Hip Replacement Recovery: Home Exercises and Mobility Equipment

Your phase-by-phase guide to hip replacement recovery: the home exercises your physical therapist may use, the hip precautions that protect the new joint, and the mobility equipment that makes the first weeks at home safer and easier.

Written by Supply Physical Therapy | Reviewed by Dr. Dina Khentigan, DNP | Updated October 2026

If you have a hip replacement on the calendar, you've probably been handed a stack of papers. Exercise sheets. A list of things not to do. A list of things to buy.

Here is the more useful question to answer first:

What do you need to do at home, and what do you need to have at home, to get through each phase of hip replacement recovery safely?

Most people walk with a walker or cane within a day of total hip replacement, return to most daily activities in 6 to 12 weeks, and keep gaining strength and endurance for 6 to 12 months. The work that drives that progress happens mostly at home: a few simple exercises done every day, safe ways to sit, stand, dress and bathe, and the right equipment in place before surgery day. Your surgeon and physical therapist set the plan, and it may differ from what's below.

In this guide, we'll cover:

• What happens during hip replacement and how the surgical approach changes your precautions
• Each recovery phase, with goals, common home exercises, and milestones to move on
• What the research says about home exercise, hip precautions, and early walking
• The mobility equipment that helps at home, from walkers and reachers to cold therapy
• Common mistakes, warning signs, and answers to the questions patients ask most

Cold therapy is part of many hip replacement recovery plans in the early weeks. Common options include the Breg Polar Care Cube with Hip Pad, Breg Polar Care Kodiak with Hip Pad, DonJoy IceMan CLEAR3 with Hip Pad, Aircast Back/Hip Cryo Cuff, Ossur Cold Rush with Hip Pad, and cold plus compression systems like the Breg Polar Care Wave with Hip Pad and Omni Ice Pulse Compression with Back/Hip Pad.

Prefer to watch? See how to apply the Breg Polar Care hip pad on our Movement Health YouTube channel.

At Supply Physical Therapy, we help patients prepare for hip surgery and set up their home recovery before day one. Here's how the phases compare.

Hip Replacement Recovery Phases at a Glance

*Timing is a guide only. Surgical approach, bone quality, your health before surgery, and your surgeon's protocol all change the timeline. You move to the next phase when you meet its milestones, not when the calendar says so.

Quick recommendations

• Before surgery: Start prehab, clear tripping hazards, and have your walker, raised toilet seat, reacher, cold therapy machine and skin barrier ready.
• Days 0 to 14: Your main jobs are walking short distances often, doing your home exercises, following hip precautions, and managing swelling with cold therapy.
• Weeks 2 to 12: Follow your physical therapy plan closely. This is where strength comes back and the walker turns into a cane, then nothing.
• Months 3 and beyond: Keep strengthening. Walking easily is not the same as being fully recovered.

1. What Happens During Hip Replacement Surgery?

In a total hip replacement (total hip arthroplasty), the surgeon replaces the worn ball at the top of the thigh bone and resurfaces the hip socket. The new ball sits on a metal stem inside the thigh bone, and the socket gets a metal cup with a smooth liner. It's most often done for advanced osteoarthritis.

Common surgical approaches

• Posterior approach: Through the back and side of the hip. The most common approach worldwide.
• Anterior approach: Through the front of the hip, between muscles rather than through them.
• Lateral or anterolateral approach: Through the side of the hip.

Why the approach matters for rehab

Each approach protects the hip in a different direction while the soft tissues heal. That's why your hip precautions, the positions you're told to avoid, depend on how your surgery was done. Ask your surgeon which approach they used and which precautions apply to you.

Many surgeons now use fewer precautions than in the past, or none at all after some anterior surgeries. Follow the list your surgeon gives you, not one you found online.

Why rehab matters as much as surgery

Surgery replaces the joint. Rehab rebuilds the hip muscles, mainly the glutes, that hold the new joint steady when you walk. Most of that work happens at home, between therapy visits.

2. Hip Replacement Recovery Phases and Home Exercises

Phase 0: Prehab and home setup (before surgery)

The strength you bring into surgery shapes how quickly you get moving afterward.

Goals: Stronger hip and thigh muscles, comfort with a walker, and a home that's ready for you.

