You’ve had your hip replacement surgery, and after three months or so you’re likely seeing significant reductions in pain and improvements  in function.  Becoming more active now should be part of your continued  return to mobility – and is key to the health of your new joint and your  overall health. 

What does being “active” mean?

For some people, it’s a sport or a fitness class. 

For some, it’s another form of recreation, from gardening to dancing. 

And for still others, it’s simply incorporating activity into their daily life, like walking to do errands instead of driving. 

There is no single definition. But anyone can achieve the benefits of  being active – for your strength, endurance, balance, flexibility, energy, weight, outlook, ability to ward off health problems, and much more. 

To be sure, different people face different challenges:

•Getting moving after surgery might be a matter of getting back to an old favourite activity – one that you had set aside due to your joint  problems, and that you’re itching to take up again. In most cases, yes, you can return to mobility. 

•Not everyone has a history of activity. Even before your joint problems, you might never have been overly active, or have had a favourite  recreational activity that got you moving. That’s normal for many people. 

•Or perhaps the pain and reduced mobility brought on by hip or knee  problems, over months or years, took their toll on your ability – and desire – to be active. You might no longer feel that motivated. That’s  normal too. 

Getting moving now, several months post-surgery, isn’t always easy. Maybe you’re worried about the impact on your new joint.  Maybe you  don’t know what you can safely do, or which activities are best. Maybe you don’t even know how to start.

After all, the goal of that surgery isn’t just to reduce pain; it’s to allow you to be active. When you get moving, you’ll do wonders for your general well-being. 

People who have had revision surgery – replacing all or part of the original replacement – might need to be extra cautious. You should talk to your surgeon about any additional restrictions, but you too are able to safely become more active. 

We realize that even after your surgery, you may have arthritis or discomfort in other joints. You might feel that this limits how active you can be. The reality is that part of improving how you feel and of arthritis management is physical activity.  So rather than let your symptoms curb your activity, use activity to reduce your symptoms. 

Because you and your health are worth it!

Still have questions?

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