Have you heard of the Squatty Potty? It’s not just a little stool (no pun intended!) for your bathroom. It’s more than just the footrest to your throne. The Squatty Potty, beyond it’s playful, rhyming name, serves an important, functional purpose. It works to take the strain out of your bowel movements.
What is it? The Squatty Potty is a stool to raise your feet while you’re sitting on the toilet. “Squatty Potty” is a brand name, but step stools and stacked books work well too (just stack them high enough to get your knees higher than your hips). Elevating your feet effectively elevates your knees and gets more of a bend in your hips, getting you into a “squatting” position, which improves the angle of your bowels to give you a better poop experience!
Here’s what you’ll look like on the toilet when using an appropriate stool.
This position is ideal, especially if you’ve ever suffered from:
constipation
hemorrhoids
pushing and straining for bowel movements
long labor with lots of pushing
prolapse of the bladder, uterus, or bowels
tailbone (coccyx) pain
if you don’t feel like your bowels empty fully
This squatting position straightens the rectum and allows feces to flow out of the body more easily - it helps you poop better! Give it a try and see how much shorter your bathroom trips become!