Some people like to look out at a star-studded sky and marvel at how many others might be gazing up with them, unaware they’re sharing the beauty of nature together.
Me? Well, when I’m on the tube, I sometimes look around and think “statistically, one in seven of you people are constipated.”
If the NHS numbers are anything to go by, backed-up Brits are in dire need of a little loo advice. Thankfully, pelvic floor expert Heather Foord revealed to Femail that one gut-clearing secret is surprisingly easy.
The Core Restore Co pelvic floor specialist says that mooing while you’re pooing might make the job go faster (yes, really).
She recommends we “start by breathing in deeply so that your belly relaxes and gets big. As you exhale, let your belly relax back.”
“Repeat this breath (with the belly growing big as you inhale) five times. Now, make an ‘Mmmmm’ sound. This action helps your waist widen and creates pressure to help the bowel movement,” she added.
Then, “Bulge your belly out (really let it go) by saying the ‘Ooooo’ sound. This helps your anal sphincter open. Keep going with the ‘Mmmm’ and ‘Oooo’ to continue generating pressure.′
Bizarre as it might sound, Foord isn’t alone. Pelvic physiotherapist Elaine Miller wrote in the medical blog Evidently Cochrane that “Leaning on the elbows and making a “moo” (or other) sound reduces the urge to strain.”
As Miller said, it helps to reduce the amount of straining involved when evacuating your bowels as the pressure comes more from your stomach than by bearing down.
That’s a good move, because “Straining increases your intra-abdominal pressure and causes congestion of the soft tissues. So, you are more likely to develop piles, prolapse or vaginal varicose veins.”
To make this even easier, try “Raising the feet so that the hips are flexed beyond 90 degrees. [This] straightens out where the colon and rectum join and allows poo to pass more easily.”
So there we have it; squat and moo for the best number two of your life. Bodies are wild, aren’t they?
