# Squatting helps a TON



## IBStinks (Sep 25, 2010)

Hey guys.I'm a new member, but I had been a lurker for a while until I finally read the sticky topic on Linda's Calcium Info over on the IBS-D forum. It has helped me GREATLY. A side effect of the calcium supplements, though, is constipation. So I've basically stepped from one side of IBS to the other, though I'd much rather have C than D, but I know many of you on this forum do not feel the same--understandably. Anyway, I was having trouble getting things going last night and this morning. So I did some googling and stumbled upon a site called Mark's Daily Apple, where a discussion of "the Asian squat" was going on. The Asian squat is squatting with both heels on the ground, which is a natural resting position. We do it as children, but learn to squat on our toes instead, which hurts our knees. Anyway, in that post he also mentioned squatting to poop and how constipation was virtually non-existant in countries where people have to/choose to squat to go.So, since I wasn't about to stand on the actual toilet bowl and squat (I lack a thing called balance), I took the advice of a commenter on Mark's Daily Apple and got two empty paint cans from Lowe's this morning. I tried to go before I left, but no luck. When I got back, I drank a cup of coffee to test my IBS-D calcium "cure," and I felt things getting ready down below. I set the paint cans on either side of the toilet bowl, took off everything from the waist down, backed up to the bowl, stepped on the left can, then the right, and squatted as best I could. As soon as I was down, there she went! Well, the first part was in pellet form, which is all I thought I had to do, but NO. There was lots more. And it all went at once.When I was finished, my bowels felt really good. I don't know how to describe the feeling, but it was like they were finally aligned or something. I just felt light and healthy or something.Anyway, I'm posting this because my grandmother suffered from IBS-C her entire life and was forever choking down All-Bran, mineral oil, etc. I can't say if this will help for everyone, but I know that it REALLY helped me. Constipation was a new sensation for me, having had IBS-D forever, but this method of elimination really moved things through, and the little pain I had this morning is also gone.A little warning: the paint cans do require some balance, especially if you're squatting on your toes because you can't do the Asian squat. (I can't do it yet either.) A better method would probably be bricks or cinder blocks, but I live in a 100+ year old house, and that part of the floor has already been replaced and still has water damage, so I'm not putting anything heavy there except myself when I have to go.They make wooden or metal platforms for this type of thing: http://www.toilet-related-ailments.com/order.html and here's a DIY: http://www.vitalitymassage.net/squattingtoiletplatform.html I hope this helps someone. I was inspired to post what helped me after Linda posted the calcium info on the IBS-D board. Be careful balancing, and do the Asian squat with both heels down if you can, because the idea is to relax, and when we squat on our toes we aren't relaxed at all.Good luck!


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## Tiss (Aug 22, 2000)

IBStinks said:


> Hey guys.I'm a new member, but I had been a lurker for a while until I finally read the sticky topic on Linda's Calcium Info over on the IBS-D forum. It has helped me GREATLY. A side effect of the calcium supplements, though, is constipation. So I've basically stepped from one side of IBS to the other, though I'd much rather have C than D, but I know many of you on this forum do not feel the same--understandably. Anyway, I was having trouble getting things going last night and this morning. So I did some googling and stumbled upon a site called Mark's Daily Apple, where a discussion of "the Asian squat" was going on. The Asian squat is squatting with both heels on the ground, which is a natural resting position. We do it as children, but learn to squat on our toes instead, which hurts our knees. Anyway, in that post he also mentioned squatting to poop and how constipation was virtually non-existant in countries where people have to/choose to squat to go.So, since I wasn't about to stand on the actual toilet bowl and squat (I lack a thing called balance), I took the advice of a commenter on Mark's Daily Apple and got two empty paint cans from Lowe's this morning. I tried to go before I left, but no luck. When I got back, I drank a cup of coffee to test my IBS-D calcium "cure," and I felt things getting ready down below. I set the paint cans on either side of the toilet bowl, took off everything from the waist down, backed up to the bowl, stepped on the left can, then the right, and squatted as best I could. As soon as I was down, there she went! Well, the first part was in pellet form, which is all I thought I had to do, but NO. There was lots more. And it all went at once.When I was finished, my bowels felt really good. I don't know how to describe the feeling, but it was like they were finally aligned or something. I just felt light and healthy or something.Anyway, I'm posting this because my grandmother suffered from IBS-C her entire life and was forever choking down All-Bran, mineral oil, etc. I can't say if this will help for everyone, but I know that it REALLY helped me. Constipation was a new sensation for me, having had IBS-D forever, but this method of elimination really moved things through, and the little pain I had this morning is also gone.A little warning: the paint cans do require some balance, especially if you're squatting on your toes because you can't do the Asian squat. (I can't do it yet either.) A better method would probably be bricks or cinder blocks, but I live in a 100+ year old house, and that part of the floor has already been replaced and still has water damage, so I'm not putting anything heavy there except myself when I have to go.They make wooden or metal platforms for this type of thing: http://www.toilet-related-ailments.com/order.html and here's a DIY: http://www.vitalitymassage.net/squattingtoiletplatform.html I hope this helps someone. I was inspired to post what helped me after Linda posted the calcium info on the IBS-D board. Be careful balancing, and do the Asian squat with both heels down if you can, because the idea is to relax, and when we squat on our toes we aren't relaxed at all.Good luck!


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## Tiss (Aug 22, 2000)

It's the only way I go. I am limber and have fairly good balance so I squat right on the toilet. I keep a step stool in front of me for support. Yes, I definitely think it helps and it is nature's natural way of going. Think about it--what did people do before contemporary toilets were invented?


