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To use a toilet footstool, sit normally, place both feet on a low, stable stool, and let your knees rise above your hips. Keep your balance, relax your pelvic and abdominal muscles, allow enough unhurried time, and avoid forceful straining. Remove or adjust the stool if it makes you less comfortable or less stable.
This posture is optional. Guidance from NIDDK, NICE and other organizations supports trying a raised-foot or squatting position for comfort and bowel habits, but a 2023 randomized trial found that 7-inch and 9-inch stools did not improve simulated balloon-expulsion results in its 41 participants. A footstool may help some people feel more comfortable; it is not a proven cure for constipation and does not work for everyone.
What the toilet footstool position is
A toilet footstool changes your seated posture without requiring you to stand on the toilet or fully squat on the seat. You remain seated, place both feet on the platform, and allow the knees to come up. The aim is a comfortable position that helps you relax while emptying your bowel.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsYou can also use the toilet without a stool. Some clinical guidance describes sitting or squatting where possible, but there is no single position that has been established as best for every person. Comfort, stability, privacy and the ability to avoid straining matter more than forcing a particular angle.
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Think of the stool as a posture and comfort aid. It is not a laxative, does not treat the underlying causes of chronic constipation, and should not replace medical assessment when symptoms persist or warning signs appear.
How to use a toilet footstool: step-by-step
- Choose a stable surface. Place a low, rigid footstool directly in front of the toilet. It should sit flat on the floor and should not slide, rock or tip when you put your weight on it.
- Sit fully on the toilet. Do not perch on the edge. Keep your body supported by the seat and keep both feet available to move away quickly if you lose balance.
- Set both feet on the stool. Position the feet comfortably rather than forcing them into a narrow stance. Raise the knees only as far as feels natural.
- Settle before trying to pass stool. A private, comfortable environment and enough time can make it easier to avoid rushing. NICE bowel-habit guidance specifically emphasizes sufficient time and a comfortable setting.
- Relax instead of pushing hard. NIDDK advises relaxing the muscles or using a footstool to be more comfortable during bowel training. Do not hold your breath or bear down forcefully.
- Stop if the arrangement is unsafe. If the stool causes wobbling, pain, numbness, dizziness or a feeling that you might fall, remove it and return to a stable seated position.
There is no requirement to use a special brand, a particular design or a specific height. The practical test is whether the stool is secure and lets you remain relaxed and balanced.
Set up the room, not just the stool
Place the stool where you can reach it without twisting or leaning. Keep the floor dry and clear of towels, loose mats or other objects that could move. If more than one person uses the bathroom, store the stool where it will not become a trip hazard. A broad, level platform is easier to keep stable than a narrow object, but the essential requirement is that it supports both feet without rocking.
Check the arrangement before you begin. Sit down first, then place one foot and the other on the platform. If the stool shifts as your weight changes, do not try to stabilize it with your toes. Use a different support or go without one. Never stand on the toilet seat to obtain a deeper squat; that changes a comfort experiment into a fall risk.
How high should the stool be?
No universal medically superior height has been established. In a randomized 2023 study, researchers tested 7-inch and 9-inch stools as well as no stool. The two stool heights produced different posture measurements, but neither improved the study’s balloon-expulsion time or subjective ratings compared with no stool, and the two heights did not differ meaningfully from each other in those outcomes.
Those measurements do not turn 7 inches or 9 inches into recommended household settings. They were the heights used in a small clinical experiment involving simulated defecation. For everyday use, select a height that raises the knees while keeping your feet firmly supported and your hips, back and ankles comfortable.
