Last reviewed: September 29, 2026

Most low-impact sports. High-impact sports are usually discouraged, but the evidence for that is limited.

According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, walking, swimming, golf, hiking, biking and dancing are realistic after a hip replacement. Most surgeons advise against running, jumping and other high-impact sports. Surveys of hip surgeons sort sports into three groups. Low-impact sports are allowed. Medium-impact sports, such as downhill skiing, are often allowed for people who played them before surgery. Soccer, basketball, martial arts and other contact sports are usually not advised.

The concern is that repeated impact may wear the joint surfaces and loosen the implant over time. These lists come mostly from surgeon opinion, not from studies that followed people’s hips for years.

The studies that did follow hips are mixed. A review found conflicting results on whether leisure sport raises the chance of needing the hip redone. In a Norwegian registry study, people with a modern wear-resistant liner who were more active were not more likely to need their hip redone for loosening over about nine years. In a New York study, people who played medium- or high-impact sports needed no more repeat surgery over about five years than people who played none. They were younger and healthier, which may explain part of that.

Most people return to sports they played before surgery, usually within six months to a year. Having played a sport before was the strongest predictor of returning to it.

Pickleball has been studied in one survey. It combined hip and knee replacements and grouped pickleball with other racket sports. Most people who had played a racket sport in the two years before surgery went back to it, usually within six months. Those who went back did not need more repeat surgery over about three and a half years.

Strength training has been studied mainly during recovery. In small trials, supervised training with weights that grew heavier over the weeks improved strength. In one trial, hip pain did not get worse as the weights went up. No studies have looked at heavy lifts such as barbell squats or deadlifts.

Surgeons rate the risk of a sport injuring the new hip as small. The main concerns are a break in the bone around the implant or a dislocation. Little research has measured how often either happens during sport.

Almost all of this evidence comes from surveys and record studies, not trials.

In general:

  • Tell your surgeon before surgery which sports you want to return to.
  • Ask when you can start each one. Advice on timing varies among surgeons.
  • If you want to return to a high-impact sport or heavy lifting, ask your surgeon what the risks may be for your hip.

Drafted with AI assistance from published sources, reviewed and edited by Babak Sheikh, MD.

Sources:

This is general information about what published research shows. It is not medical advice and it is not about your situation. Reading it does not create a doctor-patient relationship with me. I am a retired orthopedic surgeon and I do not see patients. Talk with your own doctor before changing anything about your care. If something feels suddenly or seriously wrong, get medical care promptly rather than waiting.

This page is provided as is. I make no guarantee that it is accurate, complete or current, and medical evidence changes. Use of it is at your own risk.

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