Most patients return to low and moderate impact sport after a hip or knee replacement, typically between three and six months. Golf, cycling, swimming, bushwalking, doubles tennis, bowls and gym work are all realistic goals, and staying active is genuinely good for you rather than something to be tolerated.
The activities that prompt more discussion are the repeated high impact ones. The reasoning is not fragility, and it is worth setting out properly.
Why impact is treated differently
A joint replacement is a bearing. Like any bearing it wears, slowly, and the rate depends partly on how much load passes through it and how many cycles it does. Modern bearing surfaces are considerably more wear-resistant than those of twenty years ago, and this is a smaller concern than it once was. It has not disappeared.
The second consideration is fixation. The implant is anchored to your bone, and repeated high impact loading places demands on that interface. The third is simply that falling matters more when you have a prosthesis, both because of the risk of a fracture around the implant and because of dislocation risk in the hip.
None of that makes you fragile. It shapes which activities are sensible to build a decade around.
Generally encouraged
- Walking and bushwalking, including hills
- Swimming and water exercise, once wounds are fully healed
- Cycling, stationary and on the road
- Golf, including a full swing for most patients
- Bowls
- Doubles tennis
- Gym work, resistance training and rowing
- Dancing
- Recreational skiing for patients who skied confidently beforehand
Worth a specific conversation
- Running, particularly regularly and over distance
- Singles tennis and squash, because of the sudden stopping and pivoting
- Basketball, netball and football
- Jumping sports
- Contact sport of any kind
This is not a prohibition list. It is a list where the discussion should be specific to you, your age, your implant, your bone quality and what you did before. A patient in their fifties who has run for thirty years is a different conversation from a patient in their seventies taking up running for the first time after surgery.
Timing
Approximate, and your own progress governs it.
- Walking: immediately, and progressively further.
- Stationary cycling: often within a few weeks, once you have the bend to get the pedals round.
- Swimming: once wounds are completely healed, usually around four to six weeks.
- Golf: putting and chipping early, a full round commonly around three months.
- Road cycling and doubles tennis: commonly around three months.
- Higher demand activity: generally not before six months, and after a conversation.
The trade-off, stated plainly
A patient who is very active may place more demand on a replacement over time than a patient who is not, and that is a factor in how long the implant lasts. It is also true that inactivity carries its own substantial costs to your heart, your weight, your bone density and your quality of life.
Most people did not have a joint replaced in order to sit still afterwards. The purpose of the operation is to give you your activity back. What is worth avoiding is not exercise, it is the specific pattern of repeated high impact loading with no particular reason behind it. Bring your actual goals to the consultation, including the ones you think might be dismissed, because the answer is usually more accommodating than patients expect.
Common questions.
Can I play golf after a hip or knee replacement?
Yes. Golf is one of the most commonly resumed sports after joint replacement. Putting and chipping often start early in recovery, and most patients return to a full round at around three months, including a full swing.
Can I run after a knee replacement?
Running, particularly regularly and over distance, is the activity most often advised against, because repeated high impact loading increases bearing wear and places demands on the fixation between implant and bone. It is a discussion to have specific to your age, implant, bone quality and previous activity rather than an absolute prohibition.
When can I swim after a joint replacement?
Once your wounds are completely healed, usually around four to six weeks. Swimming and water exercise are well suited to recovery because they allow movement and conditioning without impact through the joint.
Which sports should I avoid after a joint replacement?
The activities that warrant a specific conversation are regular running, singles tennis and squash, basketball, netball, football, jumping sports and any contact sport. The concerns are bearing wear, loading of the implant fixation, and the consequences of a fall. None of these are absolute prohibitions for every patient.
How long after joint replacement can I return to sport?
Most patients return to low and moderate impact sport between three and six months. Walking starts immediately, stationary cycling often within a few weeks, swimming at around four to six weeks, and golf and doubles tennis commonly around three months. Higher demand activity is generally not before six months.
Will being active wear out my joint replacement faster?
Higher activity places more demand on the bearing over time and can affect how long an implant lasts. Inactivity also carries real costs to cardiovascular health, weight, bone density and quality of life. The aim of surgery is to return you to activity, and the discussion is about which specific activities rather than about exercise in general.
This page provides general information about a medical condition and a surgical procedure. It is not individual medical advice and does not replace consultation with a qualified practitioner. Outcomes vary between individuals and all surgery carries risk. A referral is needed for a consultation with Professor Daevyd Rodda; without one, you can start with the practice nurse practitioner, who can provide it.