Quarantine Constipation Caused by Changes to Our Routines

The COVID-19 pandemic is changing a lot of things about our daily routine, from the way we eat to the way we shop and how we find our entertainment. Now it turns out that the "Quarantine Constipation" is a real thing.

Think about it for a second. Are you finding it harder to do your business? If you're one of the few that are sticking to your daily work routine, getting up and going to work, you may not be dealing with it, but if your routine has changed, then you may have noticed a difference.

So why is this happening? A gastroenterologist in California, Robert Lerrigo, MD, tells Health.com's Claire Gillespie it's because we're out of our normal rhythm and routine.

We're spending more time sitting around, and Dr. Lerrigo says that affects our colon.

"When we're at home, sitting around and not staying active or engaging in our usual routine, colonic motility, the process by which the colon contracts to propel feces along,decreases," Lerrigo says. "[That] causes constipation."

He suggest a brisk walk five days a week, eating more fiber in our diet, staying hydrated, and finding ways to de-stress like yoga or meditation to get things moving again.