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When it comes to how often you poo, what counts as normal? And when is a change in frequency a cause for concern? We asked a gut health expert
Summary
1What are normal bowel habits?
'Normal' varies – from three times a day to three times a week. What matters most is a consistent pattern and easy-to-pass stools.
2Why are my bowels irregular?
Changes can be caused by diet, hydration, stress, sleep, hormones, travel or medications. Even small routine shifts can affect how often you go.
3When should you worry about changes?
Short-term changes are common but ongoing constipation, diarrhoea, pain or blood in your stool should be checked by a doctor.
Let’s be frank: going for a good poo can feel pretty, well, good... Lots of us see it as a sign our guts are working properly and we can go about our days without wondering where the nearest toilet is. On the other hand, a change in our pooping habits – whether that’s going more or less frequently, or experiencing diarrhoea or constipation – can sometimes feel like a cause for concern.
But is it? We talked to registered nutritional therapist and gut health expert, Marilia Chamon, to find out what counts as normal and why bowels can be irregular.
What are ‘normal’ bowel habits?
First off, it’s worth being reassured by the fact that the definition of ‘normal’ bowel habits is very wide. There isn’t any truth to the idea that most people poo once a day. In fact, some people go to the toilet two to three times a day. Other people poo two to three times a week. Both fall under the category of ‘normal’.1,2
“What matters more than frequency is the overall pattern,” says Marilia. “Stools should be formed, passed without straining and you should feel fully emptied afterwards. People who can experience more frequent bowel movements include those with higher fibre intake, higher food volume or faster gut transit (the amount of time it takes for food to travel from your mouth to your anus).
“Where it becomes less 'normal' is when frequency is paired with urgency, loose stools or a sudden change from your usual pattern.”
What can cause irregular bowel movements?
If your bowels are behaving in a different way than they normally do, there are several possible reasons why. “Bowel habits are influenced by a mix of diet, lifestyle and gut function,” explains Marilia.
- Dietary reasons – this could be down to changes in fibre intake, eating patterns or hydration
- Lifestyle – physical activity, travel, stress, sleep and routines all affect how your gut moves
- Hormones – hormonal changes such as pregnancy can affect your bowel habits3
- Medications – different medications can also have an affect on your bowel movements4
“As hormonal changes, medications and underlying gut conditions can play a role, persistent irregularity shouldn't be ignored,” adds Marilia.
Why do I get constipation and then diarrhoea too?
“Alternating constipation and diarrhoea is commonly seen in conditions like IBS, where gut motility becomes less predictable,” says Marilia.
“What that means is that the gut can swing between moving too slowly and too quickly. When transit is slow, more water is absorbed and stools become harder and more difficult to pass. When it speeds up, there’s less time for water absorption, resulting in looser stools.” And Marilia explains that there’s often a sensitivity component as well. “The gut can become more reactive to factors like stress, certain foods or hormonal shifts, which can trigger these changes.”
What is ‘gut imbalance’?
“An imbalanced gut, or gut dysbiosis, refers to a disruption in the composition and function of the gut microbiome,” says Marilia. “This has been associated with symptoms such as constipation and diarrhoea.”5-7
“One of the key ways this shows up is through the byproducts microbes produce during fermentation, including gases, which can influence how quickly or slowly the gut moves.
Some types of bacteria produce substances called lipopolysaccharides (LPS), which are normally kept inside the gut. However, if the gut lining becomes more permeable, these substances can pass into the bloodstream, where they may interact with the immune system and contribute to low levels of inflammation."8
“Over time, this low-grade inflammation has been associated with changes in bowel habits, including constipation and diarrhoea”
Change in bowel habits: when is it normal and when should you worry?
“Short-term changes in bowel habits are very common and often linked to things like travel, diet changes, illness or stress,” says Marilia. “These usually settle once your routine normalises.” However, a persistent or unexplained change from your usual pattern is more important. “That includes ongoing diarrhoea or constipation, a clear shift in frequency or stools that are consistently different in form," explains Marilia.
