This morning I noticed something.  When having a bowel movement, I come onto the balls of my feet while seated on the toilet. I’ve never noticed this habit before the Relaxx Footstool was sent to us for review.

Prior to the inventions of toilets, people squatted outside or used chamber pots to do their business.  

Are we pooping wrong?

Many experts and doctors have long advised people suffering from constipation and hemorrhoids to elevate their feet on the potty.  Rebekah Kim, “a colorectal surgeon at the Center for Pelvic Floor Disorders at Virginia Hospital Center” told NPR:

Kim says one of the first things she tells patients who struggle on the john is get a stack of telephone books or a stool to rest their feet on…

“Squatting on a stool can reduce the amount of straining on the toilet, which may mean less hemorrhoids, but there are no clinical studies proving that,” she says.^[1]http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2012/09/20/161501413/for-best-toilet-health-squat-or-sit

Even medical texts from the 1960s advised squatting.  According to Gastroenterology: The small intestine, absorption and nutrition, the colon, peritoneum, mesentery, and omentum by Henry L. Bockus, “The ideal posture for defecation is the squatting position, with the thighs fixed upon the abdomen.”^[2]https://books.google.com/books?ei=Tz9tTL3ZG4WBlAf-gvX0Dg&ct=result&id=3VdsAAAAMAAJ&focus=searchwithinvolume&q=defecation

What does a squatting or a knees elevated position on the toilet do to ease bowel movements?

Our colon naturally has a kink in it.  This helps control our defecation.  Slate explains:

People can control their defecation, to some extent, by contracting or releasing the anal sphincter. But that muscle can’t maintain continence on its own. The body also relies on a bend between the rectum—where feces builds up—and the anus—where feces comes out. When we’re standing up, the extent of this bend, called the anorectal angle, is about 90 degrees, which puts upward pressure on the rectum and keeps feces inside. In a squatting posture, the bend straightens out, like a kink ringed out of a garden hose, and defecation becomes easier.

There are a few scientific studies on the subject.  Published in Digestive Diseases and Sciences in 2003, “Comparison of Straining During Defecation in Three Positions: Results and Implications for Human Health” found squatting decreased the time and increased the satisfaction of participants.

Both the time needed for sensation of satisfactory bowel emptying and the degree of subjectively assessed straining in the squatting position were reduced sharply in all volunteers compared with both sitting positions (P < 0.0001). In conclusion, the present study confirmed that sensation of satisfactory bowel emptying in sitting defecation posture necessitates excessive expulsive effort compared to the squatting posture.^[3]http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2010/08/dont_just_sit_there.single.html^[4]https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023%2FA%3A1024180319005

Another study published in 2010 in Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms titled “Influence of Body Position on Defecation in Humans” supports the claim that squatting straightens the colon easing defecation:

Conclusion: The results of the present study suggest that the greater the hip flexion achieved by squatting, the straighter the rectoanal canal will be, and accordingly, less strain will be required for defecation.^[5]http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1757-5672.2009.00057.x/abstract

How can you simulate squatting while sitting on the toilet?

We were sent an ingenious product that is both eco-friendly, aesthetically pleasing, and aides in defecation.  The Relaxx Footstool

This stool works!   Due to supplements I take from my naturopath, constipation can be an issue. I tried the Relaxx Footstool, and bam!  Things began to move.

The Relaxx Footstool is made of eco-friendly, sustainable bamboo. The stools are super compact and adjustable to three heights.  They fold up and easily open with one hand. These stools are also very aesthetically pleasing due to the bamboo construction and simple design. . 

The Relaxx Footstool’s small, convenient size makes it a discreet addition to your bathroom. Most importantly, it benefits digestive health. 

My grandmother was a little obsessed with her bowel movements.  She was wise in viewing them as a sign of health.  If she was still alive, I would gift her the Relaxx Footstool.

Whether you struggle regularly with constipation or just want more ease in your elimination process, the  Relaxx Footstool really works!  It’s beautiful, modern design and eco-friendly construction make it a beautiful addition to any size or style bathroom.  Such a simple idea that will change your elimination process and health!