Can you practise yoga after a hip, knee or shoulder replacement?
Having a joint replacement doesn’t necessarily mean giving up yoga.
In fact, returning to movement and rebuilding strength are important parts of rehabilitation following joint replacement surgery. NICE recommends rehabilitation following hip, knee and shoulder replacement, with advice tailored to the operation and the individual’s needs.
However, returning to yoga is not the same as simply returning to the practice you did before your operation.
A replacement joint is different from the joint you were born with. Your muscles and other tissues also need time to recover from surgery, and there may be particular movements that your surgeon or physiotherapist wants you to temporarily or occasionally permanently modify.
The advice can also be very different depending on whether you’ve had a:
- Hip replacement
- Knee replacement
- Shoulder replacement
The type of operation, surgical approach, implant, your recovery and your general health can all influence what is appropriate.
So rather than asking:
“Can I do yoga after a joint replacement?”
a better question is:
“How can I adapt my yoga practice to my particular joint replacement and stage of recovery?”
What is a joint replacement?
Joint replacement surgery involves replacing damaged parts of a joint with artificial components.
It is commonly performed when conditions such as osteoarthritis have caused significant pain and loss of function.
The joints most commonly replaced include the:
- Hip
- Knee
- Shoulder
The aim of surgery is generally to reduce pain and improve mobility and function.
But surgery is only the beginning of the recovery process.
Rehabilitation afterwards is important for rebuilding:
- Strength
- Mobility
- Balance
- Coordination
- Confidence
- Everyday function
NICE recommends that people having hip or knee replacements receive advice about exercises both before and after surgery, and that rehabilitation begins soon after joint replacement where appropriate. (Nice)
Can I still exercise after a joint replacement?
Yes — and exercise is normally an important part of recovery.
Following surgery, your physiotherapist will usually give you specific exercises designed to restore movement and strength.
NICE recommends rehabilitation after hip, knee and shoulder replacement, with additional supervised rehabilitation available when someone has ongoing functional difficulties or isn’t meeting their rehabilitation goals through self-directed exercise. (Nice)
In the early stages, those rehabilitation exercises should take priority over returning to a normal yoga class.
As your recovery progresses, yoga may eventually become one way of continuing to develop:
- Strength
- Balance
- Mobility
- Coordination
- Body awareness
- Confidence in movement
- Relaxation
But when you return will depend on your individual operation and recovery.
Don’t rush back to yoga
This is probably one of the most important messages in this article.
Feeling better doesn’t necessarily mean that all the tissues involved in surgery have completely healed.
You may notice that pain improves considerably before:
- Strength has fully returned
- Balance has recovered
- The muscles around the joint are functioning normally
- The surgical tissues have completely healed
- You have regained your normal endurance
The NHS advises people recovering from hip replacement to follow their physiotherapy programme and gradually increase walking and activity. A follow-up commonly takes place around 6–12 weeks after surgery. (nhs.uk)
Rather than setting yourself a deadline such as:
“I’ll be back at yoga in six weeks,”
ask your physiotherapist or surgical team:
“When can I return to yoga, and are there any movements you want me to avoid?”
That gives you much more useful information.
Yoga BEFORE joint replacement surgery
Yoga may also have a role before surgery.
If you’re waiting for a hip or knee replacement and are still able to exercise comfortably, maintaining as much appropriate strength and function as possible may help prepare you for your operation and rehabilitation.
NICE recommends preoperative rehabilitation advice for people having hip or knee replacements. This includes exercises that can aid recovery and advice about maximising functional independence before and after surgery. (Nice)
Your yoga practice may need modifying because of pain or reduced mobility, but you may still be able to work on:
- Upper-body strength
- Leg strength where comfortable
- Balance
- Mobility in unaffected joints
- Breathing
- Relaxation
- General movement
The aim isn’t to push a painful joint harder before surgery.
It is to maintain as much useful function as comfortably possible.
Returning to yoga after a HIP replacement
Hip replacement deserves particular attention because some yoga positions use very large ranges of hip movement.
Depending on your surgical approach and individual circumstances, your surgeon may give you specific precautions intended to reduce the risk of dislocation while the tissues around your new hip heal.
NICE specifically notes that rehabilitation advice after hip replacement may include precautions recommended by the surgical team to prevent dislocation and that these should be individualised. (Nice)
This is why there isn’t one universal list of yoga poses that everyone with a hip replacement must avoid forever.
Your own restrictions matter.