Use your body as the guide rather than trying to copy a diagram. If your knees rise only slightly and you can relax, that may be sufficient. If a higher stool forces your hips into a cramped angle, causes your heels to lift, or makes you feel unstable, it is too high for you. Changing the stool height is optional; there is no need to progress from a low stool to a higher one if the first arrangement is comfortable.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware match| Arrangement | What it does | What is established |
|---|---|---|
| No stool | Leaves you in an ordinary seated position. | A valid option if it is comfortable and stable. |
| Low footstool | Raises both feet and the knees while you remain seated. | May improve comfort for some people; broad constipation benefit is unproven. |
| Higher footstool | Raises the knees further. | No demonstrated advantage over a lower stool in the 2023 trial. |
| Another safe seated arrangement | Uses available support to find a comfortable posture. | Choose stability and comfort over a prescribed angle. |
What to do while you are in the position
Give yourself enough time
Rushing can encourage forceful pushing. NICE recommends enough time and a comfortable, private toilet environment as part of bowel-habit support. Sit only as long as is comfortable; the goal is an unhurried attempt, not prolonged straining. If the urge fades, get up and try again later rather than remaining seated and repeatedly bearing down.
Respond to the urge when practical
The World Gastroenterology Organisation includes responding promptly to the urge and adopting a squatting position among proper toilet habits that can facilitate bowel movements. This is a habit suggestion, not proof that a footstool treats constipation. If you cannot use a stool, responding to the urge and maintaining a relaxed seated position are still useful principles.
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Keep the effort gentle
Guidance consistently stresses avoiding straining. Let the pelvic and abdominal muscles relax rather than treating the stool as a device that requires you to push harder. Do not hold your breath or turn the attempt into a contest. If nothing happens, stop the attempt and try again later instead of repeatedly bearing down.
Adjust for your body
People differ in flexibility, balance, joint comfort and toilet height. A posture that feels helpful for one person may feel cramped or unstable for another. Lower the stool, move it slightly, or remove it when an adjustment increases discomfort. Do not stand on the toilet seat or use an improvised object that can collapse or slide.
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Can a footstool be part of bowel training?
NIDDK presents a footstool as one option for comfort during bowel training. A routine may include going when the urge is present, allowing privacy and enough time, and practicing a relaxed posture. The stool is not the training program by itself. If bowel movements remain difficult, broader measures such as adequate dietary fiber, fluids when increasing fiber, physical activity and a review of medicines may be relevant.
Make one practical change at a time when possible so you can tell what affects comfort. Keep notes on stool consistency, frequency and symptoms if constipation is ongoing, and share that pattern with a clinician. Do not stop or alter prescribed medicines solely because a different toilet posture seems helpful; medication changes should be discussed with a clinician.
What research says about footstools
A randomized trial by Trieu and colleagues, published in 2023, enrolled 41 patients referred to a tertiary neurogastroenterology unit; 93% were female, and the mean age was 52 years with a standard deviation of 14 years.
Each participant completed balloon-expulsion tests in randomized order under three conditions: no footstool, a 7-inch stool and a 9-inch stool. The stools changed the measured posture by progressively narrowing the spine–femur angle. However, the study found no improvement in balloon-expulsion time compared with no stool. The two stool heights also did not differ, and measured subjective experiences during the simulated task did not significantly change.
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The researchers concluded that a recommendation to use a footstool during evacuation cannot be applied to all patients with constipation. The study has important limits: it was small, involved a referred tertiary-care population rather than a general community sample, and measured simulated defecation rather than people’s routine bowel movements at home. Its null result should not be stretched into “footstools never help,” just as posture advice should not be presented as a guaranteed treatment.
The design answers a narrow question: whether changing foot support altered a clinical balloon-expulsion test under three assigned conditions. It does not measure long-term constipation relief, stool frequency at home, use of fiber or medicines, or whether a person simply feels more secure with feet supported. Conversely, a person’s report of comfort does not prove that the stool changes an underlying bowel disorder. Keeping those distinctions clear prevents both overpromising and dismissing a potentially useful comfort aid.
| Study detail | Finding | How to interpret it |
|---|---|---|
| Participants | 41 patients; 93% female; mean age 52, SD 14 | Results come from a small referred clinical group. |
| Conditions | No stool, 7-inch stool and 9-inch stool | These were test conditions, not universal height prescriptions. |
| Task | Randomized-order balloon-expulsion testing | A simulated clinical measure, not a full measure of daily bowel movements. |
| Posture | Spine–femur angle narrowed as stool height increased | The stool changed body position. |
| Outcomes | No significant improvement in expulsion time or subjective ratings | Benefit was not demonstrated for this study group and task. |
How professional guidance frames the position
NIDDK: comfort during bowel training
The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases says people can try relaxing their muscles or putting their feet on a footstool to be more comfortable when bowel training. NIDDK presents the stool as one option within broader constipation self-care, not as a stand-alone cure.
