8 Ways to Get Fast Relief from Constipation

Tips and remedies for fast relief

Lauren Evoy Davis,

AARP

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En español

Published May 20, 2025

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Millions of older people suffer from constipation, sometimes for years. Long-term constipation is not only uncomfortable, it's also linked to hemorrhoids and other health problems, so it's important to try to stay regular.

There’s no magic number for how often a person should have a bowel movement, but if you aren’t going at least three times per week or have trouble passing stool, you might have a form of constipation, according to the National Institute on Aging. This common condition affects 26 percent of women and 16 percent of men age 65 and up. This increases to 34 percent of women and 26 percent of men age 84 and older, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Read on the learn the causes and treatments to help you go more regularly.

Causes of constipation

Having a difficult time going to the bathroom gets worse as we age. Culprits include a lack of fiber in the diet, not drinking enough water, inactivity, medications, supplements, hormonal fluctuations, bowel disorders and conditions that affect movement, like Parkinson’s disease. I If you are struggling and straining on the toilet, you are more likely to have hemorrhoids, inflamed veins around your lower rectum, which about half of people age 50 have them according to the National Institutes of Health.

In addition, with joint issues, or osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, can affect how well and often people move around. So, limitation in physical activity is a very big thing, says Margaret Schwiesow, gastroenterologist with Kaiser Permanente in Falls Church, VA.

Stress and trauma also play a role in digestive issues. Bessel van der Kolk, M.D. talks about how the body stores trauma in his best seller “The Body Keeps The Score,” and addresses the delicate equilibrium in our mind–body connection. From the book, “Traumatized people chronically feel unsafe inside their bodies: The past is alive in the form of gnawing interior discomfort. Their bodies are constantly bombarded by visceral warning signs, and, in an attempt to control these processes, they often become expert at ignoring their gut feelings and in numbing awareness of what is played out inside.” Medications such as antidepressants to treat mental health conditions caused by stress and trauma can also affect digestion and cause constipation.

The good news is that there’s a lot of options for you to get relief.

What helps with constipation?

The good news is there are lots of options to help you feel better. Here are eight things you can do to help you get relief.

1. Water

“My simple rule of thumb for people is minimum half your body weight in ounces of water a day,” says gastroenterologist Robynne Chutkan, M.D. who sees patients at Georgetown University Hospital. She is the author of four books on gut health and host of the podcast Gutbliss where she discusses constipation and other GI ills.

“I recommend first thing in the morning, because when you drink a big glass of water, that triggers something called the gastrocolic reflex, which is the message your stomach sends to your colon to say food is coming in or drink is coming in,” she says, which stimulates the colon to contract.

Water can also help fiber move through the digestive system, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. Not getting enough water can result in dried stool that is difficult to pass.

2. Fiber

How to Add More Fiber to Your Diet

Increase healthy fiber with these foods, including grams of fiber per serving size.

Split peas (boiled): 1 cup, 16 grams
Lentils (boiled): 1 cup, 15.5 grams
Prunes: 1 cup, 12 grams
Chia seeds: 1 ounce, 10 grams
Raspberries: 1 cup, 8 grams
Kiwis: 1 cup, 5 grams
Oat bran muffin: 1 medium, 5 grams
Broccoli: 1 cup, 5 grams
Oatmeal, instant, cooked: 1 cup, 4 grams
Almonds: 1 ounce, 3.5 grams
Strawberries: 1 cup, 3 grams

Source: High-fiber foods - Mayo Clinic

There are two types of fiber you can eat to optimize digestion.

Insoluble fiber: These types of fiber — raw veggie and fruit skin, seeds, nuts, and leafy greens — evacuates the body in the same condition in went in.
Soluble fiber: These types of fiber — apples (no skin), cooked veggies, oatmeal — dissolves in the digestive system.

The elephant in the room, according to Schwiesow, is the lack of fiber. To optimize gut health you need 25 to 30 grams per day, but she said some people are not meeting the minimum requirements and suffering the consequence. She reminds her patients fiber is in more than fruits and vegetables but also in nuts and legumes. She champions kiwis as a superfood to add to their diet. The skin is edible too and can increase the fiber content by 50 percent, although it might seem strange to eat given its fuzzy texture.

