Can I play padel, golf or go to the gym after a knee replacement?

Sports that usually suit a replaced knee

• Walking, hiking on even trails and walking in malls or indoor tracks during summer
• Swimming and aqua exercise, once the wound has fully healed, often from around six weeks
• Stationary and road cycling, a very good way to build strength
• Gym work: leg press, light squats to a comfortable depth, elliptical trainer, rowing
• Golf, usually from about three months, with a gradual return to a full swing and use of a cart early on
• Doubles tennis and bowling, often from around three to six months

Padel: what to consider

Padel is hugely popular in Qatar, and it is one of the most common questions. It involves sudden direction changes, lunges, twisting on a planted foot and sometimes falls against the glass. Some experienced players return to relaxed doubles padel after six months or more, playing at a gentle pace, avoiding diving for balls and wearing proper court shoes. The risks are wear of the plastic insert over time, loosening and injury from falls. It is a decision to make with your surgeon, based on your knee, your fitness and your playing style.

Activities usually discouraged

Running for exercise, football, basketball, squash, martial arts and other sports with jumping and hard impacts place repeated high loads on the implant. They increase the risk of wear and loosening, and of fractures around the implant after a fall. Most surgeons advise against them, and many patients find they no longer miss them once walking and cycling are comfortable again.

Returning safely

Build up gradually, after your physiotherapist confirms good strength, balance and control. Warm up well, avoid playing in the midday heat, and stop if the knee swells or aches the next day. If you want to return to a particular sport, tell Dr. Gelber before surgery at Aman Hospital so that expectations and the rehabilitation plan can be set around your goal.