Staying regular

Maybe you notice your spouse visits the bathroom every morning after a cup of coffee and marvel at his regularity. Perhaps you don't share that level of frequency — and wonder if you should.

But what does "staying regular" really mean? The answer is different for every person, reflecting such factors as age, diet, physical activity, daily routine, and hydration levels, says Dr. Lawrence Borges, a gastroenterologist at Harvard-affiliated Mt. Auburn Hospital.

For some people, being regular means having a bowel movement once or twice a day. But it could also mean once or twice a week — or anything in between. "Normal" is whatever's normal for you. But many people still fret if they don't have frequent bowel movements, he says.

"People have in their minds that one perfect poop a day is the goal, but the reality is everyone's pattern may be different from that," Dr. Borges says. "I try to stress that there's no single right answer, no perfect or correct pattern."

When routines change

Stress alone is one negative offshoot of irregular bowel habits. Another is disrupted sleep, since people may awaken in discomfort or need to use the bathroom at odd hours. "But being irregular, on its own, is common and not necessarily a sign of something wrong," Dr. Borges says.

While how often you have a bowel movement doesn't matter, what does matter is that the pattern remains relatively consistent and you feel comfortable. With healthy bowel movements, you'll also feel you're completely emptying the rectum, not bloated or in pain, and don't have to strain hard to get the job done.

Spotting a problem starts with noticing a dramatic change in what's normal for you. If you typically have one bowel movement a day and suddenly you're having them only once a week, for example — and you can't explain this change — you should see your doctor. That visit is even more pressing if you're also having other symptoms, such as fatigue, pain, unintended weight loss, blood in your stool, or a change in stool consistency. "These are alarming changes that should prompt an evaluation," Dr. Borges says.

Digestion direction

Many people who ask Dr. Borges about being regular really want to know how to avoid constipation. Again, there's no single answer, with a menu of options to help keep digestion humming.

In addition to mainstay advice such eating whole grains and fiber-rich fruits and vegetables, exercising regularly (which keeps your colon moving, too), and drinking plenty of water, Dr. Borges offers this guidance.

Maintain a toileting schedule. Try visiting the bathroom at the same time every day, such as in the morning after breakfast. This can help train your body to go at the same time in a place you're comfortable. "If you're racing out the door for work and not leaving time to take advantage of that readiness, that's not helpful — you may not be able to take advantage of it later in the day," he says.

Heed your body's signals. Along those lines, when you feel the urge to have a bowel movement, don't put it off until later. "The opposite is also true: just because you haven't gone doesn't mean you should try to force it," he says. "If your body's not ready, you may not be able to go because no stool is ready to be expelled."

Try a toilet stool. Toilet footstools have emerged as a quietly popular bathroom accessory, with devotees saying it helps them have more comfortable, effective bowel movements. "The purpose is to change the angle and orientation of the rectum to make it more of a straight path to expel stool," he says. "Some people find when they raise their feet six inches, they do have an easier time."

Image: © brizmaker/Getty Images