Early hip replacement precautions
The NHS currently advises people recovering from hip replacement not to:
- Cross their legs
- Bend the hip beyond 90 degrees
- Bend down to touch the feet or ankles
- Sit in low chairs
- Perform jumping or sudden turning movements
- Undertake activities with a high risk of falling while recovering
These are recovery precautions rather than necessarily permanent restrictions. (nhs.uk)
From a yoga perspective, that immediately makes some familiar movements inappropriate during early recovery.
These may include deep versions of:
- Pigeon Pose
- Cow Face legs
- Lotus
- Deep seated forward folds
- Happy Baby
- Deep squats
- Deep lunges
- Eagle legs
- Some seated twists
- Positions involving crossing the legs
- Movements requiring you to reach towards the feet
Exactly which movements need restricting will depend on the instructions you have been given.
Hip replacement: don’t chase your old range of movement
This is particularly important for experienced yoga practitioners.
Before surgery you may have been able to put your hip into very large ranges of:
- Flexion
- Extension
- External rotation
- Internal rotation
- Abduction
- Adduction
That doesn’t mean you need to regain every degree of that range after a hip replacement.
The aim of rehabilitation is good, comfortable function, not necessarily returning an artificial hip to extreme yoga ranges.
A smaller Warrior, shallower lunge or supported balance may be more appropriate than trying to reproduce exactly what your body did before surgery.
What might hip-replacement-friendly yoga eventually include?
Once you have been cleared to return to appropriate exercise, you might gradually explore:
- Mountain Pose
- Supported Warrior poses
- Shallow lunges
- Chair Pose within an appropriate range
- Supported balance work
- Gentle hip strengthening
- Bridge where appropriate
- Standing mobility
- Gentle core strengthening
- Relaxation
A chair, wall or blocks can be particularly useful.
And remember:
You don’t need to achieve the deepest version of a hip-opening posture for yoga to be beneficial.
Returning to yoga after a KNEE replacement
A knee replacement presents slightly different challenges.
One of the main priorities following knee replacement is rebuilding:
- Knee movement
- Quadriceps strength
- Leg strength
- Walking ability
- Balance
- Functional movement
People may still experience weakness, reduced endurance and limited range of movement after leaving hospital, which is one reason rehabilitation continues beyond the initial surgical recovery. (Nice)
Yoga can eventually provide useful opportunities to continue working on these areas.
But certain positions may be uncomfortable or inappropriate, particularly early in recovery.
Kneeling after a knee replacement
Understandably, many people are nervous about kneeling on a replaced knee.
Some people eventually find kneeling comfortable, while others don’t.
Yoga contains a lot of kneeling positions, including:
- Tabletop
- Cat-Cow
- Low Lunge
- Child’s Pose
- Camel
- Hero Pose
There is no requirement to kneel simply because the class is doing so.
Alternatives might include:
- Standing Cat-Cow
- Hands supported on a chair
- High rather than low lunges
- Seated mobility
- Additional padding
- Avoiding kneeling altogether
If you want to return to kneeling, ask your physiotherapist when it is appropriate for you and how to introduce it gradually.
Deep knee flexion
Some yoga poses require considerable knee bending.
Examples include:
- Child’s Pose
- Hero Pose
- Thunderbolt
- Deep squat
- Lotus
- Some seated positions
After knee replacement, you may not have or need the same degree of knee flexion as someone else in the class.
Don’t force the knee into a position simply because you think it should bend further.
Use:
- Blocks
- Bolsters
- Chairs
- Blankets
to bring the floor towards you rather than forcing your body towards the floor.
Twisting through a replaced knee
Another consideration is rotation.
Try not to force rotation through a planted knee.
This can be particularly relevant when transitioning between standing yoga postures.
Rather than keeping the foot fixed and twisting the body around it, move the feet when you change direction.
This is a useful principle even outside yoga.
What might knee-replacement-friendly yoga eventually include?
Depending on your recovery, you may gradually be able to practise:
- Mountain Pose
- Supported Chair Pose
- Warrior variations
- Supported lunges
- Standing balance
- Heel raises
- Sit-to-stand movements
- Gentle Bridge
- Appropriate hip strengthening
- Gentle mobility
- Relaxation
Again, the goal is useful movement rather than achieving the maximum possible bend in the knee.
Returning to yoga after a SHOULDER replacement
Shoulder replacement presents another very different set of considerations.
Your rehabilitation programme will gradually restore appropriate shoulder movement and strength.