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Raising the feet up (you can use a stool if you can't do a full squat and get the thighs so the knees are higher than the hips. Doing this changes the angle of that last curve into the rectum so makes it easier to go.


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## Autosaver (Feb 25, 2010)

Thanks for the tips. ^.^


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## bball (Jul 2, 2007)

IBStinks said:


> Hey guys.I'm a new member, but I had been a lurker for a while until I finally read the sticky topic on Linda's Calcium Info over on the IBS-D forum. It has helped me GREATLY. A side effect of the calcium supplements, though, is constipation. So I've basically stepped from one side of IBS to the other, though I'd much rather have C than D, but I know many of you on this forum do not feel the same--understandably. Anyway, I was having trouble getting things going last night and this morning. So I did some googling and stumbled upon a site called Mark's Daily Apple, where a discussion of "the Asian squat" was going on. The Asian squat is squatting with both heels on the ground, which is a natural resting position. We do it as children, but learn to squat on our toes instead, which hurts our knees. Anyway, in that post he also mentioned squatting to poop and how constipation was virtually non-existant in countries where people have to/choose to squat to go.So, since I wasn't about to stand on the actual toilet bowl and squat (I lack a thing called balance), I took the advice of a commenter on Mark's Daily Apple and got two empty paint cans from Lowe's this morning. I tried to go before I left, but no luck. When I got back, I drank a cup of coffee to test my IBS-D calcium "cure," and I felt things getting ready down below. I set the paint cans on either side of the toilet bowl, took off everything from the waist down, backed up to the bowl, stepped on the left can, then the right, and squatted as best I could. As soon as I was down, there she went! Well, the first part was in pellet form, which is all I thought I had to do, but NO. There was lots more. And it all went at once.When I was finished, my bowels felt really good. I don't know how to describe the feeling, but it was like they were finally aligned or something. I just felt light and healthy or something.Anyway, I'm posting this because my grandmother suffered from IBS-C her entire life and was forever choking down All-Bran, mineral oil, etc. I can't say if this will help for everyone, but I know that it REALLY helped me. Constipation was a new sensation for me, having had IBS-D forever, but this method of elimination really moved things through, and the little pain I had this morning is also gone.A little warning: the paint cans do require some balance, especially if you're squatting on your toes because you can't do the Asian squat. (I can't do it yet either.) A better method would probably be bricks or cinder blocks, but I live in a 100+ year old house, and that part of the floor has already been replaced and still has water damage, so I'm not putting anything heavy there except myself when I have to go.They make wooden or metal platforms for this type of thing: http://www.toilet-related-ailments.com/order.html and here's a DIY: http://www.vitalitymassage.net/squattingtoiletplatform.html I hope this helps someone. I was inspired to post what helped me after Linda posted the calcium info on the IBS-D board. Be careful balancing, and do the Asian squat with both heels down if you can, because the idea is to relax, and when we squat on our toes we aren't relaxed at all.Good luck!


That is indeed very interesting, thanks. I've actually been pondering the thought of looking into shorter toilets? I may try this.


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

i can't do the full squat-on-the-toilet thing because of arthritic knees plus i just wasn't able to fully relax in that position so i could go.so now i put my feet on a small step stool-- like kathleen mentioned --and that works wonderfully. or i'll use the bathroom waste basket turned on it's side if the stool isn't available. elevating the feet like this makes it so much easier to evacuate more completely.


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## Diana63 (Oct 20, 2009)

I have been using a stool to keep my feet raised for a number of years now,but i have never felt that it helps me evacuate my bowels any better,dont know why and no one can tell me.I carry on using it and making sure my knees are always higher than my hips,but i do feel it is a waste of time for me.


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Do you have any outlet problems (or been tested for them)Even if you get the feet high enough to make the rectum a better angle if the sphincter can't relax to let things out then it doesn't matter it gets to the end better.


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## Diana63 (Oct 20, 2009)

Kathleen,What do you mean by outlet problems?I've had lots of tests,but dont know what you mean.


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Have you ever had testing of the pelvic floor or sphincter. Here is a list of the tests.http://www.aboutgimotility.org/site/about-gi-motility/motility-testing/pelvic-floorIf you can't relax the sphincter it doesn't matter how soft you get the stool or anything else you do to make it easier to get stuff to the sphincter. If it will not open, nothing comes out. Some people with constipation (particularly if you strain and strain in order to go) have sphincters that get tighter rather than relax when you try to go.So think of your toothpaste tube. As long as the cap is on tight doesn't matter if you hold the tube or how hard you squeeze. Nothing comes out.


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## Diana63 (Oct 20, 2009)

I have had tests done for my pelvic floor and sphincter.I am actually going to see the specialist and physiotherapist in a few weeks to discuss the results and to see if they can do anything at all to help,i am hoping as i cant go on the way i am for much longer,i feel so ill all the time.My pelvic floor is weak and my rectum i have been told is thin on the inner and outer area and also i cannot evacuate my bowels properly,i know that already!!so i shall be asking them about all of this when i see them.I think they just see IBS so its not to much of a problem.Thats so wrong!!


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Well they did do the pelvic floor testing which is more than some people can get the doctors to do, so that is a good thing, I would think.







Now they have those results they may be able to do some treatment specific for what is wrong. A lot of the time it is hard to know exactly what something feels like actually means. There is a lot of overlap in syndromes and often the same thing feels different in different people. That is why you need tests, not just immediately send everyone who has constipation to the biofeedback therapist. That sort of thing won't help if the sphincter works fine and the constipation is from something else.I know it is frustrating trying to figure out what is wrong, but at least you are getting tests and seeing people who may be able to help depending on what the results are. I hope they are able to help you.


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