A version of this story originally appeared on Shape.
It's an inconvenient reality that there are some toilets out there that you just don't want to sit on. Of course, you can easily work around a suspect toilet by squatting over it while you pee, which is just as good as actually sitting, right? Sadly, it's not that simple. Shape got the low-down on the hover from urologist Matthew Karlovsky, MD.
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Dr. Karlovsky explained that what most of us picture when we imagine this move — when you bend at the waist and more or less hover over the toilet seat — is just about the worst way to pee. When you do this, "you are training your muscles to not relax," he said. "After many years, the bladder can become weaker."
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But, if you're dead-set against sitting, whether you're at a rest stop or peeing in the great outdoors, taking a full-on squat is the next best option. In this position, your bladder and pelvic floor muscles can relax fully, so there's less risk of weakening in the long run. Oh, and it's goop-approved.
But, if you're dead-set against sitting, whether you're at a rest stop or peeing in the great outdoors, taking a full-on squat is the next best option. In this position, your bladder and pelvic floor muscles can relax fully, so there's less risk of weakening in the long run. Oh, and it's goop-approved.
Click through to Shape for more hacks to keep you healthy. (Shape)
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