NICE recommends that people having shoulder replacement receive rehabilitation advice, which may involve self-directed, group or individual rehabilitation depending on their needs. (Nice)
Returning to yoga needs particular care because yoga can place substantial loads through the shoulders.
Think about how many familiar postures involve the arms:
- Downward Dog
- Plank
- Chaturanga
- Upward Dog
- Side Plank
- Tabletop
- Arm balances
These aren’t simply shoulder stretches.
They are weight-bearing exercises.
Weight-bearing after shoulder replacement
Don’t return to weight-bearing through your operated arm until your surgical or physiotherapy team has told you that it is appropriate.
Initially, your yoga may need to focus much more on:
- Standing movement
- Lower-body strengthening
- Balance
- Walking
- Gentle prescribed shoulder rehabilitation
- Breathing
- Relaxation
Later, you may be able to gradually reintroduce upper-body loading.
But this should follow your rehabilitation progression rather than being dictated by the yoga class.
Shoulder range of movement
Yoga also includes many positions where the arms move:
- Overhead
- Behind the body
- Across the body
- Into large rotations
Your new shoulder may have specific movement restrictions during recovery.
Don’t allow someone to manually push your arm further into a yoga posture.
Your physiotherapist’s range-of-motion guidance takes priority.
What might shoulder-replacement-friendly yoga eventually include?
Once cleared, a practice might gradually incorporate:
- Mountain Pose
- Lower-body standing poses
- Balance work
- Gentle shoulder mobility
- Supported arm movements
- Wall-based work
- Gradually progressed strengthening
- Comfortable breathing
- Relaxation
Full Plank, Downward Dog or other strong weight-bearing postures may come much later — or may need permanent modification for some people.
What about other joint replacements?
Hip, knee and shoulder replacements are the most relevant to most yoga classes, but other joints can also be replaced.
These include:
- Ankle
- Elbow
- Wrist
- Finger joints
The same principle applies:
Find out exactly what your surgical team wants you to avoid and adapt your yoga accordingly.
Don’t assume advice for one joint replacement applies to another.
The biggest consideration: your surgeon’s precautions come first
Yoga teachers can adapt yoga.
We cannot override surgical precautions.
If your surgeon or physiotherapist says:
“Don’t bend your hip beyond this point.”
that applies in yoga.
If you’ve been told:
“Don’t bear weight through this shoulder yet.”
Downward Dog isn’t an exception because it is a yoga posture.
If you’ve been advised not to kneel yet:
you don’t need to kneel in class.
This is why communication between you, your healthcare team and your yoga teacher is so important.
Props become particularly useful
One of the best things about adapting yoga following joint replacement is that there are so many ways to change the practice.
You might use:
A chair
For:
- Balance
- Standing poses
- Forward movements
- Getting up and down
- Seated yoga
- Avoiding floor work
Blocks
To reduce how far you need to reach.
Bolsters
To support the body in relaxation and restorative positions.
Blankets
For cushioning and positioning.
A wall
For:
- Balance
- Strength
- Modified Downward Dog
- Standing postures
- Support while rebuilding confidence
Props don’t make yoga easier in a negative sense.
They make the movement appropriate for the body doing it.
Getting down to the floor
This is something that can easily be overlooked.
Even if you can comfortably perform a yoga pose once you’re on the floor, ask:
Can I safely get down there and can I safely get back up?
After a hip or knee replacement, floor transfers may initially be difficult.
A chair-based or predominantly standing practice may therefore be more appropriate.
You don’t have to practise yoga on a mat.
Balance and falls
Improving balance can be one of the useful aspects of yoga after joint replacement.
But during recovery, avoiding falls is particularly important.
The NHS specifically advises avoiding activities with a high risk of falling while recovering from hip replacement. (nhs.uk)
When returning to balance poses:
- Use a wall
- Use a chair
- Keep your gaze steady
- Start with simple balances
- Don’t close your eyes unnecessarily
- Don’t progress simply because everyone else has
Building balance gradually is more useful than repeatedly testing whether you can fall.
Pain: what is normal?
Some discomfort can occur during rehabilitation.
But yoga shouldn’t be used to force your way through significant pain.
Pay attention to:
- Pain during practice
- Swelling afterwards
- Increased joint warmth
- Reduced function later that day
- Symptoms the following morning
If a particular movement repeatedly causes significant symptoms, reduce or remove it and discuss it with your physiotherapist if necessary.
Pain isn’t something you need to overcome to prove that your replacement is working.
