Recovery plan

Hip Osteoarthritis

Hip osteoarthritis causes groin and hip pain, stiffness and difficulty walking. Learn how it is diagnosed, why exercise is core treatment, and when joint replacement is considered.

Read the full injury guide Hip recovery

A usable progression

Move forward when the current stage is tolerable.

This is a general education framework, not a personal prescription. The injury, treatment, symptoms, and demands of your activity can all change the pace.

Settle

Goal: Protect the area and reduce the most provocative load.
Do: Use comfortable daily movement where appropriate and follow any protection or restrictions from your clinician.
Avoid: Avoid repeatedly testing sharp pain, forcing range, or returning to demanding activity because symptoms briefly improve.
Progress when: Daily tasks are becoming easier and symptoms are not escalating after ordinary activity.

Restore

Goal: Rebuild comfortable movement and basic function.
Do: Work through the exercises and mobility guidance linked below, starting with a tolerable range and dose.
Avoid: Avoid adding several new exercises, heavier loads, or longer sessions at the same time.
Progress when: Movement is more comfortable, swelling or irritability is settling, and basic use is improving.

Strengthen

Goal: Build capacity for the loads your work, training, or sport requires.
Do: Progress resistance, repetitions, range, or time gradually—one meaningful change at a time.
Avoid: Avoid using pain-free rest alone as proof that the tissue is ready for full demand.
Progress when: The area tolerates progressively harder sessions without a marked next-day flare.

Return

Goal: Reintroduce the specific activity with control and confidence.
Do: Start with a reduced version of the task, then build duration, load, speed, and complexity separately.
Avoid: Avoid jumping from rehabilitation exercises straight to full training, competition, or heavy work.
Progress when: You can repeat the demands of your activity with stable symptoms, useful strength, and no loss of function.

Take-Home Guide

Printable

Download & print

Hip Replacement: Week-by-Week Guide

A printable week-by-week guide to hip replacement recovery — hospital day, the first weeks, strength milestones and when to return to activity.

Read guide →

Rehabilitation Guides

Rehabilitation · IA-HIP-REH-001

General Hip Loading Principles

Learn how to adjust hip load, movement and exercise volume, use symptoms as feedback, and know when hip pain needs assessment.

Read guide →Rehabilitation · IA-HIP-REH-002

Hip Replacement Rehabilitation Guide

A phase-by-phase hip replacement rehabilitation guide — hospital day, hip precautions, walking, strength and return to activity. Includes red flags and clinician questions.

Read guide →

Exercises

Exercises · IA-HIP-EXE-002

Hip Hinge

Learn the hip hinge, the hip-driven bending pattern that protects the back during lifting and builds glute and hamstring strength.

Read guide →Exercises · IA-HIP-EXE-003

Hip Thrust

Learn the hip thrust, one of the most effective glute-strengthening exercises, with setup, form cues, easier versions and how to progress.

Read guide →Exercises · IA-HIP-EXE-004

Single-Leg Deadlift

Learn the single-leg deadlift for glute, hamstring and balance strength, with form cues, easier versions and progressions.

Read guide →Exercises · IA-HIP-EXE-007

Side-Lying Hip Abduction

Learn side-lying hip abduction for controlled lateral-hip and gluteal strengthening.

Read guide →

Recovery Timelines

Recovery timelines · IA-HIP-REC-001

Hip Osteoarthritis Recovery Timeline

What to expect managing hip osteoarthritis over weeks, months and years — when exercise starts helping, how to handle flare-ups, and when surgery becomes a conversation.

Read guide →Recovery timelines · IA-HIP-REC-002

Hip Replacement Recovery Timeline

A realistic hip replacement recovery timeline: hospital stay, the first six weeks, months 1–6, and when you can expect to walk, drive, work and return to activity.

Read guide →

Prevention

Prevention · IA-HIP-PRE-001

Hip Health for Older Adults

Practical hip health habits for older adults: strength and balance exercises, falls prevention, and when hip pain deserves assessment.

Read guide →

Recovery guidance needs context.

These resources provide general education, not a diagnosis or personalised treatment plan. A recent major injury, deformity, substantial weakness, worsening neurological symptoms or inability to use the affected area should be assessed.