17 Ways to Reduce Travel Constipation

We’ve all been there, post vacation, on the flight home, and extremely uncomfortable. What’s up with always getting backed up during and after traveling? Many factors are involved, and this post tackles 17 ways to reduce travel constipation. Let’s get into it!

Here are the 17 Ways to Reduce Travel Constipation

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1. Drink water

This is a given! Of course my #1 advice is to drink your water! Water helps keep everything moving. Basically it makes your stools softer and easier to pass through your body.

Try and drink consistent amounts throughout the day to keep everything running smoothly. If you’re wondering about how much to drink, according to the Mayo Clinic men should aim for about 3.7 liters a day, and women should aim for about 2.7 liters a day.¹

2. Include high fiber foods in your meals/snacks

Super glamorous topic here! Fiber Increases the size of your stool, so it makes it easier to pass. If you eat higher fiber foods for your meals and snacks while traveling, you have a better chance of avoiding constipation mid flight or mid hike. Trade your cheez-its for an apple and almonds! A more in-depth list of high fiber snacks coming soon to the blog.

3. Carry liquid IV’s

Dehydration is one of the most common causes of constipation. Liquid IV’s are hydration multipliers that have 3 times the electrolytes than common sports drinks. This helps your body absorb water more efficiently, helping your bowel movements move along as well. Pick them up at your nearest Target or buy them on Amazon here.

4. Get consistent movement

Moving your body will help your bowels move as well. Exercise helps the muscles and nerves in your gut work together and keep things moving along. Think about it, if you’re sitting on the couch for 8 hours, things are barely moving! You’re more likely to feel backed up if this is the case (but also, if you need to sit on the couch for 8 hours on your day off or if you’re sick – no judgement here😊).

But if you go on frequent walks throughout the day or just have a good exercise session to move your body, you’re more likely to have a bowel movement! See ya on the track!

5. Consider meditation

Stress can really back up your system. It’s important to find ways to unwind your body so you can stay regular – meditation is one of my favorites. Connecting mind to body and focusing on your breath takes you away from the noise of the world for a little bit.

Stress can have an impact on intestinal sensitivity and motility by slowing it down – so having a quiet mind for even 5-10 minutes can do wonders for your mental health and stress levels (body and mind).

Make sure you read my post 21 Best Ways to Reduce Travel Stress for even more ways to destress while traveling!

6. When you have to go #2, go #2!

It’s found that if you regularly hold in your bowel movements, you may be susceptible to constipation. Basically what happens is your stool gets pushed back into the colon, water excuses itself and becomes excreted, and the stool now becomes dry and stuck.

When you gotta go, try your best to go as soon as you can! Stop at your nearest gas station, go into the porta potty🤧, or go into a random persons house (lol), just try your best!

7. Try not to think about it – destress!

Consider making these tips part of your lifestyle. Once I started making these tips part of my daily routine, my attention was not on how I was always backed up, it was mostly on feeling better and doing things that were good for me as a whole.

The top 3 things that helped me become regular on a daily basis (of course there’s still times I get backed up – I’m not perfect by any means!) are:

-Focusing on my mental health and decreasing stress. I focused on better managing my anxiety through meditation, therapy, and faith.

-Mindful eating: eating what my body craves and stopping when I’m full (but also giving myself grace if I overeat – it’s extremely normal!)

-Getting enough sleep! I had no idea how linked sleep and digestion were until I started reading studies and seeing the difference in my own body when I got enough sleep. It’s so important!

8. Try coffee

Coffee is known to help stimulate the muscles in your GI tract, which can cause a bowel movement. In the European journal of gastroenterology and hepatology, a clinical trial had taken place to determine if coffee was a colonic stimulant. It was found that coffee stimulated the activity of the colon 60% stronger than water and 23% stronger than decaffeinated coffee.²

Basically, coffee helps your stool pass through! But, it also dehydrates you, so remember to drink lots of water before, during, and after your cup of jo in the morning.

9. Try an over-the-counter laxative

If you are really struggling with your constipation and other natural remedies aren’t working, consider an over the counter laxative like Senna or MiraLAX. Some people tolerate these differently. For me, I tolerate MiraLAX better than Senna. For others, it’s the other way around, or they can tolerate both.

