Bowel movements: what does "regular" mean?

When it comes to bowel movements, many believe it's best to have one every day. Unfortunately, this belief causes a lot of stress for those people who don't use the toilet daily. Are they functionally constipated?

Should we all expect bowel movements once a day or even more? Actually, statistics show that the frequency with which people empty their bowels is incredibly varied. Some of us go more than once a day; some of us only go once every three or four days—and there's nothing wrong with that. So what does "regular" really mean? It means whatever is regular for you.

It takes about three days for a piece of food to pass, starting from the moment you swallow it. Once in your system, food travels through your gastrointestinal tract, a journey that is, on average, 24-feet long. During this time, the acid in your stomach and the bacteria in your intestines are working to break down that food and harvest its nutrients. When the food has been stripped of its valuable nutrients, it exits the body.

Although we don't tend to notice, our digestive systems are always hard at work, breaking up our previous meals and transporting nutrients to all the other parts of our bodies.

There is no all-encompassing rule that works for everyone when it comes to how often you should be having a bowel movement. The key to understanding your own personal digestive system is to pay attention to your natural processes. If you always use the toilet once a day, then "regular" means daily.

If you always go once every three or four days, that schedule is "regular" for you. Judging your own digestive system by someone else's schedule is unproductive and confusing.

So, when should you worry that something isn't quite right? Only if your own personal regularity changes. This goes for frequency, consistency and colour. One or two unusual bathroom sessions is not usually cause for alarm; however if your normal routine changes completely for a longer period of time, a doctor should check you out. Changes in regularity can occur for a number of reasons, including diet, virus, bacteria and infection.

So, how often you should be moving your bowels? That's completely up to your digestive system. Let it do its job!