We don't talk about it. It’s the most universal human experience, yet we treat it like a state secret. You wake up, you grab your phone, and you spend ten, maybe fifteen minutes sitting on a toilet. It feels productive. You’re catching up on emails or scrolling through TikTok, but biologically speaking, you might be doing everything wrong.
Humans weren't actually designed to sit this way. For most of human history, we didn't have porcelain thrones. We had holes in the ground, or bushes, or nothing at all. We squatted. Evolution spent millions of years perfecting the "mechanics of elimination" based on a deep squat, and then, in a blink of an evolutionary eye, the Victorian era gave us the modern flush toilet. It was a victory for sanitation but a disaster for the colon. When you sit at a 90-degree angle, a specific muscle called the puborectalis stays partially contracted. It’s basically a kink in a garden hose.
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The Puborectalis Muscle: The Gatekeeper You’re Fighting
Think of your rectum as a flexible tube. When you’re standing or sitting upright, the puborectalis muscle wraps around that tube and pulls it forward, creating a sharp bend known as the anorectal angle. This is a good thing! It’s why you don't have accidents while walking down the street. However, when you’re sitting on a toilet in a standard chair-like position, that "kink" only partially releases.
You’re essentially trying to push through a semi-blocked pipe.
To get things moving, many people resort to straining. This isn't just uncomfortable; it’s physically damaging over time. We’re talking about hemorrhoids, anal fissures, and even pelvic organ prolapse in severe cases. Dr. Henry L. Bockus, a pioneer in gastroenterology, noted decades ago that the ideal posture for defecation is the squatting position, with the thighs flexed upon the abdomen. By bringing your knees up, you relax that puborectalis muscle completely. The "hose" straightens out. Everything becomes effortless.
The "Toileting Phone" Trap and the Risk of Stasis
Let’s be real. If you’re sitting on a toilet for twenty minutes, you aren’t actually "going" for twenty minutes. You’re scrolling.
This prolonged sitting is actually a major health hazard that people ignore because it feels like "me time." When you sit on a toilet seat, your rectum is positioned lower than the rest of your backside. Gravity, combined with the open design of the seat, causes blood to pool in the veins of the lower rectum. This is the fast track to hemorrhoids. If you’ve ever felt that localized throbbing or noticed a bit of bright red on the tissue, your "phone time" is likely the culprit.
The pressure is real. It's concentrated.
Medical professionals generally recommend that if nothing happens within five to ten minutes, you should just get up and try again later. Forcing it creates a cycle of inflammation. The longer you sit, the more the rectal tissues engorge with blood. It’s a mechanical issue, not just a fiber issue.
The Science of the Squatty Potty and DIY Hacks
You’ve probably seen the commercials with the ice-cream-pooping unicorn. While the marketing is goofy, the science is rock solid. A study published in the journal Digestive Diseases and Sciences tracked participants using different heights of toilets. The researchers found that squatting significantly reduced the time spent on the toilet and the amount of effort required.
You don't necessarily need a branded plastic stool, though they are convenient. You can use a stack of old books. You can use a sturdy trash can turned on its side. The goal is simple: get your knees higher than your hips.
Why the 35-degree angle matters:
- It aligns the colon perfectly with the exit.
- It uses the thighs to support the abdominal wall, which helps with natural compression.
- It minimizes the need for "Valsalva maneuvering"—that’s the medical term for holding your breath and straining, which can actually cause temporary spikes in blood pressure.
Honestly, it’s kinda wild that we’ve built our entire modern plumbing infrastructure around a position that is physiologically counterproductive.
Fiber, Water, and the Transit Time Myth
Sometimes the problem isn't the posture; it's the "cargo." If you’re sitting on a toilet and feeling like you’re trying to pass a brick, no amount of squatting will fix a bad diet. Most people think "fiber" and immediately grab a bowl of bran flakes. But there's a nuance here. You have soluble and insoluble fiber. One adds bulk, the other softens.
If you take a bunch of fiber supplements but don't drink enough water, you’re basically making internal concrete. You need the hydration to keep that fiber moving. Most experts, including those at the Mayo Clinic, suggest at least 25 to 35 grams of fiber a day, but you have to scale up slowly. If you go from zero to sixty, you’ll just end up bloated and miserable, sitting on that toilet with even more frustration.
Also, let's talk about transit time. The idea that you must go every single morning is a bit of a myth. "Normal" ranges from three times a day to three times a week. If you’re sitting there trying to force a schedule that your body isn't ready for, you’re just inviting injury.
The Hidden Connection to Pelvic Floor Health
This isn't just a "bathroom" issue; it’s a pelvic floor issue. The pelvic floor is a hammock of muscles that supports your bladder, uterus (in women), and bowel. When you spend too much time sitting on a toilet and straining, you are putting immense downward pressure on this hammock.
Over years, this weakens the muscles. For women, this can lead to cystoceles or rectoceles, where organs begin to shift out of place. For men, chronic straining is often linked to pelvic pain syndromes. Physical therapists specializing in the pelvic floor often tell their patients that the bathroom should be a "no-phone zone." Go in, do the job, get out.
If you find that you literally cannot go without your phone to distract you, you might have a "shy" or hypertonic pelvic floor. Your muscles might be too tight to let go, and the distraction of the phone is the only way you can relax enough to function. In that case, the phone is a crutch for a deeper muscular problem.
Actionable Steps for Better Bathroom Health
Stop treating the bathroom like a library. It's a utility room. If you want to fix your relationship with the porcelain throne, start with these specific mechanical changes.
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Raise your feet. This is the non-negotiable first step. Whether it’s a dedicated stool or two rolls of extra toilet paper under your feet, get those knees up. You want an angle of about 35 degrees between your torso and your thighs.
Watch the clock. Set a timer if you have to. If five minutes pass and nothing is moving, stand up. Walk around. Drink a glass of warm water. Movement stimulates peristalsis (the wave-like contractions of your intestines). Sitting still and staring at a screen does the opposite.
Breathe, don't push. Practice "diaphragmatic breathing." When you strain, you tend to hold your breath and push down. Instead, try to keep your mouth slightly open and exhale slowly as you let your abdominal muscles do the work. It sounds hippy-dippy, but it prevents the "pressure spike" that causes hemorrhoids.
Fix the "Input." Check your magnesium levels. Many people are chronically deficient in magnesium, which acts as a natural osmotic laxative, drawing water into the bowels. Foods like pumpkin seeds, spinach, and almonds are great, but sometimes a citrate supplement is what’s needed to make that time spent sitting on a toilet much shorter.
The "Moo" Technique. This is a real thing used by pelvic floor therapists. As you’re trying to go, make a low "mooo" sound. The vibration and the shape of the mouth help to reflexively relax the pelvic floor and the anus. It feels ridiculous, but it works better than gritting your teeth.
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The modern toilet is a feat of engineering, but it’s a failure of anatomy. By changing how you sit and how long you stay there, you can avoid a lifetime of gastrointestinal "repair work." Stop scrolling, start squatting, and give your puborectalis a break.