Hip Replacement Recovery: Walking, Stairs, and Getting Back to Normal (Without Overdoing It)

One of the biggest questions after a hip replacement is: ‘How much should I be walking?’ Closely followed by: ‘When can I do stairs normally again?’ Here’s a simple way to progress without accidentally winding up sore and swollen for two days.

Walking: little and often beats one big push

• Aim for short walks spread through the day (even 2–5 minutes).

• If you’re more sore/swollen the next day, you did too much — scale back slightly.

• Increase total walking gradually (think 10–15% at a time).

Stairs: the safe early pattern

• Upstairs: good leg first.

• Downstairs: operated leg first.

• Use the handrail and take your time — speed comes later.

A quick ‘am I overdoing it?’ check

• Pain spikes that last into the next day

• Swelling that increases noticeably

• Limp gets worse instead of better

• Sleep is disrupted because the hip is throbbing

If you want a clear week-by-week roadmap (including progress milestones and what to focus on next), my Hip Replacement Recovery eGuide lays it out step-by-step.

Hip eGuide: https://www.tommorganphysiosolutions.com/product-page/the-complete-hip-replacement-recovery-eguide