The Art Of Perfect Pooping: How To Improve Your Technique On The Toilet

Some things in life should be simple, like pooping. The joy of a complete bowel movement in your morning routine can be as gratifying as a sunrise. Many, however, struggle with nature's call. There are those who sit on the toilet for 20 min flipping through the news while hankering for the sound of success - to no avail.

The average person poops once each morning, and about 1 ounce per 12 pounds of body weight per day. Those who miss their daily morning poop elimination can find themselves jittery, uncomfortable and frequently passing gas all day. This sort of backlog clogs your digestive system. As your intestines continue to absorb fluids out of your stool, smells from this rotting matter are absorbed into your bloodstream, leaving bad body odors and a bad taste in your mouth.

The advent of the toilet brought with it better sanitation. However, the new posture led to a host of digestive disorders like constipation, appendicitis and Crohn's just to name a few. Although this new position of sitting rather than squatting was thought to be more dignified, the new sophistication was oblivious to human anatomy.

Your body is made to squat when you poop, however uncivilized squatting may seem. The sitting toilet was invented in 1596, and only became commonplace in the 1850's. When sitting or standing, a muscle near the end of your colon engages to prevent pooping. This "puborectalis" muscle forms a sling around the colon to hold it closed so you don't poop by accident during the day. Squatting allows free flow from the rectum - and that's what our poop wants, freedom!

There are many different props available to get you into position for the ideal touchdown. The squatty potty is a popular footstool that helps you get a medium squat.

Let's go over the basic strategy for an ideal morning poop. Start with a glass of warm water as soon as you wake up. That will stimulate peristalsis - rhythmic contractions of your intestines that will propel stool to your rectum for easy elimination. Try breathing into the abdomen as well. When you feel the urge, don't ignore it, but go right away to the toilet. If you never get the urge, spend a few moments on the bowl as part of your morning routine, to coax your body into the habit.

Then get into a comfortable, stable squat. In this position, your thighs will press into your abdomen to squeeze the colon as it delivers the goods; sort of like our thumbs might do on a near empty tube of toothpaste. You want your knees close to your chest and your spine straight instead of hunched over. Remember there should be no straining in this process - you're inviting an easy flow with your position, breath and mentality. So breathe. Take some smooth, deep low belly breaths which will push on your pelvis, and move your stools. As you inhale, attempt to direct your breath down your spine. As you exhale, suck your belly button in and up. This should naturally press then stretch your colon encouraging stools to move.

Relax. Get comfy. Practice patience for the poop. Grab a book, do a crossword, listen to a podcast, organize your schedule, plan dinner, read your email, set an intention for day, make a to do list. Whatever your pleasure in the moment, just chill. But don't dilly dally once the deed is done. You can develop hemorrhoids from lingering on the toilet too long due to pressure. Sitting on the toilet encourages the anus to relax and the veins around it to fill with blood. The weight of the blood puts pressure on the veins and prolonged pressure ultimately results in a hemorrhoid. Don't strain to eliminate either - let your body choose when to release.

Working each of these techniques into your game plan will have you pooping like a pro in no time. You'll enjoy rewards such as faster bowel movements, a healthier colon and pelvic floor - incontinence issues are unheard of in cultures that squat to drop a deuce. They also don't have hernias, hemorrhoids, diverticulosis, malabsorption issues, colon cancer or colitis. And many First World-ers who convert find that they actually lose weight - because there isn't a bunch of old poop stuck up in their colon. What's not to love about this return to our ancient ways? Ready, squat, go!