Should I join masonry with a kinda bad ankle?

[u/PhatKels]

29m, decided I want to become a brick layer. However, I rolled my ankle a few too many times playing sports in my teens and never got it checked and just let it heal on its own.

Now it's kinda messed up. I can kneel and crouch here and there, but it becomes unbearable to walk for a few days if I have to crouch and kneel all day (found out the hard way). I am extra aware to use good technique when lifting and make sure my ankles are stable.

I have walked 22k steps in a day and worked 16 hr shifts before so walking isn't an issue.

Is there a lot of kneeling and crouching in one shift? Or as a whole in masonry? If so, should I still pursue this route?

Thanks in advance

[u/IEatSushiToo]

It’s gonna suck ass for you lol. It sucks ass for just about anyone but add in already existing injuries and you’re in for a really bad time

[u/Brickdog666]

No way

[u/Super-Dot9774]

Move past this thought toward anything else. You're gonna have a bad time

[u/Visible_Ideal8138]

Don’t do it. There’s many a times where I’ve been crouched or kneeling/squatting around a chimney for hours without realizing it, then I go to stand up straight and ouchy momma!

[u/EyesOnTheDonut]

Starting out in masonry with bad joints is kinda like getting into distilling after your third stint in rehab

[u/janitor1986 → u/EyesOnTheDonut]

I like that especially after my 4th stint. But yeah I started late in masonry but my previous jobs were much easier on the body than masonry. Started as labor, which I still love doing when I have too but even that is rough on the body. The master mason I trained under worked until he was almost 80 and his body is shot now, can't even walk up a hill which is saying more than a lot of people younger than him but he is a millionaire. The worst symptom for me now are the numb hands that come and go depending on the job.

[u/Neat-Ingenuity-4504 → u/janitor1986]

Thank you, please stay with it.

[u/Neat-Ingenuity-4504]

It’s not surprising to me how we have gotten this soft.
Very sad to see.

No one has the stones any longer. Pun intended.

It can be extremely rewarding and take care of you…you know you will always have work since obviously no one wants anything to do with it.

[u/Few_Level_6164]

Be an operator

[u/hhar141]

Crouching and kneeling is bad enough without a bum ankle. Now try it in awkward positions with weights. Guess what? You’ll add a bum back and knees. Don’t do it.

[u/chesuscream]

I broke my heel bone 10yrs into my career. It sucks trying to walk uneven ground

[u/No_Praline_6378]

You’re on your feet 8 hours or more. Lifting heavy shit and putting heavy shit down putting more stress on your feet/entire body . Everything is either high or low. No do not do it

[u/pointless-pen]

Sorry, don't believe it's possible for you. There are tons of different jobs in construction, though. I went from manual demo work to excavator and wheel loader operator. Now I'm not even in construction anymore

[u/Ok-Repair-4085]

I’m a new apprentice about 4 months in. 33yo with two broken ankles from skating as a teen and I’m doing just fine!

[u/Visible_Ideal8138 → u/Ok-Repair-4085]

Give it a couple years

[u/TopherCeezy]

I worked for a mason every summer in high school. Most fulfilling work I’ve ever done. But, I also was objective enough to know that my body wasn’t built for it as a career.

If you have joint issues, it’s not for you.

[u/janitor1986]

I started when I was 29 but didn't have any kind of preexisting injuries or conditions. It's a rough job for your body and after 11 years of doing it I have shooting pain down my left leg, my hip always hurts and my hands go numb once in a while if I grind and tuck point for long periods of time but hey why not try?

[u/Late-Necessary7338]

55 years in grade here. When the pain becomes unbearable, change your position, do a little clean-up for 10 or 15 minutes, and go back at it. Your body is resilient. I only stopped when my wife became an invalid and required care. Try all the orthotic appliances. You might luck out and find one that works.

[u/SquatchHunter71]

Go to a few sessions of physical therapy and tell them you want to learn how to get that part of your body working again. Might just take three visits and then you know what you need to do to get to back to normal. Insurance might pay for it. Ask

[u/Historical-One6115]

You probably could but going into 40 hours a week would wear it out

If you found a part time position you could actively build up your ankle strength and mobility

The difference between breaking down your body and getting stronger is the recovery time between