If you think you know all the habits of the … toilet you can do wrong. To be precise, maybe you have never passed you from your mind that there is Right and wrong way of urinating. If you are one of those cases where you do it wrong, then you should know that this can lead to long -term pelvic health problems.

Other habits that should be avoided according to experts are the attempt to go to the bathroom “for any event”, a lot of waiting and urination in the shower.

“Whether you are hovering, standing upright or sitting – if you need to be overwhelmed to urinate – this is unhealthy,” said Ekene Enemchukwu, Associate Professor of Urology at Stanford University Medical School and Urology Director at the Health Center.

Over time, these urination methods can increase the urgent need for urination and accidents, as they can cause weakening of pelvic floor muscles, thereby causing problems such as incontinence, sexual problems and pelvic organs.

According to a 2024 study, about 13 million men and women in the United States suffer from incontinence (although data shows that more women are affected than men). Age makes the difference: about 50% of women in the US over 65 after menopause and 34% of older men face these problems.

The pelvic floor muscles “are made as a hammock to support the uterus, the ovaries, the bladder and the intestines,” said Sara Reardon, a pelvicate therapist. “They are anchored in pubic bone, tail bone and lateral, responding to high -pressure activities such as running and jumping.”

When someone urges, “the pelvic floor muscles must relax,” Enemchukwu said.

“It’s not something you have to think about,” he said. “Your brain and your body are just doing it and things close as part of the normal urination cycle.”

Day and night, “the bladder is filled with urine and sends a signal to the brain to check,” Is it a good time to urinate? “Enemchukwu said. “If it is, you relax your pelvic floor [και] Your bladder pushes the urine outward. When the bladder feels that it is over the emptiness, it will stop being pressured. Your inner clamp – an unintentional muscle – will also close your outer clamp – a voluntary muscle – will also be subconsciously closed back to its normal initial state. “

But if you push loudly to urinate or stop too early instead of letting the urine come out, muscle tension can occur and confuse the signals between the bladder, pelvic floor and brain. “When we tighten, it is an instinct of survival. He says in the bladder: “It’s not a good time for urination,” Enemchukwu said. Over time, this can lead to incomplete emptying of the bladder, urine retention, urine leakage (urine leakage after you think you have finished urination) and pelvic soil dysfunction, he said. If you do this regularly, you may eventually need to re -educate the pelvic floor to properly tune with the bladder.

So what should you avoid?

Do not be pressured. Although you may do it because you are in a hurry and want to save time, this can work against you, experts say.

“The case is that when you are pressured, your muscles fall and open,” said Meghan Markowski, a female health specialist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, associated with Harvard, who focuses on the treatment of people with pelvic disorders. Instead, he said, “the pressure tightens the pelvic floor, forcing the urine to come out, instead of liberating them naturally.” This type of pressure sitting can lead to pelvic soil dysfunction, which means the inability to relax and properly coordinate the pelvic floor muscles, which can cause a leakage of urine and stools, as well as urinary tract infections.

Don’t hover over the toilet seat. When using a public toilet, people often squat on top to avoid contact with possible germs. But “Squats force your muscles to be active as your hips,” Reardon said. When the lower part of your body works hard to keep you upright, it makes it difficult to relax your pelvic floor. Like pushing, the suspension can cause other problems, such as incomplete bladder emptying and increased risk of urinary tract infections.

Do not urinate for any possibility. If you urinate before you need – as just before leaving home to go to the subway or go out for dinner – you may have to think about it again. Cleveland clinic reports most people urin six to eight times a day. However, if you do it too early, your bladder begins to be trained to respond to small quantities, which is becoming “new regularity”, Reardon said. This leads to overactive bladder, according to a 2019 study, which results in more frequent urge impulses before your bladder is filled, which can disrupt work, sleep and daily life.

There are exceptions: “If you go to the beach where there is no toilet available and urinate before you go, it makes sense,” said Enemchukwu.

Don’t keep them. On the other hand, postponement of visits to the toilet when you need to go is no more effective – your body is burdened.

Do not urge in the shower. Although it may be convenient (despite the ugly factor), there are some cases where you should definitely avoid it. For women with pelvic floor dysfunction, for example, men with prostate swelling, standing upright instead of sitting can make it difficult to empty the bladder – even when they need to urinate.

A small study of 2024 said that running water was one of the main causes of a sudden desire for urination. (Another study found other factors that cause it, such as arrival at home and nearby a familiar bath.)

Building healthy habits

Good news, experts say, is that you can re -educate your brain and bladder. Follow some Tips:

– Practice in breath with belly. “Sit, bent over and breathe” when you are in the toilet, said Reardon. This gives the “pelvic floor muscles to relax and to the bladder to push the urine outward”.

– Relax your muscles. If you can’t do exercises, try a Kegel reverse exercise. Normal Kegel exercises are done “tightening and lifting” the pelvic muscles, Markowski said, “but what happens is the opposite – is the descent and opening” of the pelvic floor. Take a inhalation and then exhale from the low belly to release natural urine without having to push.

– change things. If you are still having problems, try double urination. “Wipe, get up and sit again – to relax your muscles the second time,” Reardon said. Another suggestion is to move your hips back and forth to the toilet to give your bladder the opportunity to completely empty. A small study found that double urination helped reduce the percentage of bacteria in the urine.

– Keep a urine diary. Reardon recommended monitoring urination for three days and attention to fluid intake and urination. The goal is to urinate every two to four hours during the day and zero to twice a night, Reardon said.

– Book an appointment. If your symptoms are still not improved, consider visiting a pelvic floor therapist or a urologist. These providers can help you improve urination problems and properly activate your pelvic floor.

In general, however, Markowski said that the best advice you need to follow is to “go in, sit and go out” – and preferably without your cellphone.