Getting Back to the Sports You Love After Hip or Knee Replacement in Hillsboro, Oregon

Imagine this: you're standing at the edge of a pickleball court in Hillsboro. Or maybe you are looking down a quiet trail near the Tualatin River. You have your shoes on. Your body feels ready. But your mind doesn't feel confident and you just had a hip or knee replacement.

And now the big question on your mind is: “Can I really get back to what I love?”.

That question shows up for almost everyone after hip or knee joint replacement. It shows up for walkers, hikers, golfers, swimmers, cyclists, and weekend athletes of all kinds.

At Pain & Performance Coach in Hillsboro, OR, this question is treated with honesty, science, and hope. The research is clear. Most people can return to recreational sport after joint replacement. But the path is not magic. It is built step by step.

This article tells that story.

Why People Get Hip or Knee Replacements

Most people who get a hip or knee replacement have arthritis. Arthritis slowly wears down the smooth surface inside a joint. Over time if arthritis is mismanaged, pain can increase leading to less movement. This ultimately leads to sports fading away.

Large research studies show that before surgery, many people slowly stop being active. It's not usually an immediate thing.

Joint replacement is done to reduce pain and restore movement. But here is something important. Surgery removes a problem, but movement habits must also be rebuilt to fully recover function.

What Happens to Activity After Surgery

Research that tracked people before and after hip or knee replacement using activity monitors tells an important story.

Pain improves relatively quickly (usually within a few months). Walking ability and strength also gradually improve, but physical activity does not always rise right away.

In the first few months after surgery, people move better but often move less than expected. Sitting time stays high and step counts stay low.

By six to nine months, walking distance improves a lot and ultimately moderate activity increases.

By one year, many people are more active than they were before surgery. But even then, studies show many people still move less than healthy adults their age.

This tells us something important: recovery is not just about healing, it is also
about rebuilding confidence and healthy habits.

Returning to Recreational Sport Is Common

Large studies looking at thousands of people after hip and knee replacement show encouraging results: most people in these situations return to some form of recreational activity.

Walking is the most common. Cycling, swimming, and golf are also very common. Light hiking, fitness classes, and gym workouts often return too.

Research following people several years after surgery shows that sports participation often increases compared to the year before surgery.

However, it may still be lower than what people did many years earlier, before arthritis became intolerable.

Low Impact Does Not Mean Low Joy

A common fear is that joint replacement means the end of fun yet that is not true.

Studies consistently show that people shift toward low-impact sports after surgery, and they enjoy them.

Walking longer distances without pain feels like freedom. Cycling feels smooth again. Swimming feels strong again.

These activities protect the joint while still building heart health, strength, and confidence.

And for many people, enjoyment matters more than intensity.

What About Higher Impact Sports?

Research shows that participation in high-impact sports often decreases after surgery.

This includes running, jumping sports, and heavy contact activities.

Research suggests this trend might be self-chosen, in the real world this might be debatable as I've definitely heard a lot of patients being told "you had the worst looking _____ I've ever seen, I can't see you ever going back to ______"

Ultimately people need to listen to their body. Choose what you feel comfortable and safe with in the context of your own longevity.

Knee Replacement and Sports

Research focused on knee replacement shows something encouraging.

Many people return to the same or even higher activity levels compared to before surgery. Pain drops. Function improves. Sports participation often rises.

By two years after knee replacement, a large majority of people are active again. Many report better quality of life and less pain during sports than before surgery.

Men and women both return to sport, though men often report slightly higher activity levels. Age matters too, but it does not decide everything. Ultimately training for the activity is what matters.

Hip Replacement and Sports

Hip replacement research shows similar patterns.

People walk more, cycle more, and swim more.

Sports participation increases compared to the year before surgery. Comfort and confidence improves.

People who were active before surgery are much more likely to be active after surgery. This shows how powerful habits are.

Often movement before surgery predicts movement after surgery.

Why Some People Do Not Return to Sport

Research is honest about this too: about one-third of people do not return to regular physical activity after hip or knee replacement.

The reasons are not usually pain, instead usually the factors include: fear, uncertainty, lack of guidance, or loss of habit.

Some people are not sure what is safe, are afraid to damage the joint, or just simply never rebuild routine.

This is where physical therapy matters.

The Timeline Matters

Returning to recreational sport is not instant and research tends to highlight clear stages.

First three months. Healing, basic movement, walking.
Three to six months. Strength returns, endurance improves.
Six to twelve months. Sports feel possible again.
Beyond one year. Confidence and consistency grow.

Trying to rush this timeline leads to frustration and respecting it leads to success.

Movement Is Bigger Than Steps

An important insight from the research is this. Many activity trackers only measure steps. Yet after joint replacement, people often choose non-walking activities.

Swimming, Cycling, Strength training, and Fitness classes.

This means some people are often more active than their step count shows.

Remember: real movement matters more than numbers.

Confidence Is the Hidden Key

The joint may be solid and the muscles may be strong, but ultimately confidence must catch up.

Research shows people who feel confident in their joint move more, play more, and enjoy more.

Confidence grows with guided exposure via gradual challenges and clear reassurance.

This is where a skilled coaching minded sports physical therapist makes a difference.

Returning to Sport in Hillsboro, Oregon

Hillsboro is an active place.

People walk trails, bike, golf, play pickleball, or even volleyball. They stay busy.

At Pain & Performance Coach, returning to your sport after hip or knee replacement is not treated as an afterthought. It is the goal.

Care focuses on:

Restoring strength.
Rebuilding balance.
Improving movement confidence.
Matching training to the sport you love.

Not fear-based rules.
Not blanket restrictions.
Real guidance, grounded in research.

The Ending of the Story

Let's go back to the trail: You step forward, your hip feels steady, your knee feels strong…and you trust your body again.

You aren't thinking about surgery anymore.

You are thinking about the walk. The game. The joy.