When you make pooping habits your business, you set Google alerts for things like "toilet posture," "how to poop better," and "bathroom health." We've spent the year watching what people are asking, what the media is covering, and what's actually landing with people who care about their digestive health.
Here's what stood out in 2025 – the good, the questionable, and the useful.
1. Gastroenterologists confirm: squatting posture works
This one wasn't news to us, but it's always satisfying when the medical community catches up. Gastroenterologists are now openly recommending squatting posture for constipation relief and smoother bowel movements.
Why? Because, anatomy. When you sit at a 90-degree angle, your puborectalis muscle doesn't fully relax. When you squat (or elevate your feet to mimic squatting), that muscle releases, your colon straightens, and elimination becomes easier. It's mechanical, not magical.
If you've been on the fence about whether posture actually matters, this is your confirmation. It does.
Best Toilet Posture for Smooth Bowel Movements
2. How long should it actually take to poop?
Most people think it should take several minutes. It shouldn't. If your body is functioning well; meaning you're hydrated, eating enough fibre, and using proper elimination posture, it should take under a minute.
That might sound impossible if you've spent years straining or sitting for extended periods. But when you use a toilet foot stool like a PROPPR and support your body's natural mechanics, it's not only possible, it's normal.
3. The "Goldilocks Zone" of pooping
A study confirmed what functional medicine practitioners have known for years: your bowel movement frequency says a lot about your overall health. The "Goldilocks Zone"- not too frequent, not too infrequent - is 1-2 times per day.
People who go less than once per day or more than three times per day showed higher rates of chronic disease. Your gut isn't just about digestion. It's connected to inflammation, immune function, mental health, and more. If you're not in that zone, it's worth figuring out why.
4. Stop scrolling on the toilet
An anal surgeon went viral for pointing out what should be obvious: sitting on the toilet for extended periods puts unnecessary strain on your pelvic floor and increases your risk of haemorrhoids.
The average person now spends 10-15 minutes on the toilet, not because they need that long to eliminate, but because they're scrolling. That's a problem!
Your body knows how to do this. If you're eating enough fibre, drinking enough water, and using proper posture, elimination should take under a minute. If it's taking longer, something else is off. And while it's probably not your phone's fault, it certainly isn't helping.
Put it down. Get in, get out, move on!
5. Don't hover over public toilet seats - do this instead
Hovering over a public toilet seat doesn't protect you from germs. It just creates a mess and strains your pelvic floor.
Toilet seats aren't as germ-ridden as people think. Your skin is an effective barrier, and sitting directly on a clean toilet seat is safer than hovering. If you're concerned, wipe the seat down or use a seat cover. But stop hovering.
6. The toilet lid debate is over: flush with it DOWN!
This should be common sense, but apparently, it's not. When you flush with the lid up, aero-solized particles (yes, poop particles) spread up to six feet in every direction! That includes your toothbrush, towels, and anything else sitting on your bathroom counter. 😳
Close the lid before you flush. Every time. It's not complicated.
7. Your toilet isn't the filthiest thing in your house
Turns out your toothbrush and kitchen sponge harbour more bacteria than your toilet bowl. Which makes sense when you think about it, toilets get cleaned regularly. Toothbrushes? Not so much.
The takeaway here isn't to panic about bacteria. It's to remember that hygiene matters in places we don't always think about. Close the toilet lid before you flush (more on that above), replace your toothbrush every three months, and stop leaving wet sponges sitting on the counter. And, another tip… NEVER place your suitcase on the bed - those wheels host the MOST bacteria!
8. Surfaces that have more bacteria than a public toilet
Building on point 7 above: kitchen counters, cutting boards, smartphone screens, and your office desk all carry significantly more bacteria than the average public toilet seat.
This isn't about creating paranoia. It's about perspective. We've been conditioned to fear public toilets while completely ignoring the surfaces we touch all day; the ones we eat off, hold against our face, and work on.
The fix is simple: wipe down high-touch surfaces regularly, wash your cutting boards properly, and stop eating lunch at your desk without cleaning it first.
9. To bidet or not to bidet?
The bidet debate continues. Some people swear by them for hygiene and sustainability. Others find them unnecessary or uncomfortable.
Here's the reality: bidets are more hygienic than toilet paper alone, and they're better for the environment. But if you're not going to use one consistently, don't bother. The best hygiene practice is the one you'll actually follow.
If you do use a bidet, make sure you're drying properly afterward. Moisture creates its own hygiene issues.
10. Kohler's poop-analyzing toilet cam
Technology has officially gone too far - or has it? Kohler released a toilet with a built-in camera that analyzes your stool and tracks digestive health trends over time.
Is it overkill? Probably. But the underlying idea isn't ridiculous. Your bowel movements tell you a lot about your gut health, and most people ignore those signals until something's seriously wrong. If a toilet cam gets people paying attention, maybe that's not the worst thing.
That said, you don't need a $10,000 toilet to understand what your body is telling you. Just start paying attention.
What This All Comes Down To
Most of what you need to know about gut health and bathroom habits isn't complicated. Your body innately knows what is required for optimal elimination. The problem is some of the habits we’ve built, bad ones - scrolling, ignoring signals, sitting in ways that work against our anatomy, interfering with what should be straightforward.
Going into 2026, here's what matters:
- Use proper elimination posture (elevate your feet with a toilet stool like PROPPR)
- Pay attention to your bowel movements - they're telling you something
- Don't scroll on the toilet
- Close the lid before you flush
- Stop overthinking hygiene and focus on consistency.