Schwiesow tells her patients to think of fiber as a brush that goes through your colon, and it sweeps down all the and the toxins from your entire digestive system.

3. Does coffee make you poop?

Yes, your morning cup of joe can help you go, according to a 2022 article in the journal Nutrients. Coffee stimulates the colon and releases a hormone that triggers the gallbladder to release bile and digestive enzymes to assist with the emptying of the bowels. The more coffee you consume, the odds of you having constipation decrease, according to a study of more than 13,000 coffee drinkers. Decaf also works but it triggers the colon less than caffeinated brew.

Schwiesow recommends her patients who like coffee should have one cup to get things moving. She also cites health benefits of coffee, which has plenty of polyphenols — nutrients in plants that manage inflammation — or antioxidants, which are vitamins and nutrients that can protect your health.

Not a coffee connoisseur? Sip hot water with lemon or hot tea to get some relief. The heat of the drink stimulates the bowels.

4. Exercise

Strength training and cardiovascular exercise, according to Schwiesow, can help with digestion and ease constipation. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says you need about 150 minutes of exercise per week, which is a 21-minute walk per day. Chutkan says the best time to walk is after a meal because it stimulates digestion and helps move the food through your digestive system. The worst thing you can do after eating is sitting on the couch.

5. Pelvic floor therapy

A pelvic floor physical therapy can check for weak muscles and spasms by performing a pelvic exam and, for women, a rectal exam.

“Physical Therapy is, I think, a great tool that's underused, in particular pelvic floor physical therapy for a woman,” says Chutkan who describes the pelvic floor is like a hammock. In this hammock women have GI organs and reproductive organs. As we get older, that pelvic floor tends to weaken and fall. And so “I see a lot of pelvic floor issues, more in women than men, but sometimes in men.”

Denise Moon, physical therapist and a specialist in pelvic floor disorders at Pivot Therapy in North Beach, Maryland. She advises patients to exercise.

“I always tell patients that the best kind of exercise is the exercise that they enjoy the most. Through making lifestyle changes and adding movement to their lives, I can see changes as soon as one to two sessions with my patients with constipation.”

6. Yoga

Moon suggests yoga and Pilates because both work on belly breathing, working the abdominal core and posture, all which are key concepts in treating constipation.

The practice of yoga can improve digestive health and improve quality of sleep in older people, according to a randomized trial which showed improvements in both after three months. Participants in the study reported a better quality of life. Although this was a small study, the improvements were significant and show promise for more people going forward.

Other research studied meditation and yoga for IBS. When seventy-nine people participated in a virtual yoga practice, IBS symptoms decreased for 54.7 percent of the group during the 8-week period, according to a 2023 article published in the journal American Journal of Gastroenterology .

7. Acupuncture

People can try alternative therapies, like the ancient practice of acupuncture, to reduce constipation symptoms and reduce some types of pain. Studies show acupuncture can increase the number of stools and relieve constipation by changing the gut, stimulating the muscles in the digestive system, and reducing stress. In a randomized controlled trial, researchers found that acupuncture increased bowel movements from less than once per week to 2.6 times per week during an 8-week treatment of 536 people.

8. Magnesium citrate

A few types of magnesium are available over the counter, but the one you want for constipation relief is magnesium citrate. This supplement draws water into the intestine and helps you go, according to the Cleveland Clinic. As with any new medication or supplement, be sure to ask your doctor if this is safe for you because it could interact with certain medications, like those to increase bone strength.

Types of Constipation

Constipation shows up in a few different ways

Normal-transit constipation: Occurs when people have difficulty fully evacuating the colon. They may experience abdominal pain, distension (when the abdomen juts out). People with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or emotional stress, typically have this type of constipation.
Slow-transit constipation: Passing the stool through the colon is delayed. This happens more to women than men, due in part to hormonal fluctuations.
Outlet constipation: Also called pelvic floor dysfunction, people with this type of issue have severe difficulty expelling stools.

The combination of hydration, movement, nutrition, and stress management can help alleviate constipation. If you are having frequent bouts of it, you should see your doctor or a GI specialist.

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Lauren Evoy Davis is a contributing writer who has covered health and wellness for some of the nation’s top consumer publications. Her work has appeared in the National Council on Aging, Everyday Health, HealthCentral, Patient Power, WebMD and Verywell Health.