Staying Active After a Hip or Knee Replacement

One of the first questions people ask about a hip or knee replacement is whether favorite activities will still be possible afterward. For many, the answer is yes. Returning to activities that joint pain has made difficult, such as walking or travel, is usually the reason for choosing the operation in the first place.

The First Few Months

Most patients stand and take their first steps on the day of surgery with assistance, using a walker or cane at first. The walking aid guards against a fall while strength and balance return, and the surgeon or physical therapist will advise when the walker or cane is no longer needed.

Regular walking, extended a little each week, is a large part of early recovery, helping restore motion in the new joint and strength in the surrounding muscles.

After a knee replacement, most of the ability to bend and straighten the knee returns within the first six weeks, so the prescribed exercises are best done daily during those six weeks, even when the knee feels stiff.

Swimming can generally begin once the surgeon confirms the incision has fully healed. Most other activities return at around three months, after clearance from the surgeon. Progress over the first three months is not always even; some weeks may feel faster than others.

Separate guides to hip replacement recovery and knee replacement recovery cover the early months week by week.

What Activities Are Realistic?

After recovery, many people return to low-impact activities such as walking, hiking, swimming, cycling, golf and doubles tennis, in which the new joint is spared a hard jolt with every step or stroke.

Kneeling, whether for gardening or anything else, is not thought to damage a knee replacement, although the position is often uncomfortable at first and tends to become easier with practice. The usual advice is to begin kneeling on a soft surface such as a cushion or folded towel.

Higher-impact activities, such as running, singles tennis and pickleball, remain a matter of debate among surgeons. There is no definitive answer on whether high-impact activity shortens the life of an implant. Anyone hoping to return to a higher-impact sport should discuss the specific sport with the surgeon beforehand.

Staying Active Over the Long Term

The strengthening exercises taught during physical therapy should continue after formal therapy sessions end. The muscles around a new hip or knee can keep gaining strength for a year or more after surgery.

Activity is best increased gradually, adding time or distance in small steps and paying attention to how the joint feels the following day. New swelling or pain the next morning is a signal to ease back for a while before increasing activity again.

Aim for activity on most days of the week. Short sessions count, and a regular routine is easier to sustain over the years.

The opposite hip or knee and the lower back often bear more of the load for a while, both before surgery and during recovery. Any new ache in the opposite joint or the back should be mentioned to the surgeon or physical therapist.

Also read, Do You Really “Need” a Joint Replacement? Why It’s More of a Choice Than You May Think.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

Have you had a hip or knee replacement? Which activity were you most glad to return to? If you are considering a joint replacement, which activity would you most like to get back to?