Change your loo habits for a healthier pelvic floor! SquattyPotty hits the UK!

Did you know that our modern toilets can be really damaging to your pelvic floor?

If you are a Kegel8 follower, you will know that we have talked for a long time about the damage that being constipated can do to your pelvic floor. Straining to go to the toilet puts a huge amount of pressure on our pelvic muscles, and as well as leading to problems such as haemorrhoids, straining can also really damage your pelvic floor.

Doctors have long advocated eating plenty of fibre to 'keep things moving' and that is correct, however, it's not just what we eat but how we go for a number 2 that can lead to healthier bowels and a stronger pelvic floor.

Not emptying the bowels properly can be really detrimental to our health. By sitting to go to the toilet, it means that our bowels are not always emptied properly. Over time, this can mean that faeces gather in the bowels and make us constipated. Toxins also build up in this way, and studies have suggested that excess faeces can lead to IBS, bowel disease, appendicitis and even bowel cancer. We need to change the way we go!

Our toilets may be comfortable, but humans aren't designed to sit for a number two - we're designed to squat! Sitting on the toilet, while comfortable, does not allow us to completely empty the bowel - the rectum is choked by the puborectalis muscle. This is good for most of the day, because if it didn't, we would have accidents, however when going to the toilet sitting down, we can't empty the bowels properly, meaning that we strain and damage our pelvic floor!

That's where SquattyPotty comes in!

Squatty Potty is an simple yet ingenious device that fits around the base of your toilet, and raises your feet to put your body into a natural and comfortable squatting position. By squatting instead of sitting, the puborectalis muscle releases the rectum, straightens out the anorectal kink and allows us to do a complete and healthy number 2, the way nature intended.

Straining to go to the toilet is really detrimental to the body, and especially to the pelvic floor. Straining puts a great deal of pressure on the muscles and blood vessels around your rectum and in your whole pelvic area - repeated straining over a period of time can seriously damage these muscles and in the worst case, cause leaks - both urinary and faecal. You can help to avoid straining by raising your knees into the natural squatting position with the Squatty Potty.

By squatting instead of sitting, your bowels will open in a natural way, allowing for easier 'number 2s' and protecting your pelvic floor from the damage caused by straining.

Stephanie Taylor, pelvic floor expert and Managing Director of Kegel8 says: “The SquattyPotty really is going to be the must-have health gadget of 2013” and goes on to say “straining due to constipation is so detrimental to your health, and we're really excited to have found a such a simple and effective way to avoid constipation and protect the pelvic floor”.

Where can I get the Squatty Potty?

SquattyPotty is available in two different heights, 7 inches and 9 inches. Usually toilets 14-15 inches high are low enough for the smaller SquattyPotty, and taller toilets over 16 inches are better suited for the 9 inch model.

SquattyPotty is available in two designs to suit every bathroom. The sleek and simple SquattyPotty Ecco is priced at just £27.99 and is ideal for those on a budget, and the gorgeous SquattyPotty Tao Bamboo design is priced at £52.00.

The SquattyPotty is the ideal addition to your Kegel8 exercises. By changing the way you poop and regular Kegel8ing, you'll soon be on the way to a stronger and healthier pelvic floor, and all the benefits it brings!