Some people think they should have a bowel movement every day. That is not really true. Each person's body finds its own normal number of bowel movements. It depends on the food you eat, how much you exercise, and other things. It is defined as having fewer bowel movements than usual, with a long or hard passing of stools.
Older people are more likely than younger people to have constipation.
But experts agree that older people often worry too much about having a bowel movement every day. There is no right number of daily or weekly bowel movements. Regularity may mean bowel movements twice a day for some people or just twice a week for others. The frequency of bowel movements among healthy people varies greatly, ranging from three movements a day to three a week. As a rule, if more than three days pass without a bowel movement, the intestinal contents may harden, and a person may have difficulty or even pain during elimination.