The Most Common Poop Troubles For Men And Women Over 50

As we get older, our bodies begin to slow down. Not only do we move a bit slower than we once did, fully knowing that we'll get even slower with time, but our insides don't have the pep that they once did. When this happens, organs struggle to work properly, and one day you wake up and you're 50, realizing you haven't had a proper poop in a few days. You are constipated.

Although some conditions like Parkinson's disease, diabetes, or other ailments can lead to constipation, sometimes it really just comes down to having an aging body. According to a 2015 study published in Canadian Family Physician, as many as 26% of women and 16% of men over 65 suffer from constipation. When women and men reach about the age of 84, those percentages increase to 34% and 26%, respectively.

While what counts as a regular amount of bowel movements varies from person to person, the fact remains that whatever was regular in your younger years is likely to change. In other words, whether you like it or not, constipation is one of the many less-than-stellar prices you'll have to pay for growing old. But there are ways to deal with it. 

Your large and small intestines work together to turn waste into poop that should be removed from the body. But sometimes your poop becomes too dry to move along in a healthy manner, which results in constipation. Taking into consideration that regular bowel movements vary from person to person, The Medical University of South Carolina defines constipation as pooping twice a week or less, straining to evacuate your bowels 25% of the time that you sit down to go, and having hard stool when you do poop. (Fun fact: there are seven different types of poop.)

One of the big reasons for constipation in those over 50 is lifestyle changes like mobility and eating the right food. It goes without saying that a 65-year-old isn't as likely to be as active as a 30-year-old, and movement is an essential part of getting feces moving too. There's also the case of this age group not drinking enough water (dehydration is common in older folks) and not getting enough fiber. According to a 2016 study published in The American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 95% of US adults don't get the necessary amount of daily fiber — and that's even before they hit their elder years.

But it's not just the lack of water and fiber and decreased mobility. There's also muscle loss that naturally comes with age, which can affect the digestive track from functioning properly, and, of course, there's the cocktail of medications that someone might need to take for a whole slew of possible age-related issues. All of these factors make for the perfect recipe for constipation. 

It doesn't matter if your regular poop routine is three times a day or three times a week; the point is that you want to try to maintain that regularity as much as you can. A great place to start is to make sure you're getting enough water every day. According to the Mayo Clinic, the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine has set that daily amount at roughly 11.5 cups for women and 15.5 cups for men. You also want to do your best to get your daily intake of fiber: 21 grams for women and 30 grams for men over 50, per Harvard Health Publishing. Being more active, especially doing exercises like sit-ups that can help with the muscles around your stomach, is also important, as is staying away from foods that are likely to bind you (e.g., dairy).

What you don't want to do is rely on over-the-counter laxatives, especially if you're over 50. It might seem like a quick way to deal with the bloated, heavy feeling of being constipated, but they can cause problems. If your constipation issues persist, despite having made healthy changes to get your pooping back on track, then it's time to talk to your doctor. They can recommend to you something that your diet might be missing or prescribe a stool softener, which will make bowel movements less difficult and less infrequent.