Overview
Your exercise and eating habits, age, gender, and health status all affect the number of bowel movements you experience in a given day. While there is no set number of bowel movements a person should have, it’s abnormal and possibly dangerous to go three or fewer times per week.
Often, constipation causes bowel movements that are not only infrequent, but also hard and difficult to pass. This leads to excessive straining and time spent on the toilet.
The causes of constipation vary. The condition may simply be due to such as things as dehydration or eating foods with too little fiber. In other, more serious cases, constipation can be the result of stress, hormonal changes, spinal injuries, muscle problems, cancers, and other structural problems affecting the digestive tract.
Quick ways to make yourself poop
The following quick treatments can help induce a bowel movement in a few hours.
1. Take a fiber supplement
Fiber supplements are readily available and effective at inducing bowel movements if a low-fiber diet is the cause of your constipation. They work by adding bulk, or volume, to your stool. This helps push stool through your intestines and out of your body.
You can buy fiber supplements on Amazon. Here are a few common ones:
- calcium polycarvophil (FiberCon)
- psyllium (Metamucil, Konsyl)
- methylcellulose (Citrucel)
2. Eat a serving of high-fiber food
Try these foods that are high in fiber:
- oats
- whole-grain bread or cereal
- fibrous veggies and fruits
- rice and beans
Be sure to drink lots of water with these foods, as it will further help push your stool through your system.
3. Drink a glass of water
Proper hydration — typically at least eight 8-ounce glasses of clear liquid per day — is necessary for normal bowel movements. If you’re constipated and haven’t been drinking an adequate amount of water, consuming a large glass of water or other clear liquid may trigger a bowel movement.
