Health and Humor
Several fantastic reasons why squatting beats sitting pants down
First things first! What on earth is a squat potty? Wikipedia to the rescue. Compare this with the standard potty which I will refer to as the sit potty in this post.
While this may feel like a post about toilet humor, it is actually a reminder about some ancient practices that were seeped in science. The sooner we realize the benefits and change our way of life, the better for humanity.
Since time immemorial humans have been squatting to do their early morning business. It is the most natural way. A kid who hasn’t been potty trained will naturally squat to get the stuff out of his body. It is instinctive.
And yet, we seem to have moved away from something that is designed to work well for humans in several ways. Here’s a list of why the squat potty should probably stage a comeback!
Splash Zone
Even if all the other benefits don’t impress you, this one should definitely weigh in.
In a lot of water theme parks the first 2–3 rows are marked as “Splash Zone”. When the dolphins or otters perform, there is a chance that you could get splashed. It is fun. So people choose those rows.
But, but…in our own homes, on the sit potty, why on earth would we want to be splashed…
I don’t want to elaborate. This discussion could get sticky.
Hygiene
Every time you sit on the potty in a public toilet, you wonder how many people have sat there before you. Were they healthy? Did they wipe the seat before they left? What’s that yellow stain in the corner?
And woe betide you if you sit down and feel a tiny wet patch somewhere under your thigh. Ugh!
No such worries in the squat potty. There is no physical contact between you and the potty. Only your feet resting on the side platform. But hey, that’s what footwear is for.
No matter which remote corner of the earth you are in, if there is a squat potty and running water, your job is as good as done!
Water
That brings us to water. Squat potties almost never have a roll of toilet paper. But they will almost always have a bucket or at least a mug under a tap that delivers a thin sliver of water.
Washing with water is clean and hygenic. And squatting is designed for a water-wash. Also, by not chopping down trees to make and use toilet rolls, you will be moving towards a more eco-friendly way of life too.
Water is a great cleanser. Ask any beauty therapist. They will advise you to wash your cheeks with water to keep them clean and fresh. I rest my case here!
Better Cleansing
The squatting position is naturally suited to eliminate more of the unwanted stuff from the body. The human body has been designed to squat so as to ease the process.
While nothing guarantees a 100% clean colon, squatting is by far the superior technology to carry out the task. Sitting leaves more of the stuff..er.. behind!
Aids Digestion
Lookup any exercise routine that includes squats. You will see that they talk about how the compression of the lower abs with the thighs exudes pressure on the digestive tract. This aids digestion and also eases out bowel movement.
If you use a squat potty, you are ensuring some exercise every day to improve your digestion overall.
Exercise
The most obvious benefit of the squat potty is the squat itself. I just did a perfunctory Google search using “how do squats help your body”, and predictably, I got several million results. The top search results were all titled “7 reasons why squats are useful”, “123 reasons why you must do squats every day”, “346 reasons why squats will keep several parts of your body toned and healthy”, and so on.
The gist of all these topics is that daily squats help strengthen and tone calf muscles, quadriceps, the butt, and other body parts that I am not even familiar with.
If all of this can be achieved by just using the squat potty, then think of it as investing in gym equipment such as the treadmill!
Portable
Imagine you are trekking in the wilderness. What are the chances you will find a nice sitting potty? Nil!
But with a squat potty, you can rustle up a potty in no time. All you need is the ability to dig a hole, and find two bricks or flat stones to perch on. Voila! A potty is ready.
Once done, shovel some mud over it, and you have done your bit towards forest fertilization as well.
The Disadvantages of Not Using a Squat Potty?
Without a squat potty, none of the benefits listed earlier will be available. If that does not make you shudder, consider these very real situations too.
Balancing Act
If there are only sit potties, and you run into one that is dirty, the instinct is to climb up and squat on the edges of the potty. Bad thing to do! But suppose you had no choice at all. This would be a dangerous act since sit potties are not designed to hold the human foot (or footwear).
Chances of slipping down are high, and I cannot even contemplate the consequences of slipping mid-action.
Hovercraft
I have heard a lot of women advising their daughters to hover on the sitting potty so that their thighs don’t make contact with the surface. Instead of parking your rear side on the potty, you position yourself in mid-air to do your job.
In this situation, there is a clear and present danger of bad aim.
In addition, if you have never squatted, and your muscles have atrophied, hovering is a very very tough thing to do. Especially if your business extends for a bit.
And the Biggest Advantage — Time-Saving
Countless hours are being spent in the toilet because one can carry their cell phone in there.
How many moms are knocking down bathroom doors while the kid surfs the net on the potty…
How many memes are floating around about shutting down wifi to get access to the bathroom…
With the squat potty, carrying and using a cell phone in there becomes almost impossible.
Result: Everyone is in and out in record time leading to more productive hours in a day 🙂
I have probably not covered several other benefits of squatting. With so many obvious benefits, I wonder why large tracts of the world shifted to the sitting potty? And what would it take to bring back a healthier, more eco-friendly, and sustainable solution such as the squatting potty?
Anu Anniah Writes 