Common exercises: Glute squeezes, quad sets, bridges, seated knee extensions, and sit-to-stands from a firm chair, if your clinician allows them.

Get ready at home: Clear rugs and cords, move everyday items to counter height, and set up a firm chair with arms. Set up a recovery station by your chair or bed. Unbox your cold therapy machine and do a test run before surgery day.

Phase 1: Hospital and first days (days 0 to 3)

Many people stand and walk with a walker on the day of surgery. Some go home the same day.

Goals: Walk short distances safely, get in and out of bed and a chair, and learn your hip precautions.

Common exercises: Ankle pumps, quad sets, glute squeezes, and heel slides within your precautions.

Equipment: A walker, and any hip kit tools your care team recommends. A cold therapy machine with a hip pad is often used for swelling and pain, with a sterile dressing or skin barrier between the pad and skin. Follow the 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off protocol unless your care team gives you a different schedule.

Milestones to move on: Walking safely with a walker, managing transfers, and climbing a few stairs if you have them at home.

Phase 2: Early home recovery (weeks 1 to 2)

The first two weeks at home are about short, frequent walks and a steady daily routine.

Goals: Walk a little farther each day, manage pain and swelling, and follow your precautions with every move.

Common home exercises:

1. Ankle pumps: Point your toes away, then pull them toward you. Helps circulation in the lower leg.
2. Quad sets: Tighten the front of your thigh to press the back of the knee down. Hold, then relax.
3. Glute squeezes: Squeeze your buttocks together. Hold, then relax.
4. Heel slides: Lying on your back, slide your heel toward you, staying within your bend limit.
5. Lying hip abduction: Slide the operated leg out to the side and back, toes pointing up.
6. Standing exercises at the counter: Hip abduction to the side, small knee lifts, and hip extension behind you, if your therapist allows them.

Milestones to move on: Walking around the house with a walker, doing your exercises each day, and swelling that's steady or going down.

Phase 3: Building strength (weeks 2 to 6)

This is where walking starts to look normal again.

Goals: Stronger glutes and thighs, a smoother walking pattern, and a move from walker to cane.

Common exercises: Bridges, sit-to-stands, mini squats at the counter, step-ups, standing balance, and stationary biking once cleared, with the seat set high.

Milestones to move on: Walking with a cane or no aid without a limp, going up and down stairs with control, and standing on the operated leg for a few seconds with support nearby.

Phase 4: Getting back to daily life (weeks 6 to 12)

Many people feel much better here. The muscles around the hip are still catching up.

Goals: Walk longer distances, improve balance, and return to driving and work when your surgeon clears you.

Common exercises: Side-lying hip abduction, resistance band side steps, step-downs, single-leg balance, and longer walks.

Milestones to move on: Walking without a limp for 20 to 30 minutes, steady single-leg balance, and your surgeon's OK to relax precautions.

Phase 5: Long-term strength (months 3 to 12)

The last phase turns a working hip into a strong one.

Goals: Full strength and endurance, and a return to low-impact activities like walking, cycling, swimming, golf, and doubles tennis.

Common exercises: Progressive strength training for the hips and legs, balance work, and regular low-impact cardio.

Milestones: Walking long distances with no limp and no aid, and back to the activities you had surgery for. Ask your surgeon before running, jumping, or contact sports.

3. What Does the Research Say About Hip Replacement Recovery?

Home exercise works for most people

In a randomized trial (Austin and colleagues, Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, 2017), patients who followed an unsupervised home exercise program after total hip replacement did about as well as those who also had formal outpatient physical therapy. That's why a consistent home routine matters so much. Your surgeon may still recommend supervised therapy, especially if you're slow to progress.

Hip precautions are being relaxed

In a randomized study of the anterolateral approach (Peak and colleagues, Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, 2005), patients with fewer restrictions had no more dislocations and returned to activities sooner. A later randomized trial of the posterior approach (Tetreault and colleagues, Journal of Arthroplasty, 2020) also found no clear increase in dislocation without precautions. Many surgeons have changed their protocols as a result, but practices vary.

Walking early helps

Getting up and walking on the day of surgery is now standard in many hospitals. Early mobilization is linked with shorter hospital stays without more complications.

Prehab may give a modest head start

Reviews of exercise before hip and knee replacement suggest small gains in early function and strength. The bigger benefit for many people is practicing with the walker and setting up the house before surgery.