Restorative yoga after joint replacement
Restorative yoga may be a useful part of returning to yoga because it can provide relaxation without demanding strenuous exercise.
But restorative yoga still needs adapting.
For example:
Someone with a recent hip replacement may not be able to comfortably move into a traditional cross-legged supported position.
Someone with a knee replacement may find kneeling or deeply bent knees uncomfortable.
Someone with a shoulder replacement may need additional support beneath the arm.
Instead, use enough props to allow the joint to remain within a comfortable and permitted position.
The goal is support, not achieving the traditional shape of the pose.
When might 1-to-1 yoga be useful?
A private session can be particularly useful when returning to yoga after joint replacement.
Rather than trying to work out adaptations in the middle of a group class, you can explore:
- How to get safely onto and off the floor
- Which standing poses work for you
- How to modify kneeling
- How to use a chair
- Which props help
- How to modify Downward Dog
- How to work with your current range of movement
- Which movements your physiotherapist has advised you to avoid
You can then take those adaptations into a group class with much more confidence.
Choosing the right yoga class
When returning after joint replacement, look for a teacher who:
- Is comfortable offering modifications
- Uses props
- Doesn’t force range of movement
- Doesn’t physically push you deeper into poses
- Allows you to use a chair or wall
- Is happy for you to avoid floor work
- Doesn’t expect everyone to perform the same version
- Understands that surgical restrictions take priority
- Allows you to progress at your own pace
A fast-paced class with rapid transitions may not be the best place to start.
A slower class gives you more time to position yourself carefully and notice how the new joint responds.
What should I tell my yoga teacher?
Don’t simply say:
“I’ve got a bad knee.”
If you’ve had joint replacement surgery, tell your teacher.
Useful information includes:
- Which joint was replaced
- When you had the surgery
- Whether it was a total or partial replacement, if relevant
- Any restrictions you’ve been given
- Whether you are still under physiotherapy
- Whether kneeling is permitted
- Whether you have weight-bearing restrictions
- Any movements your surgeon has told you to avoid
- Whether you have difficulty getting down to or up from the floor
- Whether balance is currently affected
You don’t need to give your teacher your entire medical history.
But they do need enough information to help keep your practice appropriate.
When should I seek medical advice?
If you have recently had joint replacement surgery, follow the postoperative advice provided by your surgical team.
Contact your healthcare team if you experience unexpected or concerning symptoms such as:
- Significant new or worsening pain
- Increasing swelling
- Increasing redness or heat around the joint or wound
- Wound discharge
- Fever or feeling unwell
- Sudden loss of movement or function
- A feeling that the joint has moved out of position
- A significant fall onto the replaced joint
Seek urgent medical help for symptoms that could indicate a serious postoperative complication, including significant breathing difficulties or chest pain.
Practical tips for practising yoga after joint replacement
1. Complete your rehabilitation.
Yoga shouldn’t replace the exercises prescribed by your physiotherapist.
2. Ask when you can return.
Don’t rely on an arbitrary number of weeks.
3. Find out your specific restrictions.
Different operations require different precautions.
4. Tell your yoga teacher.
5. Start with a slower practice.
Give yourself time to position the joint carefully.
6. Use props.
A chair, wall, blocks and bolsters can dramatically change a pose.
7. Don’t chase your previous flexibility.
You don’t necessarily need the same range you had before surgery.
8. Build strength gradually.
9. Take care with balance.
Reduce the risk of falling while you rebuild confidence.
10. Consider how you will get onto and off the floor.
11. Don’t force kneeling after knee replacement.
12. Don’t force deep hip positions after hip replacement.
13. Don’t return to upper-body weight-bearing too quickly after shoulder replacement.
14. Notice how the joint responds afterwards.
15. Remember that modification isn’t failure.
A successful return to yoga isn’t measured by whether you can perform exactly the same poses you did before surgery.
The Bottom Line
Having a joint replacement doesn’t necessarily mean the end of your yoga practice.
For many people, returning to appropriate movement can be an important part of rebuilding strength, mobility, balance and confidence after surgery.
But your practice may need to change.
A hip replacement may mean reconsidering deep hip movements.
A knee replacement may require adaptations around kneeling, deep knee flexion and transitions.
A shoulder replacement may require significant modification of weight-bearing postures such as Plank and Downward Dog.
And in the early stages after any joint replacement, your rehabilitation programme takes priority over your yoga programme.
