How long after hip replacement?

[Sunbun]

Hi - I'm looking for a moderate hiking experience this fall 5 months after a hip replacement. I know everyone's recovery is different, but could a few people chime in and give me a vague idea about how long after a hip replacement that people typically are able start walking about 5 moderate miles? I'm in my 60's, hike a lot and have done several long caminos. I'd love to find somewhere in the world with beautiful short gravel hikes I could safely do alone - I'm open to many locations. Thanks!

 

[ginniek]

Where are you? In what part of the world do you want to hike?

 

[dougfitz]

Hi - I'm looking for a moderate hiking experience this fall 5 months after a hip replacement. I know everyone's recovery is different, but could a few people chime in and give me a vague idea about how long after a hip replacement that people typically are able start walking about 5 moderate miles? I'm in my 60's, hike a lot and have done several long caminos. I'd love to find somewhere in the world with beautiful short gravel hikes I could safely do alone - I'm open to many locations. Thanks!

Five months sounds to me like a long time to be still thinking about getting out to 8 km. I was doing around 8-10 km within three months, and my personal target was to be back out to 40+ km within nine months. What distances are you currently achieving?

That said, I would be guided by your surgeon and rehab team or physiotherapist about what are suitable distance objectives for you.

 

[AbuelitaWalking]

Sounds like from your previous hiking experience, you’ll be ready to walk 5 miles/8 km much sooner than this fall. I had a hip replacement January 12, and am now (7+ weeks later) walking 5-6 km daily. Planning/training to walk my first camino (Francés) in September-October. That might be a bit ambitious, but I think it’s a reasonable goal for me.

 

[John Sikora]

My wife had a hip replacement (with a cable wrap) and she was walking a couple of miles within 3 months. Everybody is different. It's always best to check with the doc who did the surgery. They can provide you with much better and more accurate assessments.

 

[Darleen Taylor]

My husband had his hip replaced at the end of February 2016 and we walked the Francés in September.

 

[IngridF]

Listen to your surgeon and physiotherapist. Oh and a cable wrap is not a total hip replacement. Also depends if you had an anterior and posterior procedure.
I am 6 months post op and yes could I be walking longer distances for sure, but not outside on ice and snow. Uneven surfaces also can potentially be risky, falling after a hip replacement is the worst that can happen. Being inactive for the months leading up to my operation, I lost much of my overall fitness. Now gaining it all back slowly.

Am I tempted to walk the Camino, yes, but as I am looking into walking the San Salvador/Primitivo combo, I wait until next year and enjoy my travels this year that are more moderate. Still a lot of walking involved, just not my usual camino distance which always has been 20 to 25 kms per day and the odd 35.

Buen Camino to all the "Hipsters"!

 

[WalkingLester]

Depends, too, on the surgical technique your doctor used to replace your hip

 

[curlylottie]

I had an anterior hip replacement in 2000. The hip was healed in 12 weeks, but I had pain in my ankle that turned out to be a fractured heel bone. That took 6 mos to heal, and then I started thinking about the Camino. Bottom line, I walked the Camino Frances from SJPP to Santiago 2 years later, in 2022, with 25lb backpack, with no issues. I’m in my early 60s.

I found that, with hip replacement, even when the joint is heeled, your balance is slightly off for up to a year or two after. My glutes and thigh muscles were weakened and my hips felt “uneven” because one side had been compensating for the pain (e.g., sore muscles and bursitis) and the other didn’t have the strength. It took me a while to build up more even glute strength. I found poles to be super useful the entire way—besides reducing the strain on knees and hips when going downhill, they helped with balance when carrying a pack.

 

[Anne&Pat]

Hi Sunbun,
I (Anne) had a total hip replacement at the end of October, 2013. I was 59 at the time. I followed all the required surgeon and physio instructions. I also did a lot of exercises in the pool which I think helped with my recovery.
My husband and I were planning to walk our first Camino Frances in August, 2014. My surgeon reviewed me in March, 2014 and said I could start training walking for the Camino from then. We completed more than 800kms in training before heading off to start the Camino. We started the Camino as planned from St Jean Pied de Port on 22nd, August, 2014 and made it to Santiago de Compostela on 2nd, October, 2014, without any issues, taking three rest days along the way. This was the start of our long distance walking and we were hooked. So from my experience ten months is a long enough recovery period but be guided by your surgeon.
My husband has completed all our Caminos with both hips replaced twice.
I walk with hiking poles and we now don't carry heavy backpacks anymore.

Buen Camino,
Anne & Pat

 

[MikeJS]

Hi - I'm looking for a moderate hiking experience this fall 5 months after a hip replacement. I know everyone's recovery is different, but could a few people chime in and give me a vague idea about how long after a hip replacement that people typically are able start walking about 5 moderate miles? I'm in my 60's, hike a lot and have done several long caminos. I'd love to find somewhere in the world with beautiful short gravel hikes I could safely do alone - I'm open to many locations. Thanks!

I walked 5 miles 6 weeks after my op and was playing full rounds of golf 8 weeks after. However, I had just completed the Camino Norte a month before my op so I was quite fit before the op!

 

[Jyrki Wahlstedt]

Thanks for this topic, as it turned out that I need a hip replacement, too. Encouraging. Don't know the date yet, but anyway had to postpone the planned Lubeck-Santiago from this summer at least to the next

 

[Jensjaunt]

Hi - I'm looking for a moderate hiking experience this fall 5 months after a hip replacement. I know everyone's recovery is different, but could a few people chime in and give me a vague idea about how long after a hip replacement that people typically are able start walking about 5 moderate miles? I'm in my 60's, hike a lot and have done several long caminos. I'd love to find somewhere in the world with beautiful short gravel hikes I could safely do alone - I'm open to many locations. Thanks!

Hi @Sunbun - as others have said a lot depends on your pre and post surgery therapy and activity levels. I found I started walking on flat even surfaces - I even went on an outdoor track. I had a left hip replacement in July 2019 - they wanted to wait until I was 60 so I was using a cane the last year prior. As a result my R hip has been carrying the load and it’s been about 2 years ( interiors by Covid) working with a physio and athletic therapist to regain glute strength in my L hip. I am now walking around 10 to 15 km routinely trying to get up to 25 max - I am walking this fall the CF. I also go to the pool and do pool exercises designed by the physio and lengths and walk with Nordic walking poles to take some weight off! My advice get a trusted physio who works in athletics, start slow, on flat surfaces and consider using walking poles. One thing to check out for hikes is parts of the Transcanada Trail - some parts are flat ( but not all!). Jen

 

[Monis]

Hi - I'm looking for a moderate hiking experience this fall 5 months after a hip replacement. I know everyone's recovery is different, but could a few people chime in and give me a vague idea about how long after a hip replacement that people typically are able start walking about 5 moderate miles? I'm in my 60's, hike a lot and have done several long caminos. I'd love to find somewhere in the world with beautiful short gravel hikes I could safely do alone - I'm open to many locations. Thanks!

Where in the world would you like to go hiking then? I went on my first hike today. Only 7 weeks and 2 days after hip replacement. Loved it and i live in stunning Rogaland Norway.