Pooping: Everyone does it, but most of us don't like to talk about it. However, we should be giving our bathroom habits more attention. After all, our bowel movements can tell us a good deal about our overall health.
Defecation is a daily routine for some people, but it can come less easily — or smoothly — for others. So, how often should you poop?
It's probably the No. 1 question asked about going No. 2, according to experts, but there isn't one correct answer. Simply put, it depends on the individual and their pooping schedule.
"Everyone's digestive tract is different," Dr. Anju Malieckal, a board-certified gastroenterologist at NYU Langone Hospital—Brooklyn, tells TODAY.com.
Many factors can influence how often we poop. Our age, lifestyle, diet, stress, medical conditions (such as irritable bowel syndrome), and medications all play a big role in our bathroom habits, she adds.
How often should you poop a day?
When we talk about bowel movements, we often hear about being "regular." What does being regular mean? For some, it may mean pooping twice a day and for others, twice a week.
While people should aim to be on some kind of regular schedule, the length of time between bowel movements will vary between individuals. "Our bowel movements can be anywhere from several times a day to once a day or once every two or three days," says Malieckal.
It's not true that everyone needs to poop once a day, Malieckal adds. So if you don't, there's no reason to be concerned.
Comfort level is another major factor when it comes to the frequency of our bowel movements. “We call it a home field advantage, some people just can’t poop away from home,” Jena Casper, a nurse practitioner in gastroenterology at the Mayo Clinic Health System, tells TODAY.com.
It’s not abnormal for people’s bowel habits to change depending on their environment — for example in a public bathroom, at work or school, while visiting a friend's home, or when traveling. Vacation constipation is a real thing.
Our bowel habits also change as we age, and can continue changing throughout adulthood. “As we get older, our metabolism and motility (contraction of the muscles in the gastrointestinal tract) slows down ... so the length of time stool stays in your colon and the transit time gets longer,” Dr. Christine Lee, a gastroenterologist at Cleveland Clinic, tells TODAY.com.
As a result, constipation can become more frequent as we age, Lee adds.
Other things can affect our pooping schedule and may cause us to go more or less than usual. These include changes to our routine, not eating enough fiber-rich foods, lack of exercise, not drinking enough water, and the menstrual cycle, per Cleveland Clinic.
Instead of focusing on how often you go, the experts encourage people to pay attention to other aspects of their pooping habits.
A healthy poop schedule is about quality over quantity
More is not always better. "It's really not about how often you go to the bathroom. ... What's more important is how well you got the job done," says Lee.
You can't always tell by looking in the toilet bowl. Normal poop is typically some shade of brown, smooth, and not too firm or soft. It's important to take note of your poop's appearance, but people should also pay attention to their body during and after pooping, the experts note.
"Unfortunately, the size and consistency and shape won’t give you an idea of how much is left behind," says Lee, adding that best cue of a complete bowel movement is how you feel afterward. "If you feel good, empty, relieved ... and you have no pressure or pain, that's a pretty good indication," Lee adds.
If after a bowel movement you still feel like there's stool left or a sensation of heaviness and pressure in the pelvis, says Lee, chances are you did not get the job fully done. This is also known as an incomplete bowel movement or incomplete evacuation, Lee adds.
"If you have discomfort or gas or bloating, or you feel sluggish, those can also be the body telling you that the quality is poor," says Lee.
Going multiple times a day doesn't necessarily make someone a super-pooper — in fact, it could mean the opposite, Lee explains. "You may not be a good defecator ... so it takes three attempts to get the job done of one bowel movement," says Lee.
Generally speaking, stool should come out easily and you shouldn’t have to strain too much to get it out, TODAY.com previously reported.
“You want to make sure it’s not a struggle — a battle in the bathroom. Things should just come out smoothly and evenly," Dr. Roshini Rajapaksa, a gastroenterologistat NYU Langone Health, said on TODAY.
Occasional accidents or food poisoning horror stories aside, you should be able to hold in your poop until you reach the bathroom. Loss or inability to control bowel movements is called fecal incontinence, per the Cleveland Clinic.
Overall, the goal should be to have consistent, quality bowel movements rather than going a set number of times like clockwork every day, the experts note.
If you notice any significant changes in your bowel movements, it's time to see a health care professional, the experts note. Changes in stool color are often harmless and caused by certain food. However, if your poop is black, red, green, yellow, or white, this could be a sign of a more serious problem, TODAY.com previously reported.
Issues like pain while pooping, blood in the stool, or more frequent diarrhea could be signs of colon cancer, which is the third most common cancer in the U.S., says Casper.
How long can you go without pooping?
There is no set amount of time a person can safely go without pooping. It depends on the individual, and some people are able to go longer without a bowel movement than others.
The general rule is if it's been about three days, it's time to try to get things moving, the experts note. After three days, the stool can harden and become more difficult to pass, per the Cleveland Clinic, so you may need to help your body out in order to poop.
“I think after 48 to 72 hours of no bowel movements, if you’re starting to feel abdominal discomfort, but it’s not an urgent situation, you can take an over-the-counter laxative or stool softener," says Malieckal. People should not use these over-the-counter constipation medications for more than 24 hours, Malieckal adds, and always consult your doctor if you have questions.
"Sometimes just a fiber supplement like Metamucil can help you empty your colon ... and always make sure you're drinking extra water," says Casper. Drinking prune juice, warm liquids or stimulants like coffee can also get things moving, Casper adds.
Exercise can also help relieve constipation and encourage the body to pass bowel movements, TODAY.com previously reported.
After about three days or if you experience severe symptoms, it's time to see a doctor, the experts note. “If you’re unable to eat because there’s so much (bloating) ... or you’re having severe pain, vomiting, and the abdomen is very tender, then seek more urgent care at the emergency room,” says Malieckal.
Going too long without a bowel movement can increase the risk of complications like fecal impaction, diverticulosis, or irreversible damage to the colon, says Lee. "There's a difference between how long you can go without a bowel movement versus how long you should let yourself go," says Lee.
How to poop regularly
If you feel like you aren’t going often enough, you’re not alone. About 4 million people in the United States experience frequent constipation, and it's the most common gastrointestinal complaint to doctors, per Johns Hopkins Medicine.
If you want to try to have more regular bowel movements, the experts recommend moving your body, increasing your fiber intake and drinking more water.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends getting 28 grams of dietary fiber per day. "A lot of people don’t get that much fiber," says Casper, so eating more fruits and vegetables or taking a fiber supplement can help boost your fiber intake.
"Make sure you avoid a prolonged state of dehydration by hydrating throughout the day rather than waiting until the end of the day and chugging a liter of water, for example," says Lee.
Regular exercise and managing stress levels can also help keep your bowel movements regular, the experts add.
Caroline Kee
Caroline Kee is a health reporter at TODAY based in New York City.