Cold therapy is for comfort

The research on cold therapy after hip replacement is thinner than after knee surgery. Its main role is pain relief and comfort in the early weeks, alongside your exercises, not instead of them.

What this means for you

• Treat your daily home exercises as the core of your recovery, not an extra.
• Follow the precautions your own surgeon gives you, and ask when they'll be lifted.
• Walk short distances often from the first day.
• Use cold therapy for pain and comfort in the early weeks.

4. Mobility Equipment for Hip Replacement Recovery

Daily living and mobility equipment

These items help you move safely and follow your precautions. Your hospital or occupational therapist will often recommend specific ones, and some hospitals provide a hip kit. Check what you'll be given before you buy.

Cold therapy and recovery equipment: cost upfront and over time

*Prices as of October 2026. Prices can change.

Hidden costs to consider

• Skin barriers and sterile dressings. Non-sterile hip skin barriers for the Breg Cube are $19.99. Cube sterile hip dressings are $35.99, and Kodiak sterile hip dressings are $35.99.
• Ice. Several fills a day adds up, and hauling bags of ice is hard on a walker. Reusable ice bags ($28.99 for 8) let you swap frozen bags from the freezer instead.
• Insurance. Most plans don't cover cold therapy machines. Some cover walkers and other equipment with a prescription. Check before surgery.
• Time. Outpatient physical therapy, if prescribed, often runs one to three visits a week for several weeks. Budget for copays and rides, since you can't drive at first.

5. Walking, Precautions, and Hip Strength: The Three Things That Matter Most

Walking

Short, frequent walks beat one long one. Walking helps circulation, reduces stiffness, and rebuilds endurance. Move from walker to cane when you can walk without a limp, not just when you feel steady.

Precautions

Your precautions protect the joint while the tissues around it heal. Build them into everyday moves: sit in high, firm chairs, use your reacher and sock aid, and turn by stepping your feet rather than twisting on the operated leg.

Hip strength

The glutes, especially the muscles on the side of the hip, keep your pelvis level when you walk. Weak glutes cause the side-to-side limp many people have after surgery. Side-lying and standing hip abduction, bridges, and side steps are common ways to rebuild them.

Swelling

Swelling in the thigh, knee, and ankle is common in the first weeks. Walking, ankle pumps, elevation, and cold therapy all help. Swelling that gets worse after activity is a sign you did too much.

Sleeping

Many people sleep on their back with a pillow between the knees at first. Ask your surgeon when you can sleep on your side, and which side.

6. Safety: Warning Signs After Hip Replacement

Call your surgeon right away if you notice

• Calf pain, swelling, warmth, or redness in the lower leg, which can signal a blood clot
• Chest pain or shortness of breath. Call 911.
• Fever, or redness, warmth, or drainage at the incision
• Sudden severe hip pain, a pop, a leg that looks shorter or turned in or out, or being unable to put weight on the leg, which can signal a dislocation
• Numbness or tingling that doesn't go away

Use cold therapy safely

• Always use a barrier. Put a sterile dressing over a fresh incision, or a non-sterile skin barrier once the skin is closed. Read why you should always use a sterile pad with cold therapy.
• Follow 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off unless your care team gives you a different schedule.
• Be careful after a nerve block. If your leg is numb, you may not feel the cold getting too strong.
• Check your skin every session. Stop if you see blisters, color changes, or numbness that lasts.
• Don't sleep with the machine running unless your surgeon and the instructions say it's OK.

Prevent falls

• Remove throw rugs and cords, and add night lights between the bed and the bathroom.
• Wear closed-back shoes with non-slip soles.
• Keep the hoses and power cord of your cold therapy machine out of your walking path.

7. How Your Situation Can Change the Plan

8. What to Buy Before Hip Replacement Surgery

Essential checklist

• A walker, and later a cane, fitted by your care team
• A raised toilet seat or safety frame, and a shower chair or tub bench
• A reacher, sock aid, long-handled shoehorn, and long-handled sponge
• A cold therapy machine with a hip pad your surgeon approves, such as the Breg Polar Care Cube with Hip Pad. The Cube Multi-Use XL pad is an option on the hip for children and petite adults.
• Sterile hip dressings for the first days and non-sterile hip skin barriers for later
• Reusable ice bags or a freezer plan for ice
• Compression socks, only if your surgeon prescribes them
• A recovery station with your phone, water, medications, and exercise sheet in reach. See our home recovery station tips.

