body weight in ounces, with 75% of fluid intake coming from water.
Physical Activity
Body movement can help to stimulate the colon and get the bowels moving. Something as light as taking a short walk (10-15 minutes) can help ease constipation. The CDC recommends that adults partake in moderate intensity physical activity for 150 minutes per week. This can be broken down into 30 minutes per day over the course of 5 days per week. If you’re fairly sedentary then start slowly and ease your body into exercise. A couple changes you can implement could be to take the stairs instead of the elevator or parking further away from a store’s entrance. Remember, some physical activity throughout the day is better than none at all.
Toileting Position
Changing your position when you sit on the toilet can make having a bowel movement easier. In a standard sitting position, it can be hard for the pelvic floor muscles to fully relax. By placing your feet on a footrest, stool, or a squatty potty this can help fully relax the pelvic floor muscles allowing stools to pass more easily.
Here’s helpful graphic about fiber and foods: (download it here)
If you try some of the tips above and notice that you are still having issues, ask your provider about sending a referral to a pelvic floor physical therapist for an evaluation to help determine if you would benefit from skilled services to address possible pelvic floor dysfunction. If you have any questions, or would like to schedule an appointment, please call our office at 706-814-6887 or book an appointment online.
