Most people probably don’t think twice about how long they spend sitting on the toilet.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Whether it’s scrolling through social media, replying to messages or simply enjoying five minutes of peace and quiet, it’s easy for a quick bathroom visit to turn into a lengthy stay.
But according to health experts, spending too long on the toilet could do more harm than good.
Doctors specialising in gastrointestinal health say that a normal bowel movement should only take a matter of minutes, warning that staying seated for too long can increase the risk of painful conditions including haemorrhoids, anal fissures and even pelvic floor damage.
So, how long is too long?
According to Dr Melissa Hershman, assistant professor of medicine in the division of gastroenterology and hepatology at Oregon Health and Sciences University, it should be a very quick process.
“An appropriate time to spend on the toilet is no more than three minutes at a time,” Dr Hershman told Huff Post.
Not every expert is quite as strict, however.
Dr Valentine Millien, a gastroenterologist at Houston Methodist Hospital, believes around five minutes is a more realistic target.
“Really, after five minutes, and nothing is happening, we usually tell patients to leave and then wait again to get the urge, and then come back to the bathroom,” she told the outlet.
Leslie Waid, a nurse practitioner in gastroenterology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, also suggested that spending between five and 10 minutes should be the absolute upper limit—but stressed that, ideally, everything should happen much more naturally.
“You should sit down, you should easily pass a bowel movement, feel empty, you get cleaned up and you leave,” Waid told the Huff Post. “There shouldn’t be any straining or spending time sitting there waiting for stools to pass.”
While plenty of people assume sitting on the toilet for longer is harmless, experts say the opposite can be true.
Repeated straining or remaining seated while waiting for a bowel movement can put unnecessary pressure on the body.
Dr Hershman warned that excessive pushing can “create pelvic trauma, injury,” while Waid explained that one of the most common consequences is haemorrhoids.
“There are other things that can happen with straining, including anal fissures, and those are tears in the lining of the anal canal, and they can be very painful,” Waid said.
She also noted that repeated straining can weaken the pelvic floor muscles over time.
One surprisingly common habit could also be making bathroom visits much longer than they need to be.
According to Dr Millien, bringing your phone into the bathroom can encourage people to remain seated long after they’re finished trying to go. Research has suggested that people who use their smartphones on the toilet spend more time there and have a higher risk of developing haemorrhoids.
If you regularly struggle to empty your bowels, doctors say there are practical changes that may help.
Positioning is one of the simplest.
Rather than sitting upright, experts recommend adopting more of a squatting position. Toilet stools designed to elevate your feet can help recreate the posture naturally used in many parts of the world.
Millien explained why the technique can make such a difference.
“A lot of Asian countries and a lot of African countries, their toilet is actually, even if it’s a ceramic toilet, it’s usually lower to the ground, so that forces you to squat,” Millien said. When you squat, “you’re removing some of that pressure of the rectum, and actually allowing gravity to help you evacuate,” she added.
Lifestyle also plays a major role in keeping bowel movements regular.
Experts recommend drinking plenty of fluids, exercising regularly and ensuring your diet contains enough fibre.
Waid said: “It’s important to have adequate dietary fiber.”
Foods such as fruits, vegetables, beans, lentils, whole grains, oatmeal and chia seeds all contribute towards healthier digestion by adding bulk to stools and making them easier to pass.
For people who struggle to get enough fibre through food alone, Waid said a fibre supplement may also help improve regularity.
Dr Hershman recommends aiming for at least 25 grams of fibre each day.
Exercise is equally important.
“Exercise is an excellent way to promote bowel motility. I often tell patients that your gut doesn’t move if you don’t,” said Hershman.
The NHS also advises people not to “spend endless time on the toilet straining,” reinforcing the importance of avoiding prolonged bathroom visits.
Although constipation and the occasional difficult bowel movement are common, doctors say there are situations where people should seek medical advice rather than simply assuming everything is normal.
Dr Millien urged anyone who notices blood after using the toilet to speak with a healthcare professional.
“Blood in the toilet — the assumption used to be that this was all hemorrhoids, but it’s also important to talk to your physician,” she said.
She also warned that changes in bowel habits shouldn’t be ignored.
“Because it could be a sign of inflammation in the colon, or it can be a sign of an obstruction in the colon,” added Millien.
“If there’s any concern in your bowel habits, if anything has changed in your bowel habits, any blood, don’t just minimize [it],” she added.
The warning comes as cases of colorectal cancer continue to rise among younger adults, with symptoms sometimes mistaken for more common digestive problems.
Millien also pointed out: “A lot of young patients with colon cancer now are actually asymptomatic, other than just intermittent rectal bleeding.”
Ultimately, doctors agree that using the toilet shouldn’t be something that takes a significant chunk out of your day.
If nothing happens within a few minutes, experts recommend getting up, carrying on with your day and returning once the urge naturally comes back—rather than sitting and straining.
In short, if you’re regularly spending more than five minutes on the toilet, it could be worth leaving your phone outside the bathroom, making a few lifestyle adjustments and speaking to a healthcare professional if you notice persistent changes or concerning symptoms.
Featured image credit: Pexels/Miriam Alonso/chen pincheng (free to use)
