Hi all,

Sometimes it can be difficult to go the toilet but instead of asking a health practitioner for advice many people persist and end up doing damage from straining too hard. However, simply changing the way you sit on the toilet can significantly help when you go to the loo.

Maintaining a good position whilst on the toilet can be useful for people who have difficulties passing a stool, suffer from constipation, strain when emptying their bowels, or just for better bowel habits for us all to prevent these things from occurring.

The following pointers may help make going to the toilet easier:

• Lean forward when you are sitting on the toilet and place your hands in your thighs
• Ensure your knees are bent and are higher than your hips (A footstool may be useful)
• Try to breathe to the bottom of your lungs with your mouth open to prevent straining and contracting your pelvic floor
• Bulge your stomach muscles forward as you take a deep breath in and then ‘brace’ your stomach to prevent it from bulging further forwards. Do not tighten your stomach muscles
• Relax your anal sphincter to open your bottom and let the stool out
• Take a deep breath to increase the pressure in your abdomen and then push down towards your anus

 

The image below illustrates the above steps:

 

So the next time you go to the toilet, see if adjusting your position helps you go!