How Do I Relieve Constipation?

There are a number of constipation remedies – and we’re not just talking about the gentle relief provided by constipation products like Movicol^®. Some of the most effective methods for restoring and maintaining the regularity of your body’s natural bowel movements relate simply to a healthy diet, staying sufficiently hydrated and getting enough exercise.

Below we explore how you can ease the discomfort of a stubborn stool before it becomes too much, and ease constipation symptoms,  through lifestyle changes or any of the various types of constipation products available.

Natural constipation remedies encompass a range of measures you can take to adjust your lifestyle in a way that not only relieves the feelings of a stubborn stool or constipation, but also reduces the chance of it happening again in the future.

If you are wondering how to relieve constipation naturally, there are three core areas that you should consider: diet, hydration and exercise.

Many people, when stuck with a stubborn stool, find themselves wondering if there are foods to ease constipation.

Making positive changes to your diet can be a very powerful way to get your stubborn stool moving again, and keeping your body’s bowel movements more regular in general. The key thing you should be looking to eat more of is fibre – a critical component of any healthy diet, and which is essential for soft, hydrated stools.

Fibre is roughage that can’t be broken down entirely by human digestive enzymes. Instead, it bulks out your stool, helping it to retain the water that makes it soft enough to move easily through – and out of – your digestive system. A diet lacking in fibre leads to smaller, harder stools that are more difficult to pass.

Your recommended daily fibre intake varies depending on how old you are.

Fibre-rich foods include fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, nuts, seeds and pulses. Here are some high fibre foods for constipation, along with their fibre content per 100g:

Common foods which are high in fibre:

Beyond simply including more fibre in your diet, some people find that some natural products, for example, prune juice or herbal teas containing peppermint or ginger can help maintain bowel regularity.

Drinking plenty of water to stay hydrated is absolutely essential in terms of natural constipation relief, as well as maintaining a well-functioning digestive system and body overall.

A healthy, normal stool contains 75% water to keep it soft and moving smoothly through your digestive system. If you are having trouble passing a stool, then this could be your gut sending you an SOS for water to help move things along. When a stool moves too slowly, it loses moisture to the rest of your body, becoming harder, dryer and more difficult to pass, in other words it becomes a stubborn stool.

Drinking enough water means there will be less chance of moisture being drawn out of your stool and into the rest of your body.

The Better Health Channel recommends drinking at least 6-8 cups of water every day in order to stay optimally hydrated.

Staying active is an important part of staying regular – because keeping your body moving keeps your stool moving.

Exercise stimulates intestinal movement by engaging your abdominal and pelvic muscles while increasing blood flow to the intestines, which in turn helps stimulate the natural contractions of the intestinal muscles. This is called peristalsis (peri-stal-sis), which is the mechanism by which your intestines move stools through your colon.

As a result, stool tends to move more quickly and efficiently through your digestive system, and by decreasing the amount of time stool spends in your body, you’re also decreasing the chance of water being absorbed from your stool back into your body. As a result, your stools will stay hydrated, making them softer and easier to pass.

Another helpful byproduct of exercise is its proven ability to reduce stress. High levels of stress are known to disrupt your digestive system and potentially lead to a stubborn stool, so anything that reduces these stress levels may also provide natural constipation relief.

The kinds of exercise that help to ease constipation aren’t necessarily intense – light or moderate exercises like walking, jogging, swimming or stretching can all help to get a stubborn stool moving again.

The amount and types of exercise that are recommended can vary depending on your age:

Adults should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise or 75 minutes of high-intensity exercise per week, spread evenly across 4-5 days. Activities like walking, jogging, swimming, and cycling are all excellent choices.

Elderly people who struggle with more intense exercise can still benefit from lighter exercises like walking, stretching, and yoga without causing strain. Even making a cup of tea or doing some vacuuming counts as light exercise. The important thing is to stick to safe activities that are within your limits.

Elderly people may find themselves at various times to be more prone to constipation. The elderly have undergone a decline in muscle tone and mobility, resulting in a negative impact on their digestive system.

