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Women peeing 'like a cowboy' could empty nearly an additional half cup of urine

13 2
07.08.2025

There's nothing more frustrating than having to go to the bathroom shortly after leaving it. For those that drink a lot of water, becoming more familiar with bathroom decor isn't uncommon. But even for those frequent potty flyers, there's a trick that might cut down your trips–peeing like a cowboy.

Don't worry, you don't have to get out your spurs and chaps to learn how to get every drop of urine out of your bladder. Because going pee is a bodily function that every human being is required to do, there are all kinds of thoughts on going properly. In some countries boys and men sit to pee while in others it's viewed as strange. In some cultures squatting over a hole in the tile floor is the standard way to pee while for others sitting on a toilet is the way to go.

Rustic outhouse adorned with festive lights in a snowy farm setting.Photo credit: Canva

No cultural way is wrong but everyone who sits to potty might want to take a few extra minutes in the bathroom. Most girls in America learn to use commode in a seated position, typically in a fashion that still allows them to look dainty. Knees close together, hand in their lap waiting for the stream to stop so they can promptly wipe and get off the pot. Turns out, this prim and proper way of using the bathroom may be the reason some women find themselves feeling like they have to go again less than an hour later.

Dr. Teresa Irwin president of the Caring Center for Women in Central Texas and a female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgeon demonstrates this method in a video. She calls it "peeing like a cowboy" because it's essentially the opposite of how many American girls were taught to use the bathroom. Irwin says to spread your knees apart wide and rest your elbows on them like a cowboy, though you've likely seen this style of sitting in a baseball dugout as well.

Potty training time with a good book and a supportive friend.Photo credit: Canva

The idea is to wait for your perineum to relax more to allow for more urine to release. Irwin says a third of the body's urine remains trapped in your bladder if you pee sitting up. If there's no medical cause for frequent urination such as a UTI or other medical issue, staying on the toilet an extra 20-30 seconds may help. The process is called double voiding which is the act of emptying your bladder staying seated a few seconds longer and leaning forward to ensure your bladder is empty.

Medical News Today writes, "This technique is especially effective for people who feel like their bladder is not empty, or who return quickly to the restroom after voiding.

The steps to double voiding are as follows:

People may also benefit from rocking side to side as this can result in better bladder emptying. However, a person should not rock side to side if they cannot safely position themselves on the toilet."

Multitasking: Phone time during bathroom break.Photo credit: Canva

According to Cambridge University Hospitals, "If your bladder fails to empty and goes into retention, the bladder muscle can become overstretched and can be damaged. An overstretched bladder struggles to contract and empty the bladder effectively. When the bladder is not functioning properly, it may cause complications like urinary tract infection and kidney stones, or it could be connected to bowel dysfunction. Bowel and bladder health go together. It is very important to regulate bowel movement as it could also help to maintain bladder function."

If you're constantly peeing or experiencing urgency with only a small amount of urine being expelled from the bladder, checking in with your doctor to rule out medical conditions is best. But if everything checks out and you're told you're kidneys and bladder are all functioning properly, you may just need to start peeing like a cowboy to save you a trip to the loo.

They say New York City is the City of Dreams. Young people all over the world flock to the city when they're ready to start chasing after their biggest ambitions. If you have a passion for theater, television, or the arts, there's no better place to be. Want to become a successful and prestigious stock broker, lawyer, or investment banker? It's all New York, baby. It's a city of immense opportunity and tough competition, but that's what makes it full of life and culture for those who choose to live there.

But all of that doesn't come cheap. The average rent in New York for even just a small, studio apartment is $3,264 per month. That buys you less than 500 square feet. And, even though it seems like you're really pinching pennies by living somewhere so cramped, that price tag is enormous! Even if you account for the higher-than-average salaries in New York.

Most young people just getting started in their careers can't afford that. Not to mention, the competition for good-quality apartments in New York is cutthroat. Still, people are desperate to live there by any means necessary, which has given rise to some really fascinating (and, in some cases, slightly horrifying) micro apartments.

In 2023, one woman went viral for showing off her New York micro apartment. It clocks in at just 80 square feet and cost her, at the time, a meager $650 per month.

If you like spending all your money on rent, New York is awesome! Giphy

YouTuber Caleb Simpson interviewed the woman, Alaina, for his channel that specializes in featuring interesting and unique living spaces. Alaina's apartment definitely qualifies, though technically the square footage is 80x150, because she's including the vertical space. Every square inch counts!

"So really it just feels like a walk-in closet," Simpson remarks upon entering through the front door.

Alaina shows Simpson around the apartment, which includes a tiny living room slash kitchen area with a mini-fridge, a small sink, and a small stove and microwave. In the main living area, she's placed a fold-out sofa of sorts. Alaina's makeup and pantry foods are all crammed into one small cabinet.

From there...well, there's not much left to see. But Alaina and Simpson check out the loft, which holds Alaina's bed and a little extra storage in the form of hooks where she hangs her bags and purses.

The apartment has no windows. There is a storage cupboard under the stairs, but it's hard to access.

"Every time I want to get something out, something else has to move," Alaina says.

As far as a bathroom, Alaina is lucky enough to have her very own private bathroom complete with........

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