I was 54 and had to give up many activities including 40 years of running, which nearly broke my heart. But the said as a young implantee, if I ran they would wear out too soon.
Now at 70, I walk and hike, dance, bicycle, Chase grandchildren, climb ladders, garden, just about whatever I want except run and jump not to say I don't play tag or shag an errant ball, just no sport running.
Small tradeoff for everything I can do.
Sue

I had my first hip replacement at 52 at Mayo. I feel like I do pretty much anything I want except running outside or on a treadmill and that's not because I can't but because it can cause it to wear faster and I don't want that. I go to the YMCA 4 times/week and take aerobic classes. I also swim laps in the pool and in the lake when we are at our cabin. I swim for at least 30 minutes/per session without stopping and without any pain. I don't do mountain climbing where I climb up steep rocks but I do hike on trails that are fairly steep. When I first started shortly after the hip replacement I had to learn to look down to make sure my footing was stable because my footing felt slightly different and I wanted to make sure I didn't slip or fall but before too long I was used to the new feeling and now I pay attention but it feels more natural.

I have had some bouts with bursitis which I have heard is not uncommon for people with hip replacements. Some folks get steroid injections which helps but I opted to go with PT. Now, if I start feeling soreness/pain that I recognize as maybe the start of bursitis I do the exercises he showed me to do to nip it in the bud and I often take care of it myself but sometimes have to go in for a few sessions and that takes care of it. I mention this only because it took my a long time to get the bursitis diagnosed (not sure why) but once I knew what it was and how to treat it, it has not been a big factor for me.

I have 5 grandchildren and run around after them and can hold them and swing them around with no problem. I also Kayak on our lake and down rivers and I have no issues getting in and out...or should I say my "awkwardness" getting in and out have nothing to do with my hip replacement 🙂 I live in Minnesota and I remember the first time I fell on my hip on the ice. Scared me half to death and I fully expected to have "ruined" my hip but much to my delight, other than a sore bum my hip was fine.

I think it's really important to follow your doctor's directions carefully right after the surgery so that the hip heals well and then you will get more confident and you'll feel more like yourself as time goes by. Since this was a congenital hip problem, I experience some pain and discomfort all of my life but after the surgery and PT I don't have pain and I feel like my life is better than before the surgery.

Lastly, I want to tell you that my daughter had an accident and had to have her hip replaced when she was in her 40's. She is still skiing and even does Nastar slalom racing with her daughter all winter. She also does a lot of 4-wheeling and is always on the go with her teenage daughters.

I hope this information helps you and encourages you. Best of luck with your surgery and recovery!