Expert explains how often you should be pooing in a day

It's a question we've all asked ourselves at least once: how often should we poo?

Well, if you aren't sure just how regular you should be, then this is the story for you.

The latest findings from the Zoe The Big IF Study have delved into the murky world of bowel movements and given us the info we desperately need.

And in a video update, Dr Tim Spector explained how many times we should all be going to the loo.

He said that a poll revealed 55 percent of people relieve themselves once a day, 32.4 percent go twice each day and around 10 percent poop three times a day - which is some going.

But who's right in all of this?

Andriy Popov/Alamy

Well, according to Dr Tim, they all are. Yep, anything from three times a day to three times a week is considered normal.

However, he did also point out that some participants claimed to be going to the toilet five times a day, while others noted that they only went once a week.

The Big IF study also added that hydration, diet, exercise and stress levels can impact how often you go to the toilet.

The point here is that it varies greatly from person to person.

However, a person's gut transit time, which is the time it takes for food to be digested, also has a huge impact.

Dr Tim says the average transit time in the UK is 28 hours.

Now that we've got to the bottom of how often we should be pooing, what about how many times we should wipe ourselves after we're done?

Well, a pelvic floor expert has warned why you should never wipe more than three times, and has provided advice for those who do.

In a video uploaded to TikTok, a pelvic floor physiotherapist, who goes by the name of George, explains everything you need to know around the number of wipes you are doing on the toilet.

The 57-second clip was uploaded to the BIEN Australia TikTok account, a company that describes itself as an 'Australian pelvic floor wellness brand'.

She starts the video by saying she will tell viewers how they will be able to reduce the number of times you wipe while going for a number two.

A huge relief for a lot of us.

The physiotherapist said: "When you are wiping more than two or three times, that is called faecal smearing.

"So it is essentially when too much faecel matter stays at the entrance of the anus even after you have finished your poo."

She went on: "A technique that you can use to reduce the number of times you wipe is by squeezing your pelvic floor in a waterfall formation.

"So start by squeezing the anus 20 percent, then 50 percent, 80 percent, and 100 percent so that you have squeezed it four times at the end of your poo."