The Toilet Habit Women Should Break Now (Yes, That Means You)

Women everywhere are familiar with the routine of squatting and hovering over public toilets to avoid touching the seat while urinating. But physical therapist Stephanie Bobinger of Wexner Medical Center at The Ohio State University To put it bluntly: don’t hover. While this may sound like the cleanest option, it’s actually terrible for your body. When you’re propping yourself up on the seat, you’re also straining your pelvic floor, the lower group of muscles in the abdominal core that support the back, abdomen, and internal organs. This makes it nearly impossible to empty your bladder normally. As a result, you may struggle to get every drop out.

Over time, the pressure on the pelvic floor can lead to muscle laxity Cleveland Clinic, When this happens, you may have constipation, frequent trips to the bathroom, incontinence, and pain. The other risk of hovering is that some urine may remain and irritate your bladder, which can lead to a painful UTI or feeling like you need to go urgently, even when you don’t. It’s a high price to pay for the temporary sense of security you might feel when you’re not sitting on the toilet. (Sitting with your legs crossed can also weaken your pelvic floor, so try not to sit in that position for long periods of time.)