Breg Cube and Kodiak hip pads are not interchangeable. Check which machine you have, or watch Breg Polar Care Cube vs. Kodiak: don't order the wrong pad.

9. When Should You Order?

Order your cold therapy machine and home equipment one to two weeks before surgery. That gives you time to check the pad, do a test run, practice with the walker and reacher, and contact us if anything is missing. Supply Physical Therapy ships same or next day from Charlotte, North Carolina, but don't count on a last-minute order arriving before you get home from surgery.

10. How to Use Recovery Equipment Safely

Cold therapy machines with a hip pad

1. Fill the cooler to the marked line with ice and water, or use frozen ice bags. See how to use the Breg Polar Care Cube.
2. Place a sterile dressing or skin barrier between the pad and your skin.
3. Put the pad over the outside of the hip, covering the surgical area.
4. Bring the long strap around your waist and the short strap around your upper thigh. Snug, not tight.
5. Connect the hose, make sure it isn't kinked, and run 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off.

Using a Kodiak? See how to apply the Breg Kodiak Intelli-Flo hip pad.

Gravity cold cuffs

The Aircast Back/Hip Cryo Cuff fills by raising the cooler and drains by lowering it. Refresh the water when it warms up, and follow the same barrier and skin-check rules.

Cold plus compression systems

Use active compression only if your surgeon recommends it. People with some blood clot or circulation risks may be told to avoid it.

Walkers, canes, and hip kit tools

Have your therapist set the walker and cane height, usually level with your wrist crease. Lead with the operated leg going down stairs and the stronger leg going up. Use your reacher and sock aid every time, not just when you remember.

11. Common Mistakes During Hip Replacement Recovery

Mistake 1: Sitting in low, soft chairs

Deep couches and low toilets bend the hip past safe limits. Use a firm chair with arms and a raised toilet seat.

Mistake 2: Bending to reach the floor

Picking up a dropped item or pulling on socks is how many people break precautions. Keep your reacher and sock aid where you'll use them.

Mistake 3: Doing too much in weeks 2 to 6

Feeling better isn't the same as being healed. Watch for swelling and pain the day after a busy day.

Mistake 4: Skipping the home exercises

Therapy visits set the plan, but most of the progress comes from the exercises you do at home every day.

Mistake 5: Giving up the walker too soon

A limp without a walking aid strains the hip and raises fall risk. Wean off when your therapist agrees.

Mistake 6: Ignoring the glutes

Walking alone won't fully rebuild hip strength. Keep up your strengthening exercises after the limp is gone.

Mistake 7: Using cold therapy without a barrier

Cold injury can happen fast, especially when the leg is numb. Always use a dressing or skin barrier.

Mistake 8: Buying the wrong hip pad

Pads only fit their own machine family, and some hip pads are left or right. Check fit before surgery day.

12. Frequently Asked Questions

How long does hip replacement recovery take?

Most people return to most daily activities in 6 to 12 weeks. Strength and endurance keep improving for 6 to 12 months.

What exercises should I do at home after hip replacement?

Common early exercises are ankle pumps, quad sets, glute squeezes, heel slides, and lying hip abduction. Bridges, sit-to-stands, standing hip exercises, and side steps are usually added over the following weeks. Your physical therapist chooses the exercises and how many to do.

How soon can I walk after hip replacement?

Many people stand and walk with a walker on the day of surgery or the next day.

When can I stop using a walker after hip replacement?

Often between 2 and 4 weeks, moving to a cane, then to no aid by about 6 weeks. Wean off when you can walk without a limp and your therapist agrees.

What equipment do I need after hip replacement?

Most people use a walker, a raised toilet seat, a shower chair, a reacher, a sock aid, and a long-handled shoehorn. Many also use a cold therapy machine with a hip pad for pain and swelling.

What are hip precautions?

They are positions to avoid while the hip heals. After a posterior approach they often include not bending past 90°, not crossing your legs, and not turning the leg inward. Your surgeon decides which apply to you and when they end.

How long do hip precautions last?

Often about 6 weeks, sometimes up to 12. Some surgeons use few or none. Follow your own surgeon's instructions.