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NIDDK also discusses increasing dietary fiber, drinking fluids when increasing fiber, staying physically active, bowel training and speaking with a clinician about medication changes. These measures address bowel habits more broadly; a footstool does not substitute for them or for treatment of a medical cause.
NICE: sitting or squatting and avoiding strain
NICE guidance on adult faecal incontinence recommends encouraging people to adopt a sitting or squatting position where possible while emptying the bowel. It also emphasizes enough time, a comfortable and private environment, and techniques that avoid straining. Because that page concerns faecal-incontinence management, it is relevant bowel-habit guidance rather than a footstool-specific constipation trial.
World Gastroenterology Organisation: proper toilet habits
The World Gastroenterology Organisation lists responding to the urge and adopting a squatting position among habits that can facilitate bowel movements. Its material also covers fiber and clinical treatment options. A commercial toilet stool can approximate a raised-knee seated posture, but the guidance does not establish that buying one will resolve constipation.
Indian consensus guidance
An Indian consensus document describes an Indian-style squat posture as more physiological, while explicitly noting that published literature supporting posture advantages is limited. It summarizes posture studies and grades its statement. That qualification is important when applying the discussion to a footstool used with a Western-style toilet: a theoretical or traditional preference is not the same as proof of better outcomes for all users.
Comparing your practical options
There are three reasonable choices: use no stool, use a low stool, or use another safe seated arrangement that supports the feet. The choice is about comfort and stability, not a contest to achieve the deepest possible squat.
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- Low stool: Worth trying if raising the knees feels more relaxed while you remain fully seated and balanced.
- Higher stool: Not automatically better. The 7-inch versus 9-inch comparison found no meaningful difference in the measured outcomes.
- Alternative support: Use only an object designed to bear weight and remain level. Do not substitute unstable books, containers or furniture.
Keep the arrangement that makes a comfortable attempt easier. If there is no noticeable benefit, there is no medical requirement to continue using it.
Footstools and constipation: what they can and cannot do
Constipation can involve infrequent stools, hard stools, difficult passage or a feeling of incomplete emptying, and it can have many causes. Changing posture may make an individual attempt feel easier, but posture alone does not identify or correct those causes.
- What a stool may do: provide a raised-foot position that some people find more comfortable, while keeping them seated.
- What has not been shown for everyone: a reliable improvement in evacuation time or constipation outcomes across all patients.
- What it cannot promise: a cure for constipation, prevention of hemorrhoids, or success for every body type and toilet setup.
- What else may matter: adequate fiber, fluids when fiber is increased, physical activity, bowel training and review of medicines with a clinician when appropriate.
If you are changing fiber intake, NIDDK advises attention to fluids alongside that increase. A clinician or pharmacist can help determine whether a medicine, illness or another factor is contributing to constipation; do not change prescribed treatment solely because a footstool feels helpful.
Common claims to question
“A deeper squat always opens the bowel.”
Some guidance describes squatting as an option, and the stool changes measured posture. However, the randomized trial did not show faster balloon expulsion with either tested stool. A changed angle is not the same as a proven clinical benefit.
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“One exact height works for everyone.”
No universal height has been established. The tested 7-inch and 9-inch stools were study conditions, not household prescriptions. Leg length, toilet height, flexibility and balance all affect whether a setup feels secure.
“If it does not work immediately, use a taller stool and push harder.”
That approach conflicts with guidance to avoid straining and can make the arrangement less stable. Stop, adjust or remove the stool and address persistent constipation through appropriate self-care and medical advice.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshooting common problems
The stool feels too high
Lower the support or remove it. A high position that cramps the hips, rounds the back uncomfortably or makes your feet unstable is not an improvement. The trial’s 7-inch and 9-inch heights do not establish that higher is better.
The stool slides or tips
Stop using it until you have a stable, level support. Keep the stool on the floor rather than on a mat or object that can shift. Do not continue an experiment that makes a fall more likely.
