Physical Therapist Shares How To Stop Constipation On Vacation & Finally Poo!

Getting away to some relaxing place for a mini-vacation always feels good to every one of us. However, balancing your gut health becomes equally complex during such vacations. The condition is commonly known as travel constipation which is the most likely issue while traveling.

Needless to mention that this kind of blockage in your bowel movements can cause serious cramps in the stomach and abdominal area. So is there any solution on how to poop on vacation while having travel constipation? Yes, there are many methods that you can follow to get relief while suffering from travel constipation. The article has discussed some of the effective methods and how to prevent it as well. But, before we jump into the content, allow us to tell you about the main causes of travel constipation. Let’s begin.

Why do people develop constipation issues while traveling?

Our GI tract is usually very sensitive to any changes. The imbalance of little things in your everyday routine can throw your digestive system out of sync. Further, while you travel, you invite all those changes to happen all at once. Due to this, your body starts to develop poop issues. Some of the most common reasons for travel constipation are:

Not having an adequate amount of fiber:

Not consuming your usual salad, oatmeal, smoothie and other fiber-rich foods while traveling reduces fiber content in your body. People usually trade these healthy foods with burgers, pastries and other ready-to-eat junk foods.

Not drinking the required amount of water:

When you are out of your home, it’s easy to forget about drinking a sip every now and then. Moreover, drinking alcohol and other beverages while traveling can make your body dehydrated.

The drastic shift in your schedule:

Sudden changes in your everyday routine or getting jet lag can together disturb your usual bathroom timings.

Lack Of Digestive Enzymes or HCL:

One of the challenges in life in general, whether at home or traveling is to get enough digestive enzymes in your diet. HCL (hydrochloric acid) is another valuable digestive aid. Enzymes help to break down fats, protein and starches. Enzymes are quite literally proteins that go to work to break down the more difficult to breakdown aspects of food. Having enough enzymes is tough at times unless you have plenty of enzyme rich foods in your diet, but that is not always the case.

Thankfully, a company called Bioptimizers has a product called Masszymes. These enzymes are spectacular at breaking down fat and protein, the two toughest to break down macronutrients that will often cause constipation. These enzymes go to work and break down the excess food in the gut, softening it and creating an easy to poo stool that can easily come out. There have been times where i’ve taken these enzymes and I can quite literally feel the food beginning to break down in my stomach faster. They are very extraordinary.

Additionally, HCL is a necessary aspect of hydration. HCL, or hydrochloric acid is incredibly important. In fact, if you have heartburn at all there’s a 90% (or greater) chance that your body isn’t producing enough hydrochloric acid. This acid helps to breakdown food and is responsible for reducing heartburn, reducing bloating, reducing constipation and more. Grab a bottle of HCL by clicking here and see if this does for you what it has done for so many others.

Physical inactivity of sitting for long hours:

When you travel through a car or plane or other transports where you need to sit almost still for extended periods can gum up your body. Most people who don’t prefer to stand in the waiting line for the plane bathroom or don’t want to use any public toilet tend to put off the need to poop. Thus, avoiding the trip to the bathroom when needed can halt proper bowel movement. Now let’s move ahead to learn how to poop on vacation.

Methods on how to poop on vacation:

You might put your best efforts into avoiding constipation while traveling. But, there is a high chance you’ll still see yourself struggling to have a healthy bowel movement during vacation. However, following some effective methods can help your bowel movement to get going good and well. Below are given a few methods to follow during vacation:

Scooping method:

You’ll need to take the lower abdominal tissue and stretch it gently in the scooping method. This practice stretches the front portion of the pelvic diaphragm. When that tissue gets elongated and released, it allows blood flow to come in and releases any potential tissue restrictions that might be clogging motility and proper function in the intestinal tract.

To attain this, you need to lay down and bend your knees. Next, find the hip bones and scoop the tissue.

You’ll find the solid point while doing the exercise. Once you get there, take deep breaths up to three counts and allow your belly to expand while you inhale and exhale.

Lower belly compressions method

Along with it, try some belly compressions as well. Rock side to side along with deep breaths. This method is also similar to scooping, except it also encourages the pubococcygeus and puborectalis muscles to stretch. In case the muscles are additionally tight, the bowel movement would be difficult to function smoothly. When you pull in the knees, it causes compression at one point and stretches at the other.

ILU massage method:

ILU massage also works the same as the scooping method. The massage works by softening up the tissue restrictions in the abdomen area and the colon path. It stimulates blood flow in the colon, promoting mechanical motility. This indicates that this practice makes your colon move. One of the best things about the ILU massage method is that it builds proprioceptive awareness with time. It helps you recognize when constipation might start. Thus, you’ll be able to take action sooner.

