10 days after a hip replacement you should walk as far as 5 to 10 minutes, 3 to 4 times per day.
Instead of walking a specific mileage, 10 days after a hip replacement you should move safely and maintain blood circulation and avoid overexertion.
10 days after a hip replacement, most people are able to walk comfortably 100 feet to 300 feet per walking session inside the house or down a short hallway.
And it's also recommended that you stand up and walk around the house for a few minutes every 1 to 2 hours after the hip replacement to prevent blood clots.
And you should also use your walker, crutches or cane to maintain balance and prevent a dangerous fall.
If walking outside, use your walker, crutches or cane and walk at a slow pace that is comfortable to you and walk for as long as you feel comfortable.
Stop walking when you feel you need to and then walk back home or wherever you walked from.
I would not recommend walking more than 2 to 3 blocks at a time until you start to really heal, but you can walk as far as you feel comfortable.
Walking is essential after a hip replacement, for healing and rebuilding muscle, but walking too far, too soon can actually delay the healing of the hip replacement.
If you experience any increased or worsening limp during the walk, sudden exhaustion or severe muscle fatigue around your hip joint or a sharp increase in pain or a major surge in local swelling that does not settle down after resting and elevating your leg, you likely walked too far.
Keep your walks restricted to level and flat and unobstructed surfaces and avoid walking on uneven outdoor terrain, steep inclines or loose rugs, which pose a tripping hazard.
And also follow your specific hip movement restrictions when walking, like not bending your hip past 90 degrees or avoiding certain twisting motions while moving.
You should also avoid sitting in a recliner after a hip replacement until you've healed, because sitting in a recliner after a hip replacement violates your hip flexion precautions as standard recliners are too low and cause you to bend your hip past the 90 degrees, which significantly increases your risk of a hip dislocation and also makes it dangerously difficult for you to stand up.
After a hip replacement, surgeons often require that you keep your hips from bending past 90 degrees during the early weeks of recovery from the hip replacement surgery.
But when you sink down into a soft, low recliner, your thighs are also often angled higher than your hips are, which breaks or violates the 90 degree rule.
Recliners are also often too low and too soft and lack the needed structural support for safe transfers.
And to stand up from a recliner, you have to lean too far forward or even twist, which places your surgical replaced hip in a vulnerable and unsupported position.
And the deep, angled position of the recliner, also encourages slouching, which can also cause the healing hip to stiffen up in a flexed position and make it painful and even harder to straighten out later.
Sitting in a recliner after hip replacement also breaks the 90 degree rule, which is a crucial post operative precaution you should take after a hip replacement.
The 90 degree hip replacement rule states that you must not bend your hip past a right angle, which means that your thigh and your torso should never form an angle of less than 90 degrees.
The reason for this, is that it prevents excessive stress on your new joint after the hip replacement surgery and it also significantly reduces your risk of dislocation.
The 90 degree hip replacement rule applies and is often enforced for the first 6 weeks to 12 weeks after the hip replacement surgery.
The 90 degree hip replacement rule is also primarily standard for posterior approach.
And direct anterior hip replacements often don't require the restriction of the 90 degree hip replacement rule.
You should also avoid any deep bending, which is vital during early recovery from a hip replacement, to allow the surrounding muscles to heal.
After a hip replacement, you should also take other daily life precautions which include not sitting on or in low chairs, soft couches, or low toilet seats.
Instead use raised toilets seats and firm, elevated cushions so that the hips remain higher than your knees.
And never bend over at your waist past 90 degrees to pick things up or tie your shoes.
You should instead use what is known as the "golfers bend" which means to keep your leg that was operated on for the hip replacement straight back and then bend the good leg or use a grabber.
And never cross your legs or your ankles, whether you're sitting, standing or lying down and keep a pillow between your knees when sleeping.
When getting in and out of cars after a hip replacement, you should slide into the seat of the car with your legs extended, and avoid twisting your torso.
The 90-degree bending restriction after hip replacement surgery, typically lasts for 6 to 12 weeks post-surgery, depending on your surgeon’s guidelines and the surgical approach used.
This rule protects the new joint from dislocation while the surrounding muscles and soft tissues heal.
The safest position to sleep after a hip replacement is on your back with a pillow between your legs to prevent the hip from twisting or crossing the midline.
Avoid sleeping on your stomach or directly on the operated hip for at least 6 weeks, or until your surgeon clears you.