Why Peeing in the Shower Is So Bad for Your b Pelvic Floor

Let’s be real: Peeing in the shower can be a pretty convenient way to empty your bladder. Not only are you saving a minute or two on the toilet (time is precious, y’all), but a case could be made that it’s better for the planet because you’re reducing your toilet paper and water usage overall. (No flushing necessary!) At this point you’re either nodding in agreement or wincing in disgust, thinking, Who does this? Turns out, lots of people. In fact, one YouGov poll found that 62% of Americans—both men and women equally—have peed in the shower at some point and 21% do it all the time.

However, there’s one thing you might not have thought about: Research suggests the practice might be hurting your pelvic floor over time, which isn’t really great for your urinary health. (Your pelvic floor includes the muscles between your tailbone and pubic bone that support your urethra, bowel, rectum, anus, and, yup, you guessed it, your bladder.) “You pee every day and don’t really think about it as long as it’s all going well,” Leslie Rickey, MD, MPH, a urogynecologist and associate professor at the Yale School of Medicine, tells SELF. “It’s only when things start to not go well that you think, Oh, what could I have done differently?”

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Whether you’re a pee-in-the-shower type of person (or even tend to hover or squat above the seat when using public toilets), here’s what to know about how these non-sitting positions can affect your pelvic floor.