ILU is defined as the motion that a person’s hands make for completing the massage forming those letters.

Try magnesium – a Natural Stool Softener

It is advised to utilize a stool softener before planning to head out on a road trip or flight. By doing so, you can make your excreta more softer so that it can pass easily. Thus, you’ll be able to poop more often without any blockages. It triggers natural intestinal moisture to make this happen. One of the best stool softeners that you can use as an over-the-counter treatment is truly magnesium. You’ll want to load up on double the dosage of the recommended dosage to really help to soften the stool.

The product magnesium breakthrough (click here to visit) is an exceptional magnesium product that not only helps your body relax, which makes it easier to poop, but it also supports calming the muscles, nervous system, heart and more. The majority of the population is deficient in magnesium and this mineral helps to soften the stool and easier to poop.

Tips to prevent travel constipation

Aside from the above methods, you can follow the following tips for precaution:

Try to follow your usual eating schedule

Usually, the GI tract of the human body develops its own schedule to eat and release. Keeping up with these typical eating times supports the health of your GI tract system and prevents it from getting stuck. You don’t need to maintain the schedule exactly as it is but avoid making too drastic delays. For example, if you usually have dinner at 8 P.M., try to maintain the timing with a minimum of half an hour difference.

Do not indulge in eating too much

Getting to eat different kinds of food is the fun part of traveling. But, you should always maintain a balance and try not to consume too much junk or oily foods. Having excess fatty foods can easily clog up your digestive system. In this scenario, it would be best to stick with one treat snack or meal every day rather than consuming eatables without being mindful about it.

Ensure to have a warm drink early in the morning

Make a habit of drinking warm water soon after you wake up. It helps in getting things moving smoothly. Aside from water, you can also consider having coffee early in the morning as it also shows a similar effect. However, ensure not to overconsume caffeine as it can be dehydrating, which can eventually worsen your constipation.

Take bathroom break whenever needed

In many instances, a proper bowel movement would take time. And due to busy schedules, many people avoid the required time and try to rush it . So make sure even if you are busy, you have adequate time to sit and allow a proper bowel movement. Also, in case your gut urges to excrete all of a sudden, take a trip to the bathroom instead of avoiding it. Holding bowel movements can cause serious blockage problems.

Keep yourself hydrated

No matter what your schedule for the day is, ensure to keep drinking water from time to time. Also, ensure not to booze too much as beverages can make you dehydrated. However, if you have consumed alcoholic beverages, you need to have one glass of water after every time you drink. It will not only keep your body well hydrated but also decrease your chances of getting hungover.

Keep moving your body

For GI juices to flow regularly, you need to keep up with your body’s physical activities. Therefore, you should try to do a few warm-ups every day, even while on vacation. Some of the best and most enjoyable activities are swimming, walking around etc.

Do not take too much stress

Do not keep stressing and being anxious about not being able to poop properly. Excessive stress further clogs up your GI tract even more. So avoid thinking about how to poop on vacation constantly.

When must you see a doctor about travel constipation?

Though methods mentioned earlier and tips can help you stay relieved from travel constipation, keep an eye on serious symptoms. For instance, if you have been suffering from gut issues for more than 3 days. Or if you are feeling intensely bloated, uncomfortable or nauseous. In any of such scenarios, it is advised to visit any nearby doctor to review your condition.

Do You Squat When You Poop?

Squatting when you sit on the toilet is important because it opens the anal sphincter wider which allows more stool to exit the colon. It’s a postural thing. At home it’s easy because you can use this:

I recommend having one of these at home because your Colon benefits and you will have larger bowel movements as a whole. Click here to visit Squatty Potty’s website. The best way to utilize this on the road is to simply squat (like a frog) on the toilet. I quite literally put my feet on the toilet seat and squat over it. So you can still squat, it’s just a tad more challenging but it does help to move larger bowel movements.

Here are some sure signs of travel constipation that you should not ignore:

Vomiting
Bloody stool
Fever
Not being able to pass gas
low back pain
Unplanned or sudden loss in weight
Wrapping Up

Traveling affects your gut health due to changes in types of food intake and meal timings. Also, long hours of bodily inactivity impact bowel movement in your body. Due to all these reasons, the risk of developing constipation and stress of how to poop on vacation properly arises. The problem is most probable while flying to a new different time zone. But, with informed preparation for the possible scenario, you can tackle the situation smoothly. Try to keep up with a healthy vacation routine throughout your travel.

Also, if the issue persists for over 3 days, then ensure to contact a doctor to get professional advice.

 

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