MiraLAX basically holds water in the stool so you have more frequent bowel movements. Senna is a stimulant laxative, so it directly stimulates the muscles of your small intestine, contrary to just pulling water into the stool like MiraLAX does.

If you’ve worked on your stress, been getting enough movement, staying hydrated, sleeping well, and still remain constipated and want a quick fix, try the over-the-counter laxative route!

10. Incorporate probiotic foods into your meals/snacks

Probiotics can enhance the gut microbiome. Basically probiotics are beneficial bacteria that can help with constipation and other digestive issues like bloating and abdominal cramping. They can help maintain bacterial diversity in your gut by crowding out the bad bacteria and implementing new, healthier bacteria. According to a study in the Journal of Molecules, “probiotic compounds can promote bowel movement, improve bowel movement frequency, increase the number and weight of stools, and effectively alleviate constipation.”³

It’s a no brainer to start implementing a daily probiotic through food such as kimchi, yogurt, kombucha, tempeh, and sauerkraut, to name a few. You can also buy a probiotic supplement if you are unable to obtain or don’t like those fermented foods.

11. If you knowingly have IBS or SIBO, try a low fodmap diet

The low fodmap diet has been shown to help those with digestive issues relating to IBS or SIBO. FODMAPs are specific sugars that have been shown to cause digestive distress in those with IBS or SIBO. I do hesitate to recommend this “diet” as it is very restrictive, but if you’ve tried everything and just want digestive peace I recommend seeing a dietitian to help you with food selections.

12. Magnesium citrate

Magnesium citrate is another laxative that can help manage your constipation. It pulls water into the intestines to make your stools move by faster. It is usually used for short term and not long term constipation – so keep that in mind! You can get it over-the-counter at any local pharmacy near you.

13. Eat prunes!

Prunes contain sorbitol – a sugar alcohol that helps draw water into the gut, helping to stimulate a bowel movement. I’m sure you’ve heard of prune juice helping with constipation (especially if you work in a hospital), but it’s actually found that eating prunes is better than drinking them when it comes to constipation! They contain more fiber than the “juice” version, and more fiber helps your stool pass through! Prunes all the way!

14. Avoid foods that you know already back you up (dairy, gluten, etc.)

If you know a certain food group may back you up, try eating it in moderation. I have friends who can’t even have a cup of yogurt without having their stomach churn. No need to restrict yourself from that food for good, but be aware of the foods that may be causing you the pain of constipation! Consider minimizing or finding similar alternatives to the food that is bothering your tummy!

15. Prioritize sleep!

When you don’t sleep, your digestive system is not able to completely reset overnight. Stress in your body can increase (due to the hormone cortisol), this in turn can slow down the mobility in your gut – leading to troubles with constipation. You may also notice that the days you don’t get enough sleep, you are huuunnggryyy. Lack of sleep can increase hormones that regulate your hunger, making you feel out of whack and hungry all day. Basically, not getting enough sleep can disrupt your GI function and make you grab foods that are lower in fiber and basically scream “back me up!” Moral of the story: get your beauty rest in from now on😊

16. Try smaller, more frequent meals

For me, overeating may be the #1 culprit for my previous GI issues (it may be different for you). Here’s my theory: I had an eating disorder when I was a freshmen in college and my gut motility slowed down immensely during and after that. Ever since I’ve recovered (about 6 years recovered as of this year, woooo!), I have realized when I eat an amount of food that is too much for my stomach, I get backed up. For me, smaller and more frequent meals has done wonders for my digestion due to my past.

So, I’m sharing this tip in case it benefits you. Disclaimer, I still overeat allll the time, everyone does! It’s not right for me to tell you to never ever overeat, that’s not realistic or doable. I absolutely still indulge in dessert after most meals or go for seconds even if I’m not particularly hungry! It’s part of the human experience, enjoy it😊

17. Cut back on alcohol

Alcohol dehydrates you like no other. As we’ve talked about many times already in this post, dehydration is not your friend when it comes to constipation. Stray away from binge drinking and when you do drink, match it with a glass of water. You can also try a liquid IV before bed (if you remember) to replenish your electrolytes.

Pro tip: fill up your water bottle before you go out and set it on your bedside table. Before you stumble in and crash for the night try and drink as much water as you can! You’ll thank me the next morning😉

I hope you enjoyed 17 Ways to Reduce Travel Constipation!

Thanks for reading and being here! I appreciate you😊