Cleaning Out the Garage Before Winter? Your Back Has a Few Suggestions.

Getting Ready for Winter Without Spending Monday Morning in Pain

Cleaning your garage in Arlington Heights

Every fall, there’s a weekend when you finally decide it’s time to clean out the garage.

The lawn mower needs to go away.

The snowblower needs to come out.

The patio furniture has to be stored.

The bicycles need to be moved.

And somewhere behind six boxes of things nobody has opened in five years are the Christmas decorations.

You look at the garage Saturday morning and think:

“This shouldn’t take more than an hour.”

Four hours later, you’ve moved everything you own at least twice, discovered three extension cords you thought you’d lost, and you’re trying to figure out why you still have a broken lawn chair from 2009.

Sunday morning arrives.

Your back is stiff, your shoulders ache, and you’re wondering how cleaning the garage turned into a full-body workout.

Here’s the thing.

It was a full-body workout.

The Problem Isn’t Always What You Lift

When people think about hurting their backs, they usually imagine lifting something very heavy.

A refrigerator.

A couch.

A large piece of furniture.

But that’s not always how back pain develops.

Sometimes it’s the accumulation of dozens, or even hundreds, of smaller movements.

You bend down to pick up a box.

Reach overhead to put something on a shelf.

Twist to move a bicycle.

Squat to pull something out from under a workbench.

Carry a container across the garage.

Then repeat the whole process.

None of those movements is necessarily dangerous.

In fact, they’re normal things our bodies are designed to do.

But if you’ve spent most of the week sitting at a desk, several hours of unfamiliar physical activity may be more than your body is accustomed to.

And that’s when problems can begin.

Don’t Start With the Heaviest Thing in the Garage

You know the item I’m talking about.

That giant storage container filled with tools, holiday decorations, or things you haven’t used in years.

Naturally, it’s sitting on the highest shelf.

And naturally, you decide to move it first.

Instead, give yourself a few minutes to get moving.

Walk around.

Move your shoulders.

Bend your knees a few times.

Start with some of the lighter items.

You don’t need a complicated warm-up routine.

Just don’t go directly from drinking coffee at the kitchen table to wrestling a 60-pound container off a shelf.

Get Closer Before You Lift

One of the simplest things you can do when moving objects is to get closer to them.

Think about lifting a box.

If you hold it close to your body, it’s generally easier to control.

Now hold that same box with your arms extended.

Suddenly it feels much heavier.

That’s because the farther the weight is from your body, the more work your muscles have to do to control it.

So move closer.

Position your feet.

Get a good grip.

Bend at your hips and knees as needed.

And avoid lifting something heavy while reaching awkwardly across other objects.

There isn’t one perfect lifting technique for every situation, but keeping a manageable load close to your body is a good place to start.

Stop Twisting While Carrying Things

This is something I see people do all the time.

They pick up a heavy box, keep their feet planted, and twist around to put it somewhere else.

Sometimes that’s fine with a light object.

But when the load is heavy or awkward, it’s usually easier to turn your whole body.

Move your feet.

Take a couple of steps.

Face the direction you’re going.

It may take an extra second, but it gives you more control over what you’re carrying.

The same advice applies when moving snowblowers, lawn mowers, bicycles, and patio furniture.

The Snowblower Doesn’t Need to Be Wrestled Into Position

If you live in the Chicago suburbs, you know this annual ritual.

The lawn mower goes to the back of the garage.

The snowblower comes to the front.

Somehow, everything has to change places.

Before you start dragging heavy equipment around, clear a path.

Move the smaller objects first.

Make sure the wheels are free.

And whenever possible, roll equipment rather than lifting or dragging it.

If something is too heavy or awkward to move comfortably, get help.

There’s no prize for moving the snowblower by yourself.

And remember to follow the manufacturer’s safety instructions, particularly when handling fuel or servicing equipment.

Be Careful With Overhead Storage

Garage shelves are wonderful.

Until you have to retrieve something heavy from the top one.

Reaching overhead while holding a heavy container can be difficult to control, especially when you’re standing on a ladder or step stool.

Use a sturdy, properly positioned ladder or step stool.

Avoid overreaching.

Keep heavy objects on lower shelves whenever possible.

And if something is too heavy to bring down safely, ask someone to help.

This is particularly important as we get older.

Balance, strength, and coordination can change over time, and falls can cause injuries far more serious than an ordinary sore back.

Take Breaks Before You’re Exhausted

Here’s where most people get into trouble.

You start cleaning.

You make progress.

You can finally see the floor.

And you decide you’re going to finish everything before you stop.

So you keep going.

Even when your back starts getting tired.

Even when your shoulders begin aching.

Even when you’ve been working for three hours without sitting down.

Instead, take a break every 20 or 30 minutes.

Walk around.

Get some water.

Sit for a few minutes if you need to.

Then decide whether you’re ready to continue.

A short break doesn’t mean you’re getting old.

It means you’re pacing yourself.

And pacing yourself is one of the smartest ways to handle a big physical project.

You Don’t Have to Finish Everything Today

This may be the most useful advice in the entire article.

The garage doesn’t have to be finished in one afternoon.

I know.

You want it done.

You want the cars back inside.

You want to be able to find the snow shovel when the first storm arrives.

But there’s nothing wrong with doing half the garage Saturday and finishing Sunday.

Or doing an hour after work a couple of days during the week.

You don’t have to turn an ordinary household project into an endurance event.

The goal is to get the garage organized.

Not to see how much punishment your body can tolerate.

What If Your Back Hurts the Next Morning?

A little muscle soreness after an unusually active day isn’t necessarily a sign that something is wrong.

Your muscles may simply be responding to work they haven’t done recently.

Gentle movement, walking, and temporarily reducing activities that aggravate your symptoms may help.

But not every episode of back pain is ordinary muscle soreness.

If you develop significant pain, symptoms traveling into your arm or leg, numbness, tingling, weakness, or pain that continues to worsen, it’s worth getting evaluated. New bowel or bladder control problems or numbness around the groin require urgent medical attention.

And if cleaning the garage leaves you with the same back problem every year, maybe it’s time to figure out why.

Sometimes It’s More Than a Sore Muscle

At O’Hara Family Chiropractic, we see people who develop back and neck pain after doing ordinary household projects.

Sometimes it’s related to muscle strain.

Sometimes a joint is irritated.

Sometimes a disc or nerve may be involved.

And sometimes the symptoms have another cause entirely.

The first step is figuring out what’s actually happening.

Depending on the findings, chiropractic treatment, exercise, activity modification, or another approach may be appropriate.

The important thing is not assuming every sore back needs exactly the same treatment.

Find the problem. Fix the problem. Leave it alone.

Get Ready for Winter. Just Don’t Overdo It.

There’s something satisfying about getting the garage organized before winter.

The lawn equipment is put away.

The snowblower is ready.

The patio furniture is stored.

And maybe, just maybe, both cars actually fit inside again.

So get out there and get it done.

Just be smart about it.

Move the lighter things first.

Keep heavy objects close.

Move your feet when turning.

Ask for help with awkward equipment.

Take breaks.

And don’t feel obligated to finish everything in one day.

Winter is coming whether your garage is organized or not.

There’s no reason to hurt yourself getting ready for it.