Struggling with constipation?

While bathroom talk can always feel a little TMI, I can assure you it is essential to not only your overall physical health but keeping your mental health also in a good spot (no one is happy after not having a bowel movement for multiple days). For this post we are going to talk about constipation and give you a three quick tricks to limit this from happening to you!

Trick #1: Hydration intake - Most of my clients really struggle when it comes to the amount of daily water intake… and yes I said water (not tea, coffee, juice, etc.) A great goal is to be getting at least half your body weight in ounces of WATER a day to allow for softening of stools and allowing fiber to do its job. Some folks might be limited on water intake due to medical complexities (congestive heart failure, kidney disease, etc.) so always check with your doctor. It is also wise to monitor your current habits and then increase by about 10% every week/other week till you get to half your body weight in ounces to allow your bladder to adapt and limit other pelvic symptoms.

Trick #2: Reduce inflammation- there’s many ways to do this but some of our favorites are eating plants and limiting sugar/alcohol intake. Eating plants/fruits allow us to get both soluble/insoluble fiber which are essential to keep stool softer and also helps with motility. Sugar and alcohol intake unfortunately drastically reduces overall recovery and increases overall inflammation creating more aches and pains as well as GI issues.

Trick #3: Increase activity levels- Especially after working in the hospital this was a trick we used all the time and saw its benefits. Being sedentary for multiple hours of the day can really limit gut motility and ultimately increase constipation. Start small with “movement snacks” of sit to stands, a quick walk around the house, or doing some step ups for a minute or two every other hour and go from there.

As always, if you continue to have constipation or pelvic floor issues feel free to reach out to your local pelvic PT or if you are in Hendersonville, TN give us a call and we would love to help you out!