A recent study suggests that people with hip arthritis who engage in high-impact activities such as jogging, tennis, and skiing may have a lower likelihood of requiring hip replacement surgery compared to those who avoid such exercises. The research, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, analyzed data from nearly 18,000 adults in their 60s suffering from either hip or knee arthritis.

Led by Bernard Liew, a senior lecturer in biomechanics at the University of Essex, the study examined participants’ exercise habits using the Good Life with Osteoarthritis in Denmark (GLA:D) database, which collects extensive health and lifestyle information from Europeans with arthritis. The researchers categorized exercise into four groups based on intensity and impact: low intensity (light walking or no exercise), moderate intensity (brisk walking), high intensity but low impact (activities like cycling and swimming), and high impact (exercises involving direct contact with the ground causing force transmission through the legs).

Among the participants, about 6% regularly performed high-impact activities such as running, singles tennis, skiing, soccer, gymnastics, ballet, and heavy backpacking. The study found that individuals with hip arthritis who engaged in these high-impact exercises were approximately 50% less likely to undergo hip replacement surgery within one year compared to others, including those who participated in high-intensity low-impact exercises. For people with knee arthritis, high-impact exercise did not increase the risk of knee replacement, suggesting the activities neither accelerated deterioration nor worsened their condition.

These findings challenge the conventional belief that high-impact exercise inevitably damages arthritic joints. Bernard Liew noted there is no imperative for people with arthritis to avoid such physical activities out of fear that the impact will exacerbate joint problems. The results also point to a possible protective or strengthening effect of forceful exercise on some arthritic joints.

Experts not involved in the study offered perspectives on the findings. David Raichlen, a professor of biological sciences and anthropology at the University of Southern California, suggested the outcomes align with evolutionary views that humans adapted to regular mechanical loading through walking and running. He emphasized that joints develop expecting regular use rather than prolonged inactivity, although he cautioned that not all arthritis patients should necessarily take up running.

Grace Hsiao-Wei Lo, an associate professor of immunology, allergy, and rheumatology at Baylor College of Medicine, underscored the need for caution when interpreting the results, noting that the study was observational rather than a randomized controlled trial. Consequently, while informative, the findings cannot definitively establish causality between high-impact exercise and reduced risk of joint replacement.

Prior research largely focused on whether high-impact exercise causes arthritis in healthy individuals, with some evidence indicating potential benefits to cartilage and bone strength. This study fills a gap by concentrating on people with existing arthritis and their joint replacement outcomes associated with exercise.

Given that vigorous physical activity also provides broad health benefits, including lower risks of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes, the study’s authors suggest that discouraging exercise among those with arthritis might mean missing out on important advantages. They encourage individuals with arthritis to consider the types of physical activity that suit them best and to maintain movement levels that promote health without undue fear of joint damage.