You feel pressure to push harder
Pause, relax and avoid forceful straining. A footstool is intended to support a comfortable posture, not to increase effort. If repeated attempts are difficult, address the constipation rather than escalating the stool height or pushing harder.
Nothing happens
End the attempt after a reasonable, comfortable period and try again when the urge returns. Persistent difficulty needs attention to bowel habits and possible medical causes, not indefinite sitting on the toilet.
The posture causes pain, dizziness or numbness
Remove the stool and return to a safe position. New, severe or recurring symptoms should be discussed with a healthcare professional, especially if they occur with constipation or other warning signs.
You share a bathroom
Choose a stool that can be moved without leaving a trip hazard. Wipe and store it safely, and make sure another person will not encounter it unexpectedly. Convenience should never override a level, unobstructed floor.
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Do not rely on a footstool alone when constipation continues despite self-care or becomes a long-term problem. NIDDK advises medical attention for rectal bleeding or blood in the stool, constant abdominal pain, inability to pass gas, vomiting, fever, lower back pain, unexplained weight loss or other signs of a medical problem.
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Seek prompt advice rather than repeatedly changing posture when any of those symptoms appears. A clinician can evaluate the pattern, review medicines and consider appropriate treatment. The absence of warning signs does not make a stool a substitute for care if constipation is persistent, worsening or interfering with daily life.
A practical decision guide
- Start with safety. If you cannot place both feet securely or have balance concerns, use no stool unless a healthcare professional recommends a safe adaptation.
- Try the lowest comfortable support. Raise the knees modestly while staying fully seated and stable.
- Use relaxed technique. Allow privacy and time, respond to the urge when possible, and avoid straining.
- Judge comfort, not a promised result. Keep the stool only if it feels better or more manageable; the evidence does not establish a universally effective height.
- Look beyond posture. If constipation persists, review fiber, fluids, activity, bowel-training habits and medicines with a clinician as appropriate.
- Escalate appropriately. Persistent constipation or warning symptoms call for medical evaluation, regardless of whether the posture feels helpful.
The best answer to “What is the best position to poop?” is therefore conditional: a comfortable, stable seated or squatting position that lets you relax and avoid straining. A toilet footstool is one optional way to try a raised-knee seated posture, not a guaranteed treatment.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I use a toilet footstool?
Sit fully on the toilet, place both feet on a low, stable stool, let your knees rise comfortably, relax your muscles and avoid forceful straining. Remove it if balance or comfort worsens.
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Does a toilet stool help you poop?
It may make the posture feel more comfortable for some people, but it is not a proven cure for constipation. A 2023 randomized trial found no improvement in simulated balloon-expulsion time with 7-inch or 9-inch stools in 41 referred patients.
What is the best footstool height?
There is no universally best height. The trial tested 7 and 9 inches without a meaningful difference in outcomes. Choose the lowest support that keeps both feet secure and your hips, back and ankles comfortable.
Should I squat completely on the toilet?
No. Remain seated on the toilet. Guidance allows a sitting or squatting position where possible, but standing or fully squatting on the seat can make you unstable. A footstool is an optional raised-knee seated arrangement.
How long should I sit on the toilet with a stool?
Allow enough unhurried time for a comfortable attempt, but do not remain for prolonged straining. If nothing happens or the urge fades, stop and try again later.
Can a footstool prevent hemorrhoids or cure chronic constipation?
No such guarantee is supported. A stool may improve comfort, but it does not treat underlying causes, prevent hemorrhoids or replace fiber, fluids, activity, bowel training or medical evaluation when needed.
When should constipation be checked by a clinician?
Seek care for persistent or worsening constipation, and promptly for blood in the stool, constant abdominal pain, inability to pass gas, vomiting, fever, lower back pain, unexplained weight loss or other concerning symptoms.
The Bottom Line
A toilet footstool is an optional comfort aid: sit fully, support both feet on a stable low stool, relax and avoid straining. No height is proven best, and a 2023 randomized trial found no simulated-expulsion benefit from 7- or 9-inch stools in its small referred sample. Keep the setup only if it feels safe and comfortable, and seek medical care for persistent constipation or warning symptoms.
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