9/10/16, 1:51 PMHow to Poop the Right Way | Shape Magazine

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Lifestyle / Mind and Body

How to PoopHow to Poopthe Rightthe RightWay (AndWay (AndYes, There'sYes, There'sa Right Way)a Right Way)

You're sitting wrong, holding it too long,and wiping too much, according to GIexpert.

By Mirel Ketchiff | Jul 06, 2016

Topics: weird and wacky

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9/10/16, 1:51 PMHow to Poop the Right Way | Shape Magazine

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Pooping. It's one thing that you'd think you can't

really screw up that badly, right? But it turns out,

you've likely been doing it wrong all along.

You're sitting wrongYou're sitting wrongBut it's not all your fault. "Modern plumbing is

set up more for our convenience and the

aesthetic than how we're designed," says

Robynne Chutkan, M.D., an integrative

gastroenterologist and author of The Bloat Cure.

Meaning: If we were really serious about bowel

health, we'd just dig a hole in the floor and be

done with it. "We were designed to squat to

poop. When we squat, the knees press up

against the abs, which increases intra-abdominal

pressure to help stool evacuate. When we sit on

a toilet, our legs are at a right angle and that

doesn't accomplish that," says Chutkan. Instead,

you need to strain to have a bowel movement,

which can lead to all sorts of problems—like

hemorrhoids and even a stretched-out

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9/10/16, 1:51 PMHow to Poop the Right Way | Shape Magazine

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sphincter, Chutkan says. (Umm...) She's a fan of

the Squatty Potty ($24, target.com), but says that

if you're super-flexible, you could even just pull

your feet up onto the toilet seat as you sit on it

to achieve the same intra-abdominal pressure.

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You hold it too longYou hold it too longEveryone's been there. You have to "go," but

you're already running late to work or are out

with only public toilets nearby and don't want to

deal, so you don't. But Chutkan says, "Your

bowel has its own nervous system that can be

trained. When you're getting a signal that you

have to go and you don't, it causes bowel

confusion, which can lead to constipation."

You take too longYou take too long

If you're holding it because you just don't have

time, you're likely falling prey to another number

2 mistake—taking too long. "Don't drag your

phone, a book, a newspaper into the bathroom

with you, because that's also a form of bowel

training. You're saying, 'We have all day," when

you really want to be efficient, in and out," says

Chutkan. (Plus, bringing your phone into the

bathroom with you is one of the reasons it's

teeming with germs.)

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9/10/16, 1:51 PMHow to Poop the Right Way | Shape Magazine

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take a look," says Chutkan. You're looking at

color, consistency, and shape: The ideal bowel

movement is darkish brown (or greenish if you

eat a lot of plants or this Burger King burger) and

not too pale, solid but not too firm (or overly

loose), and bulky (not too narrow or small). (Your

pee is trying to tell you something too.)

You use tons of TPYou use tons of TPYou should be wiping pretty clean; if you need to

go back for more and more, there's probably still

stool in the rectum, and you should hang out on

the toilet a little longer, says Chutkan.

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9/10/16, 1:51 PMHow to Poop the Right Way | Shape Magazine

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9/10/16, 1:51 PMHow to Poop the Right Way | Shape Magazine

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· 6 Julcoco_martin

I don't get it. what would be the side effect of you poo in a wrong position?

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9/10/16, 1:51 PMHow to Poop the Right Way | Shape Magazine

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Reply

effect of you poo in a wrong position?Does it really matters..

· Share · 1 Like

coco_martin· 6 Jul · Edited

Reply

berryMason

Yeah it does matters. This article is giving us tips on how to properly poo.

· Share · 1 Like

This message was deleted.

andrew027· 6 Jul

Reply

CrystallClear

I agree with you..I guess whatever position we have the important here is to discharge that waste. Anyway, this is a great tips for everybody..

· Share

· 6 Jul

Reply

mikeparker Contributor

Possibly i ought to reexamine the toilet. strap your self in the hunching down position and get ready to be mitigated through quick turning motion.

· Share · 4 Likes

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9/10/16, 1:51 PMHow to Poop the Right Way | Shape Magazine

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