Sometimes you can be doing everything right with your diet, hydration and exercise, and still find yourself experiencing a stubborn stool. For those occasions, there are a number of constipation products available, which can be taken in a variety of ways:

• Powder which dissolves in water to create a drink.
• Liquid which can be taken immediately.
• Liquid to be diluted in water.
• Tablets/gummies/chews which are eaten.
• Suppositories which are inserted and dissolve in the rectum.
• Enemas which are administered through the rectum as a liquid solution.

Although constipation products can be taken using any of these methods, they all essentially work in one of three ways: by bulking the stool with fibre; or by drawing water to your stool to soften it and make it easier to pass; or by stimulating muscles in your intestine to move the stool along.

There are four different types of laxative:

• Stimulant laxatives. These stimulate the muscles in the gut in order to promote bowel movements.
• Stool softeners. These simply work to soften the stool.
• Osmotic laxatives. These draw water into the stool, softening the stool and providing a gentle laxative effect to restore bowel movement.
• Bulk-forming laxatives. These are high in fibre which bulk out the stool, making them larger and easier to pass.

You can read a more detailed account of how different types of laxatives work here  The Different Types of Laxatives and How They Work

Choosing the right constipation products will very much depend on what type of relief you would prefer, and what would be most appropriate for your specific circumstances.

It’s also worth bearing in mind that laxatives will not be the right choice for everyone; if you have certain medical conditions, or you are pregnant or taking medications that may cause constipation, you should check with your doctor before starting any course of treatment.

There are three main places you can turn to for obtaining constipation products or remedies for a stubborn stool.

• Off the shelf: buying the products directly from the shelf in any pharmacy, big supermarket or online.
• Over the counter: some constipation products will be kept behind the counter at the pharmacy.
• On prescription: in some cases you may need to get a prescription from your doctor.

You should always seek advice from your doctor if your stubborn stool or constipation lasts for more than two weeks , or if you are experiencing severe pain or blood in your stool. You should also consult your doctor if you are experiencing constipation as a side effect of medication you are taking and none of the above advice has helped.

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking other medicines whilst taking Movicol^®. Some medicines may not work as effectively during use with Movicol.

Hydrating a stool helps it to be healthy, and by incorporating some or all of the above constipation remedies into your lifestyle and routine, you can help make your stools as hydrated as possible – providing relief from constipation as well as guarding against it in the future.

But however healthy you are, you may still occasionally experience a stubborn stool, which can occur unannounced and unwelcome, and at times when it makes no sense at all. The good news? When a healthy lifestyle falls short of warding off stubborn stools, Movicol^® can provide gentle but effective constipation relief by harnessing the power of water to hydrate and soften the stool so it passes comfortably. When you recognise signs of a stubborn stool, you can go to the supermarket, or local pharmacy, where Movicol^®  is available off the shelf, or there are also a number of other options to help you say goodbye to the feeling of blocked bowels.

How to get more fibre into your diet. NHS. Page last updated 13 July 2022. Accessed here: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/digestive-health/how-to-get-more-fibre-into-your-diet/

Fibre. British Dietetic Association. Page last updated April 2024. Accessed here: https://www.bda.uk.com/resource/fibre.html

Rose C, Parker A, Jefferson B, et al. The characterization of Feces and urine: A review of the literature to inform Advanced Treatment Technology. Crit Rev Environ Sci Technol. 2015 Sep 2;45(17):1827-1879.

The Better Health Channel. Victoria State Government, Department of Health. Page last updated December 2023. Accessed here: https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/water-a-vital-nutrient

Common causes of constipation. Harvard Health Publishing. Page last updated 18 July 2023. Accessed here: https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/common-causes-of-constipation

Peristalsis. Cleveland Clinic. Page last updated 28 April 2022. Accessed here: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/22892-peristalsis

Constipation. NHS. Page last updated 26 October 2023. Accessed here: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/constipation/

Physical activity guidelines for adults aged 19 to 64. NHS. Page last updated 22 May 2024. Accessed here: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/physical-activity-guidelines-for-adults-aged-19-to-64/

Physical activity guidelines for older adults. NHS. Page last updated 24 September 2021. Accessed here: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/physical-activity-guidelines-older-adults/

Laxatives. NHS. Page last updated 11 October 2022. Accessed here: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/laxatives/