Living with chronic constipation might not be easy, but you can certainly manage it with some lifestyle changes. The following are a few suggestions to relieve constipation and feel better:
1. Exercise like a social activity
Exercising helps normalize bowel movements by simply putting muscles in your intestines to work. Regular exercise also reduces stress levels and helps you get better sleep, thereby significantly improving the quality of your life. Join exercise classes with your friends and family members, or simply make new friends at the gym.
You have countless options if you want to exercise or involved in physical activities. Make sure these activities are not high intensity. If you love trekking or hiking, go with your friends and enjoy nature on the move.
2. Get your own food to gatherings
It certainly is very difficult to stick to a high-fiber, low-carb diet when you’re surrounded by pizza, fried snacks, and sweets commonly served at all social events. Unless you can avoid going, get your own food, nuts, fruits, and snacks to these events.
In case you are invited to a barbeque, you can get freshly sautéed veggies to throw on the grill and a package of whole wheat bread to make it a complete meal. Simply switching to whole wheat bread from white bread can help you stay on track.
3. Always carry a bottle of water
Other than fiber, water intake is essential for having regular and healthy bowel movements. If you are already taking one or more fiber supplements, drinking enough water is even more important to prevent severe constipation.
Those who stay at home or office most of the time, drinking water is easier than they think. In contrast, those who don’t have a sitting job should purchase a good quality water bottle that can be carried everywhere – be it office, outdoors, or even the gym.
4. Lower your stress
When you are constipated, social gatherings become more stressful for you. Needless to say, stress makes constipation worse.
To reduce stress levels, try various approaches — starting from yoga, meditation, and simple breathing exercises and you can then look for counseling, self-hypnosis, and massage. Today, many mobile apps are available to guide you on your journey to relax and reduce stress. Try these techniques before going out with friends so that you can truly enjoy the moments of fun.
5. Confide in your friends
Mostly, people with chronic constipation hide their problems and prefer to withdraw from their friends to avoid sheer embarrassment. This is not the right way to live. You need to tell your friends or one or more family members about your symptoms.
At first, they may not understand that your symptoms cannot be fixed with some prune juice. However, they will eventually empathize with your situation.
Conclusion!
We all, at some point in our lives, experience bathroom problems. Remember, problems don’t make you a bad person; hiding them from friends and family might make you realize that you are.
