As a health professional, I can tell you that it's generally not advisable to hold in your bowel movement for extended periods. When you hold stool in your colon, your body absorbs more water from it, which can make the stool harder and more difficult to pass. This can lead to constipation and potentially cause discomfort or other issues. In some cases, the effort and strain of trying to expel a stool that has become too hard can even lead to more serious problems, such as colon damage. read more >>

Keeping in your bowel movement can lead to unnecessary constipation, Chen says, because the longer you hold the stool in your colon, the more water is absorbed and the harder it becomes. Those factors could potentially cause colon damage due to the effort and strain of expelling it later on.read more >>