How this daily habit can help you age more gracefully.

INSIGHT

Our bodies were designed to squat for proper defecation.

If our bodies were not designed to defecate sitting at 90 degree angles, how have we continued to use the same porcelain toilets that were created centuries ago as decadent symbols of our "civilized" behaviors? It’s actually rather ironic: one could argue that carrying extra waste in your colon is far from classy behavior, let alone physiologically inferior. But like all things of our comfort-driven consumer culture, we’ve gotten used to pooping while sitting in a passive resting position.

Instead of allowing our cultural context, social status, or presumed aesthetic preference for toilets to dictate how we should be using them, why not really understand the perfect poop posture as it was intended by our biology? Furthermore, understand what else about that posture supports our health overall? Our human design was built to squat — particularly when it comes to the daily routine of releasing waste. We have an ingenious muscle connected to our pubic bone that wraps around our lower intestine or colon, called the puborectalis, that works almost like a pinching mechanism to automatically shut off any ability to poop standing up. (Good thing, especially when you get that rumble while at a podium). And by sitting ‘half way” into a squat, we’re not really opening up the optimal circumference for 1) our feces to expel from the body with the natural aid of gravity and abdominal release and 2) for our musculature of the pelvic floor to assist in that action (peristalsis of an unencumbered colon) or even 3) the calming effect a curved tailbone has on our nervous system to help release tension (ever watch your pet do the deed?).

The mechanics of our internal organs aside, squat pooping also does wonders to our daily movement conditioning over a life time of mobilizing our ankles, knees and hips to degrees needed for basic daily movement. But that’s all been truncated (in oh so many ways) by the modern toilet. Plenty of room for innovation beyond holes in the ground.

INSPIRATION

Squatty Potty

If you're not ready to give up or replace your porcelain throne, the guys at Squatty Potty have cashed in on this massive insight with a simple piece of plastic that you can place at the foot of your toilet when needed. (You can also just use a plastic bucket…or work on your mobility and rest those heels on the rim of the toilet seat in deep squat position to release the demons fully!).

They are on a mission to improve bathroom health around the world. Becoming the #1 way to do #2 since inception. And their "small town, big poops" back story is the stuff of dreams:

Our Squatty Potty journey began in St. George, Utah, where The Edwards family was in a pinch… Judy was really constipated. When a doctor suggested squatting would cure her strain, Bobby and Bill realized this knowledge could change the world.

And it very well may do so. I've definitely become a different person after a decade of squat pooping.

INNOVATION

“Waterfall Toilet”

Beautifully designed squat toilet that supports natural squat posture and reuses water from a seamlessly connected sink.

• Designed to be installed with the same floor connection as conventional seated toilets for convenience and minimal plumbing.

• Optional water tank that can reuse water from washing hands to recycle water.

• Light-weight polished concrete with porcelain lining for easy cleaning and installation.

• Shape rests lower but supports full squat or semi-squat positions with heel rests as you train yourself into the proper defecation position over time.

• Squat toilets no longer have to be the ugly uncivilized version, they can join throne status and be fixtures of pooping intelligence all across the world.