Constipation is one of the most common digestive issues in the United States, affecting around 2.5 million people. It’s often difficult to identify the exact cause of constipation, because it can occur due to many factors.
However, eating a poor diet and not exercising are major risk factors for constipation. That’s why is important to change your diet and increase your physical activity level when you’re constipated.
Read on to discover other causes of constipation:
1. You are sitting too much
There are several factors that lead to constipation and when you are trying to figure out what causes it, the answers may be surprising. In our modern society, we are all accustomed with a sedentary lifestyle which is really bad for more than just your waistline, says Atif Iqbal, MD, a gastroenterologist and medical director of the Digestive Care Center at Orange Coast Medical Center, in Fountain Valley, CA.
Staying in a sitting position for long periods of time kinks up your colon, discouraging stool from passing through and causing constipation. Try to take regular breaks to stand up and move around. Walking and deep squats, in particular, are two movements that are particularly effective for producing a bowel movement.