NICE recommends individualised postoperative rehabilitation following hip, knee and shoulder replacement and specifically recognises that some people require additional supervised rehabilitation to meet their functional goals. (Nice)
Over time, yoga may become part of your longer-term movement again.
The goal isn’t necessarily to return to exactly the practice you had before your operation.
It is to develop a practice that works well with the joint you have now.
Sometimes that means:
Less range, more control.
More support, less forcing.
Different poses, rather than no yoga.
A joint replacement changes part of your body.
It doesn’t have to remove movement from your life.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I do yoga after a joint replacement?
Potentially, yes. The timing and appropriate movements depend on which joint was replaced, the type of surgery, your recovery and your surgeon or physiotherapist’s advice.
How soon after a joint replacement can I return to yoga?
There isn’t one safe time that applies to everyone. Follow your rehabilitation programme and ask your surgical or physiotherapy team when you can return and whether you have movement restrictions.
Can I do yoga after a hip replacement?
Many people can eventually return to an adapted yoga practice. During early recovery, however, you may have restrictions around hip flexion, crossing the legs and certain other movements. Your individual surgical precautions take priority. (nhs.uk)
Can I do Pigeon Pose after a hip replacement?
Don’t assume that Pigeon is appropriate simply because you feel recovered. It places the hip into a substantial range of movement. Ask your physiotherapist or surgeon whether positions involving deep hip flexion and rotation are appropriate for your particular replacement.
Can I do yoga after a knee replacement?
Many people can return to appropriate yoga. Kneeling, deep knee bending and twisting through a planted knee may need modification according to your recovery and comfort.
Can I kneel after a knee replacement?
This varies between individuals. If you’re unsure, ask your physiotherapist before introducing kneeling and use alternatives such as standing or chair-supported poses in the meantime.
Can I do Downward Dog after a shoulder replacement?
Not until you have been cleared for the necessary range of movement and weight-bearing through the operated arm. Downward Dog places substantial load through the shoulders.
Can I do yoga if I can’t get onto the floor?
Absolutely. Yoga doesn’t have to take place on the floor. Standing and chair-based practices can incorporate strength, mobility, balance, breathing and relaxation.
Should I try to regain all my previous flexibility?
Not necessarily. Good functional movement and joint control are more important than achieving extreme ranges around an artificial joint.
Should I tell my yoga teacher that I have a replacement joint?
Yes. Tell them which joint was replaced, when the surgery took place and any restrictions you’ve been given.
Would 1-to-1 yoga be better when I first return?
It can be very useful. An individual session allows you to explore modifications and props before trying to make those decisions during a group class.
References
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Joint replacement (primary): hip, knee and shoulder (NG157). Recommendations covering preoperative rehabilitation, postoperative rehabilitation and returning to usual activities. (Nice)
- NICE. Joint replacement (primary): hip, knee and shoulder – Quality Standard QS206. Postoperative rehabilitation should be individually appropriate, with advice given before discharge. (Nice)
- NICE. Preoperative rehabilitation advice for hip and knee replacement. Guidance covering exercises before and after surgery and maintaining function. (Nice)
- NHS. Recovering from a hip replacement. Guidance covering physiotherapy, walking, follow-up and early postoperative precautions. (nhs.uk)
- NICE. Evidence review: outpatient hip and knee postoperative rehabilitation. Discusses ongoing weakness, reduced endurance, reduced joint range and return to everyday and recreational activity following joint replacement. (Nice)
Topics Covered in This Article
- Yoga after joint replacement
- Returning to exercise after surgery
- Rehabilitation after joint replacement
- Yoga before joint replacement surgery
- Hip replacement and yoga
- Hip replacement precautions
- Deep hip movements
- Knee replacement and yoga
- Kneeling after knee replacement
- Deep knee flexion
- Shoulder replacement and yoga
- Upper-body weight-bearing
- Downward Dog after shoulder replacement
- Other joint replacements
- Surgical precautions
- Using yoga props
- Chair yoga and joint replacement
- Getting onto and off the floor
- Balance and fall prevention
- Pain during rehabilitation
- Restorative yoga
- 1-to-1 yoga after surgery
- Choosing an appropriate yoga class
- Talking to your yoga teacher
- When to seek medical advice
- Practical tips for returning to yoga
Please note: This article is for general educational purposes and isn’t intended to replace advice from your surgeon, physiotherapist, occupational therapist or other healthcare professional. Joint replacements and surgical approaches vary, and postoperative precautions can differ. Always follow the individual restrictions and rehabilitation programme provided by your surgical team.
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