The general consensus is that high-impact sports are discouraged following surgery. These are activities with a high risk of falling such as rugby, martial arts and football. Low impact sports such as golf, cycling, hiking and swimming (avoid breaststroke) are encouraged.
Can I play sports after a hip replacement? Yes, most patients are still able to play or participate in sports like skiing and cycling after recovery. Again, it is preferred that you only partake in low-impact activities to decrease wear and tear. It's also important to take it easy starting out and don't overdo it.
Hip replacement patients are given a long list of things not to do—do not bend the hips or knees further than 90 degrees, do not cross the legs, do not lift the leg to put on socks, and much more. These movement restrictions protect the new hip from dislocation.
Low-impact exercises such as walking, swimming, golfing and bicycling are very beneficial to patients recovering from joint replacement surgery. Avoid activities that involve impact stress on the joint, such as jogging or jumping, and contact sports, such as football.
Squatting after a hip replacement can be a scary task, but it can be done safely by using the recommendations above. To recap: Make sure not to start this process until at least 8 weeks after the surgery and ensure you have the permission from both the surgeon and physiotherapist to do so.
Managing Expectations After Hip Replacement Surgery
Since cycling is a low impact sport, Hallows told Leousis he should have no problems getting back to the sport he loves.
Repetitive motions and high-impact activities can damage an implant over time. These types of activities include running, heavy weightlifting, jumping, and more. You may need to avoid sports, such as soccer, cross-country running, racquetball, or basketball, which involve these repetitive motions.
“On average, hip replacement recovery can take around two to four weeks, but everyone is different,” says Thakkar. It depends on a few factors, including how active you were before your surgery, your age, nutrition, preexisting conditions, and other health and lifestyle factors.
Everyone recovers differently, but it's often possible to return to light activities or office-based work within around 6 weeks. It may take a few more weeks if your job involves heavy lifting. It's best to avoid extreme movements or sports where there's a risk of falling, such as skiing or riding.
You should be able to participate in bicycling, swimming, bowling, golf, non-aggressive doubles tennis, walking, and other similar activities. Football, basketball, baseball, and volleyball are not acceptable. You should consult your doctor before participating in any particular sport.
High stress sports such as hockey, jogging, mogul skiing, soccer, gymnastics and rock climbing are usually discouraged after total hip replacement, but many people ignore their doctor's advice and do these anyway.
Patients are often most surprised to learn that they are not only permitted to lift weights but are encouraged to lift weights after receiving a joint replacement. In fact, lifting weights is the best thing a patient can do for the prolonged life of their artificial joint.
Hip replacement patients are often discharged after one or two days. After rehabilitation and a recovery period of about three months, they usually can resume their lives in full, Yang says.
Physical therapists and orthopaedic surgeons have a saying they use with hip replacement patients: Up with the good, down with the bad. That means you should lead with your stronger leg that still has your original hip to walk up the stairway and your weaker leg to walk down it.
Walking is the best exercise for a healthy recovery, because walking will help you recover hip movement. Initially, the use of a walker or crutches will help to prevent blood clots and strengthen your muscles which will improve hip movement.
Which activities should be avoided after hip replacement? In the first few weeks and months after your surgery, you need to avoid bending more than 90 degrees, crossing your legs and twisting or pivoting at the hip. This means that activities such as driving or exercising are best avoided at first.
Periprosthetic fractures involve bone breaks around the implant that can cause it to fail. These fractures are rare and usually occur years after a hip replacement, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. A fall, direct blow to the hip or car crash can cause these fractures to occur.
While different surgeons may have different recommendations low-impact sports are generally safe for patients to participate in after having a total hip replacement.
Avoid high-impact plyometrics such as box jumps, deep lunges. Avoid high-impact skiing, such as doing moguls. Never push through pain. Stay clear of high level endurance running sports, which can wear out the knee faster.
Once the soft tissues around the hip fully heal, many hip replacement patients get the green light to do yoga. Turning the hips too far in (internal rotation) or out (external rotation) should be avoided to decrease any risk. Extending your leg too far forward or backward should also be avoided, Mironenko says.
Limit your walking to 1-2 mile for the first 4 weeks. Remember even if you feel great the implant needs to heal, doing strenuous exercises or hikes is not recommended! Also we DO NOT want you to do straight leg raises or hip flexion exercises in the first 4 weeks to not cause groin pain.
The Taperloc femoral hip replacement is one of the best hip replacements used in the world – for any age and activity level.
When Can I Return to Golf after a Hip Replacement? We advise golfing patients to return to chipping and putting at about 4 weeks and begin swinging/driving 4-8 weeks, and finally resume rounds of golf between 8-12 weeks.