“Other symptoms that should raise concern include blood in the stool, unexplained weight loss, ongoing abdominal pain or fatigue. These don’t automatically mean something serious, but they do need to be checked.” If you experience any of these or have any concerns, it’s always best to speak to your GP.
Simple ways to support more regular bowel habits
“Regular bowel habits are less about one specific food or supplement and more about what you do consistently,” says Marilia. Here are some simple ways to support more regular bowel habits.
- Eat more fibre: particularly whole foods like vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, seeds and whole grains. Both the amount and the type of fibre matter and increasing it gradually tends to work better than adding a lot of fibre to your diet in one go
- Kiwifruit: this has been shown to support bowel regularity when consumed regularly, typically around two to three per day over several weeks9
- Hydration is just as important, as fibre needs fluid to do its job properly, so low fluid intake is a common contributor to constipation
- Regular physical activity: this helps stimulate gut motility, which is why even light daily movement can make a difference
- Don't ignore the need to go: by eating at consistent times and allowing time to go to the toilet without rushing helps reinforce natural bowel habits
- Psyllium husk: one of the more evidence-backed options. It acts as a soluble fibre and can help regulate bowel movements when taken consistently, often around 10 grams per day, alongside adequate fluid intake
When should you see a doctor about irregular bowel movements?
If irregularity is persistent, worsening or doesn’t respond to simple dietary and lifestyle changes, it’s worth getting it checked by your doctor. More urgent signs include:
- blood in the stool
- black or tarry stools
- unexplained weight loss
- persistent abdominal pain
“It’s also important to seek advice if symptoms are affecting quality of life or if there’s a family history of conditions like bowel cancer or inflammatory bowel disease,” says Marilia.
Irregular bowels FAQs
“Anywhere from three times a day to three times a week can fall within a healthy range, as long as it’s comfortable, consistent and easy to pass,” says Marilia.
“The gut is highly responsive to the nervous system,” says Marilia. “Stress and anxiety can speed things up in some people and slow things down in others, which is why bowel habits often change during busy or emotionally demanding periods.”
“Going five times a day is above the typical range for bowel movements, which is often considered to be between three times a day and three times a week. However, what’s ‘normal’ can vary from person to person. If this is a change for you or you have other symptoms, it’s worth speaking to your GP,” says Marilia.
The final say
Most short term changes in your bowel habits are normal and nothing to worry about. There are simple steps you can take to your diet and lifestyle to help get your bowel moving more regularly. If changes in bowel frequency last longer than a few weeks or are accompanied by other symptoms, you should talk to your doctor.
Looking to learn more about your gut and digestion? Dive into our guides on what psyllium husk is (and why it’s trending), fibremaxxing and how gut health can affect inflammation in the body.
1. Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. Good bowel habit and preventing constipation [Internet]. Milton Keynes: MKUH; [cited 2026 Apr 27]. Available from: https://www.mkuh.nhs.uk/patient-information-leaflet/good-bowel-habit-and-preventing-constipation
2. Heaton KW, Radvan J, Cripps H, Mountford RA, Braddon FE, Hughes AO. Defecation frequency and timing, and stool form in the general population: a prospective study. Gut. 1992;33(6):818–24. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20205503/
3. National Health Service. Common health problems in pregnancy [Internet]. London: NHS; [cited 2026 Apr 27]. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/common-symptoms/common-health-problems/
4. Guts UK Charity. Opioid-induced bowel dysfunction [Internet]. London: Guts UK; [cited 2026 Apr 27]. Available from: https://gutscharity.org.uk/advice-and-information/symptoms/opioid-induced-bowel-dysfunction/
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7. Zhang T, et al. Gut microbiota and chronic constipation: a mechanistic insight. Sci Rep. 2017;7:10835. Available from: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-10835-8
8. Shin A, Camilleri M. Diagnostic assessment of constipation. Gastroenterol Clin North Am. 2022;51(1):1–16. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8829728/
9. Dinning PG, et al. Advances in the understanding and treatment of constipation. J Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2023;29(3). Available from:https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10226473/
