Constipation: What Actually Helps You Stay Regular?
Constipation is incredibly common, but that doesn’t mean it’s something you simply have to live with. And while “eat more fiber and drink more water” is probably the advice you’ve heard most often, supporting regular bowel movements can be a little more nuanced than that. Bowel habits are influenced by everything from the foods you eat and how much you drink to movement, stress, medications, pelvic floor function, and the way your digestive tract moves food through your system. So, if things have been feeling a little… backed up, here are some of the foundations worth looking at.
First, What Actually Counts as Constipation?
Constipation doesn’t necessarily mean you haven’t had a bowel movement in several days.
It can also look like:
Having fewer than three bowel movements per week
Passing hard, dry, or pellet-like stools
Straining frequently
Feeling like you haven't completely emptied your bowels
Feeling like stool is difficult to pass
Ideally, bowel movements should be relatively easy to pass without significant straining or discomfort. If that isn't happening consistently, there may be several factors worth considering.
1. Start With Fiber, But More Isn't Always Better
Fiber helps add bulk to stool, retain water, and support the microbes living in your digestive tract. For many adults, gradually working toward roughly 25–30 grams of fiber per day is a reasonable goal, although individual needs vary. Some easy ways to increase fiber include things like berries and kiwi, vegetables, beans and lentils, chia and flax seeds, oats and other whole grains. But there's an important caveat: more fiber isn't automatically better. Increasing fiber too quickly can sometimes worsen bloating, abdominal discomfort, or constipation, particularly if fluid intake is low or there are other factors affecting intestinal motility. Instead of suddenly loading your diet with fiber, increase it gradually and pay attention to how your digestive system responds.
2. Try Two Kiwifruit a Day
This is one of my favorite food-first strategies because there's actually research behind it. Studies have found that eating two green kiwifruit per day can improve bowel movement frequency and gastrointestinal comfort in people experiencing constipation, including individuals with constipation-predominant IBS. Kiwi provides fiber, but its potential digestive benefits may extend beyond fiber alone. It also contains actinidin, an enzyme involved in protein digestion, and its particular combination of fiber and water-holding properties may help support stool consistency and movement through the digestive tract. It's a simple example of how food can sometimes be used strategically rather than focusing exclusively on supplements.
3. Don't Forget About Hydration
Your colon absorbs water from its contents as stool moves through it. When fluid intake is inadequate, stool can become harder and more difficult to pass. Rather than obsessing over one universal number, use hydration as a daily foundation. Water needs vary based on body size, activity level, climate, diet, pregnancy, medications, and other factors. A practical sign to watch is urine color, it should generally be pale yellow rather than consistently dark. And if you're increasing fiber, adequate fluid becomes especially important.
4. Move Your Body
Your digestive tract likes movement, too. Regular physical activity can help support intestinal motility, and it doesn't need to mean an intense workout. Walking is one of the simplest places to start. A short walk after meals can provide the added benefit of supporting blood sugar regulation while also getting your body moving. Stretching, yoga, strength training, and other forms of regular movement can all be part of the picture as well. If you spend most of your day sitting, simply breaking up long periods of inactivity can be worthwhile.
5. Take Advantage of Your Body's Natural Timing
Your digestive system has a built-in reflex called the gastrocolic reflex. When food enters your stomach, particularly after waking and eating breakfast, it signals the colon to increase movement. That's one reason many people naturally feel the urge to have a bowel movement in the morning or shortly after eating. Instead of repeatedly ignoring that urge, give yourself enough time to use the bathroom when your body is signaling that it's ready. Consistently postponing bowel movements can make it harder to maintain regular habits.
6. Change Your Bathroom Position
Modern toilets aren't exactly designed around human anatomy. Placing your feet on a small stool while sitting on the toilet raises your knees above your hips and creates a more squat-like position. This can change the anorectal angle and may make stool easier to pass with less straining. You don't need anything fancy, a small bathroom footstool can accomplish the same basic goal. And rather than force a bowel movement, try to relax your abdomen and breathe normally.
7. Abdominal Massage May Help
Gentle abdominal massage is another low-cost strategy that may support bowel movement frequency and reduce constipation symptoms for some people. One simple approach is to massage the abdomen in the direction the colon travels: up the right side → across the upper abdomen → down the left side. Use gentle, comfortable pressure rather than digging deeply into the abdomen. This isn't appropriate for everyone, particularly after recent abdominal surgery, during certain pregnancies, or with some medical conditions, so when in doubt, check with your healthcare provider first.
8. Consider Stress and the Gut-Brain Connection
Constipation isn't purely a food problem. Your digestive tract and nervous system are constantly communicating through the gut-brain axis. Stress, changes in routine, travel, poor sleep, and other nervous-system stressors can influence digestive motility. That's why supporting regularity sometimes involves looking beyond what's on your plate. Eating meals without rushing, taking a few slow breaths before eating, maintaining consistent sleep, spending time outside, and incorporating activities that help your body shift out of a chronically stressed state can all be part of supporting healthy digestion.
When Constipation Needs a Deeper Look
Lifestyle strategies can be incredibly helpful, but persistent constipation isn't something to endlessly self-treat without asking why it's happening. Constipation can sometimes be associated with medications or supplements, pelvic floor dysfunction, thyroid disorders, IBS, changes in intestinal motility, inadequate food intake, certain gastrointestinal conditions, and other underlying factors. And certain symptoms deserve medical evaluation rather than another home remedy.
Seek medical care for constipation accompanied by symptoms such as blood in the stool, unexplained weight loss, significant or worsening abdominal pain, vomiting, fever, inability to pass stool or gas, or a new persistent change in bowel habits. New-onset constipation later in life or constipation accompanied by other concerning symptoms should also be discussed with a healthcare professional.
The Bottom Line
Supporting regular bowel movements doesn't have to begin with an overflowing supplement cabinet. Start with the foundations: adequate fiber, hydration, movement, regular meals, bathroom positioning, responding to your body's natural cues, and supporting the gut-brain connection. And remember that constipation is a symptom, not necessarily the whole story.
If you've already tried the basics and you're still struggling with persistent digestive symptoms, it may be worth taking a closer look at the factors contributing to them.
At Wildflower Gut Solutions, I help individuals better understand their digestive symptoms and the nutrition, lifestyle, and other factors that may be influencing their gut health.
