Experts reveal how often you should actually be pooping and the best time of day to do it
Thomas Bamford
Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Image
Doctors have now revealed how many bowel movements you should actually be having every week, along with the best time of day to go, with some surprising revelations.
While most of us probably don’t spend much time thinking about our toilet habits unless something feels off, experts say your poop schedule can actually reveal a lot about your overall health.
Everything from your diet and hydration levels to stress, sleep and even your gut bacteria can affect how often you go.
And according to gastroenterologists speaking to the New York Post, there’s a pretty wide range of what’s considered “normal”, although some routines are healthier than others.
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“Three times a day to three times a week is the broad normal range, but one to two solid poops per day seems tied to the healthiest gut microbiome and the fewest toxins in your blood,” Malibu gastroenterologist Dr. Sabine Hazan explained.
Meanwhile, digestive health expert Dr. Jason Korenblit said consistency matters more than sticking to an exact number.
“Fewer than three bowel movements a week, especially with hard stools, straining or pain, can point to constipation,” he told the outlet.
“Very frequent watery stools may point to diarrhea.”
The experts also explained why many people suddenly feel the urge to poop first thing in the morning.
According to Korenblit, your body runs on a circadian rhythm, essentially an internal clock that controls everything from sleep and hormones to digestion.
“During the day, the colon is usually more active. At night, it slows down,” he explained.
“This rhythm is shaped by the brain’s clock, meals, hormones, nerves and the gut’s own clock.”
That’s also why breakfast or coffee often sends people straight to the bathroom.
“Some people feel movement within minutes to about an hour after eating because of the gastrocolic reflex,” Korenblit said.
“That is the normal reflex where the stomach tells the colon, ‘Make room; food just came in.’”
And while some people worry they’re rushing food straight through their body, the doctor clarified that the stool passing after meals is usually older waste already sitting in the colon, not the food you just ate.
As for the “ideal” time to poop? “Mornings are usually best,” Hazan explained.
“Your colon wakes up with you, contracting way more after you rise, plus cortisol spikes help move things along.”
The timing also lines up perfectly for coffee drinkers, since caffeine helps trigger digestive activity and encourages movement in the gut.
Still, experts stressed that there’s no perfect universal schedule.
“A healthy bowel movement at noon or at night is fine if that is your usual pattern,” Korenblit added.
The main thing doctors don’t recommend is forcing yourself to sit on the toilet for too long trying to make something happen.
According to the experts, straining or lingering on the toilet for extended periods can increase the risk of hemorrhoids and pelvic floor problems.
Instead, Korenblit recommends listening to your body naturally, relaxing and only spending around five to 10 minutes on the toilet before trying again later if nothing happens.
So basically, if your body says it’s time to go, don’t ignore it.