Crawled under the car in the garage and now my back hurts

[cantdrv55]

I’m getting old. I used to be able to get my fat a55 under a car with no issues but now it kills my back. I even laid on top of cardboard but that didn’t help. I have a creeper but I didn’t get the car up high enough. I’m thinking of laying carpet under the car. Have you guys ever done that? What are the downsides besides keeping it clean. I do have mice in the garage so I sweep before I lay on the concrete. I’d vacuum before laying on carpet. Dumb idea the carpet?

[Bill Douglas]

Or buy a cheap rug and roll it out when you want to use it. Good luck with the sore back!

[HardDrive]

Get lift. Or pay someone.

You are being silly.

[aigel]

I LOVE the old man vibe on this board. It'd be depressing if it wasn't usually very funny.

More whole body exercises for sure. You got away with little to no exercise under 50, after, you have to work on keeping in half way decent shape...

That said, a lift is in my future if there is any more big projects. At least a scissor thing.

G

[Noah930]

My back at least has the decency (youth?) to wait until the next day before hurting.

[SCadaddle]

Fan fold foam insulation board from the big box building supply store is cheap, light and easy to fold up and store. Not too bad on the body on a garage floor. If not that, then just an old sleeping bag works for me. I can shake it out and roll it up.

[Evans, Marv]

I hope you can get your back in shape some way. You know the saying - something about you're no younger than your back. Guess I'm lucky. I recently finished weed whacking, cutting, and clearing about an acre & a half(a third on decently steep slope). Today I was up on the roof (sort of a flat roof) cleaning my solar panels and washing the roof (about 4K sq. ft.) with a brush and Dawn & water in preparation for putting another coat of elastomeric coating on it Monday. I'll be 78 in about a month or so. I have to admit sometimes things are harder though.

[livi]

Me too. I used rugs, matresses etc but came to realize it was not the softness of the floor but the awkward positions that killed my back.
So I decided to wimp out and just leave it to the experts in the shop.

[Bill Douglas]

Originally Posted by livi

the experts in the shop.

Markus!

[sc_rufctr]

[Heel n Toe]

Originally Posted by livi

Me too. I used rugs, matresses etc but came to realize it was not the softness of the floor but the awkward positions that killed my back.
So I decided to wimp out and just leave it to the experts in the shop.

Smart man. And even with a creeper or a lift, your back can suffer.

Look, at some point, those of us with back problems and/or a few years on us should consider the cost of a lift vs. how much work a trusted indy mechanic can accomplish for the same money (and maybe even do a better job, too).

It reminds me of one day years ago when my FIL was proudly bragging about providing a huge free dinner of succulent Striped Bass for his family of 5 plus several other guests. His wife, a very sweet woman, had a little fun with him by saying, "Come on, honey... after the cost of the boat, the motor, the trailer, and the fish finder, just how free do you think this is?"

We all laughed and he looked down at his plate, shook his head, didn't say anything, and burst out laughing.

He knew he had been had... and he also knew she didn't begrudge him one bit for it all because he loved fishing and making a big production out of being the chef at family gatherings.

He was a great guy and I miss him. WWII Navy veteran... Seabees.

[cabmandone]

I had the same problem so I bought a lift. Now I don't lay down on the floor. I've been raising my vehicles just high enough that I can get under them on my rolling chair. Pretty sweeeeeet.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

I'm 52 and can still do everything I did at 22 and not really feel it but a friend who is 46 was rolling around under a car all day yesterday and he was feeling it. We talked about orthopedic creepers that would they sell for $300+. I think they would. I think the greatest challenge would be a mechanism that would quickly allow you to set it up for your body and make changes as needed. A lot of engineering to make that happen for, let's face it, a diminishing market.

Just exercise more until they come out.

[vonsmog]

I'm 61 and a month back I took a job of changing out a motor and transmission in a 79' 280CE. I also swapped out the complete exhaust system with a stainless steel one I had. The day I installed the exhaust system my back was killing me, realized it was due to the fact that my creeper is a flat board and I was wrestling so hard to fit it, that I was pushing my back into the creeper. I was sore for a few days, and wishing I had a lift. With the Unimogs, I don't even have to jack them up to roll under them, so I just was not use to working on a car again.

[GH85Carrera]

I have a standard height garage. I did not want the lift in the way when not in use. This works perfect for me. When lowered, and the lift in the pit, I just slide a piece of 1/2 plywood over the pit, and it basically is gone.

[rfuerst911sc]

62 years young here 😁 get yourself a lift if you can . In my last house I had found a used scissor lift for under a grand . In our new house I built a man cave with a 2 post lift , found it used for $900.00 . You are supposed to get wiser as you get older ........... time to get wiser 😀

[cabmandone]

Originally Posted by Shaun @ Tru6

I'm 52 and can still do everything I did at 22 and not really feel it but a friend who is 46 was rolling around under a car all day yesterday and he was feeling it. We talked about orthopedic creepers that would they sell for $300+. I think they would. I think the greatest challenge would be a mechanism that would quickly allow you to set it up for your body and make changes as needed. A lot of engineering to make that happen for, let's face it, a diminishing market.

Just exercise more until they come out.

As my dad would say, "anyone who gets older and claims they can do what they did when they were younger.... didn't do much when they were younger"

[masraum]

Originally Posted by cantdrv55

I’m getting old. I used to be able to get my fat a55 under a car with no issues but now it kills my back. I even laid on top of cardboard but that didn’t help. I have a creeper but I didn’t get the car up high enough. I’m thinking of laying carpet under the car. Have you guys ever done that? What are the downsides besides keeping it clean. I do have mice in the garage so I sweep before I lay on the concrete. I’d vacuum before laying on carpet. Dumb idea the carpet?

Originally Posted by Bill Douglas

Or buy a cheap rug and roll it out when you want to use it. Good luck with the sore back!

rubberized cheap bath mat.

[billybek]

Cheap yoga mat.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Originally Posted by cabmando

As my dad would say, "anyone who gets older and claims they can do what they did when they were younger.... didn't do much when they were younger"

I'm sorry about your dad but it explains why you are wrong all the time.