When can I drive after hip replacement?

It depends on which hip, your car, and whether you're off opioid pain medication. Many people are cleared in about 4 to 6 weeks. Ask your surgeon.

How often should I ice after hip replacement?

A common approach is 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off, with a barrier between the pad and skin. Follow your care team's schedule.

Which cold therapy pad do I need for hip replacement?

A hip pad made for your machine, such as the Breg Polar Care Cube Hip Pad or Kodiak Hip Pad. Some hip pads, like the DonJoy IceMan and Ossur Cold Rush, come in left and right. Pads only fit their own machine family.

Can I sleep with a cold therapy machine on?

Only if your surgeon and the manufacturer's instructions say it's OK. Otherwise, turn it off before you sleep.

When can I sleep on my side after hip replacement?

Many people sleep on their back with a pillow between the knees for the first few weeks. Ask your surgeon when side sleeping is OK.

13. Final Hip Replacement Recovery Checklist

Before surgery, confirm:

• I know my surgical approach and which hip precautions I'll have.
• I've started prehab and practiced with a walker.
• I have my physical therapy visits or home exercise program scheduled.
• I have a walker, raised toilet seat, shower chair, reacher, and sock aid.
• I have a cold therapy machine, the right hip pad, and a dressing or skin barrier.
• I've cleared tripping hazards and set up a recovery station at home.
• I know the warning signs that mean I should call my surgeon.

Final Verdict: How to Get Through Each Phase of Hip Replacement Recovery

Hip replacement recovery is a series of milestones, not a countdown.

Days 0 to 14: Walk short distances often, do your home exercises every day, follow your precautions, and keep pain and swelling down with cold therapy and rest.

Weeks 2 to 6: Rebuild hip strength and a normal walking pattern, and move from walker to cane.

Weeks 6 to 12: Build endurance and balance, and return to driving and work as your surgeon clears you.

Months 3 to 12: Keep strengthening and return to the low-impact activities you enjoy.

The right equipment won't heal the hip for you, but it can make the hardest early weeks at home safer and easier to manage.

Shop Hip Replacement Recovery Equipment at Supply Physical Therapy

At SupplyPT.com, we carry hip cold therapy machines, hip pads, sterile dressings, skin barriers, and compression socks from Breg, DonJoy, Aircast, Ossur, and Omni Ice.

• Breg Polar Care Cube with Hip Pad
• Breg Polar Care Kodiak with Hip Pad
• DonJoy IceMan CLEAR3 with Hip Pad
• Aircast Back/Hip Cryo Cuff & IC Cooler
• Ossur Cold Rush with Hip Pad
• Breg Polar Care Wave with Hip Pad
• Omni Ice Pulse Compression with Back/Hip Pad
• Cold Therapy Skin Barriers
• Breg Ice Bags

Not sure which setup fits your surgery? Contact our team before you order.

Walk often. Protect the hip. Do your exercises every day.

Medical disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Hip replacement recovery timelines and precautions vary. Follow your surgeon's and physical therapist's instructions and the manufacturer's current instructions for any device.

Sources and Further Reading

1. Austin MS, Urbani BT, Fleischman AN, et al. Formal physical therapy after total hip arthroplasty is not required: a randomized controlled trial. Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, 2017.
2. Peak EL, Parvizi J, Ciminiello M, et al. The role of patient restrictions in reducing the prevalence of early dislocation following total hip arthroplasty: a randomized, prospective study. Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, 2005.
3. Tetreault MW, Akram F, Yang J, et al. Are postoperative hip precautions necessary after primary total hip arthroplasty using a posterior approach? Preliminary results of a prospective randomized trial. Journal of Arthroplasty, 2020.
4. Gill SD, McBurney H. Does exercise reduce pain and improve physical function before hip or knee replacement surgery? A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 2013.
5. Supply Physical Therapy. Applying the Breg Polar Care Hip Pad: A Step-by-Step Guide.
6. Supply Physical Therapy. Why You Should Always Use a Sterile Pad with Cold Therapy.
7. Supply Physical Therapy. How to Use the Breg Polar Care Cube: Setup, Ice & Safety Tips.
8. Supply Physical Therapy. Complete Knee Replacement Recovery Guide.
9. Supply Physical Therapy. ACL Reconstruction Recovery: Rehabilitation Phases Explained.