I’m not sure what activities are off-limits. Can you give me some guidance?

Q.  I had replacement surgery on my hip a few months ago. Now I’m eager to get back to an active lifestyle. But I’m not sure what activities are off-limits. Can you give me some guidance? 

A.  As your doctor has probably told you, the key is to stay active without going overboard. Activity restrictions after joint-replacement surgery depend on the type of implant you received, the kind of surgery performed, how flexible your new joint is, and what overall shape you’re in. Hopefully, you’ve been doing the flexibility and strengthening exercises prescribed for you after your surgery.

They are important to support your new hip.
As a rule, walking, stationary cycling, and swimming are good activities for people who have had hip-replacement surgery. They’re also aerobic, which makes them good for your heart, too. Generally, people should wait 3 to 6 months after surgery before returning to a sport. After that, which sports you can resume depends on how much strength they require to be done safely and how far along you are in your rehabilitation.

As your recovery progresses, golf, doubles tennis, and ballroom dancing, for example, shouldn’t be a problem. For more rigorous activities, you need to check with your surgeon or physical therapist. Road cycling, low-impact aerobics, hiking, canoeing, or bowling are probably okay if you did them before your surgery. Activities that are not recommended include hip-stressors like jogging, singles tennis and other racquet sports, and high-impact aerobics.