Doctors have long encouraged patients to get out of bed and walk after surgery.
Nurses often remind patients to move around the hospital hallways, sit in chairs, and slowly increase activity after an operation.
Until recently, however, researchers did not have strong evidence showing exactly how important walking is for recovery.
Now, a large new study suggests that daily step count may be one of the best ways to predict whether a patient is recovering well after surgery.
The research found that patients who walked more after surgery had shorter hospital stays, fewer complications, and a lower chance of returning to the hospital later.
The study was published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons. Researchers used data from the National Institutes of Health’s All of Us Research Program, which combines medical records with information collected from wearable devices such as fitness trackers and smartwatches.
The research included 1,965 adults who underwent inpatient surgery. Scientists examined how active patients were before and after surgery and compared those activity levels with recovery outcomes.
The results were striking. For every extra 1,000 steps a patient walked each day after surgery, the patient’s recovery improved. Patients who walked more tended to leave the hospital sooner and were less likely to experience complications or be readmitted within 30 or 90 days.
Even after researchers adjusted for important factors such as age, sex, and overall surgical risk, the connection between walking and better recovery remained very strong. Each additional 1,000 daily steps was linked to a 6 percent reduction in hospital length of stay.
Hospital stays after surgery can be physically and emotionally difficult. Staying in bed for long periods can weaken muscles, reduce lung function, increase blood clot risk, and slow healing. Longer hospital stays also increase healthcare costs and may expose patients to infections.
For this reason, doctors are always searching for better ways to help patients recover more quickly and safely.
Researchers also tested other recovery measurements during the study. They examined heart rate variability, which measures small changes between heartbeats and is sometimes used to evaluate stress and physical recovery. Patients also completed self-reported wellness surveys describing how they felt.
Surprisingly, these measurements did not predict recovery outcomes nearly as well as step counts. Daily walking activity turned out to be the clearest and strongest signal of how patients were recovering.
Dr. Timothy Pawlik from The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, who led the study, explained that doctors often ask patients how they feel after surgery, but wearable devices now allow healthcare teams to collect objective information instead of relying only on patient descriptions.
According to Dr. Pawlik, wearable devices provide a continuous picture of recovery. If a patient’s step count suddenly drops, doctors may recognize early warning signs of trouble and intervene more quickly.
Researchers believe walking may improve recovery in several ways. Movement helps improve blood circulation, supports breathing, strengthens muscles, and reduces the risk of dangerous complications such as pneumonia and blood clots.
The study also supports earlier research presented at the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress in 2023. That earlier study found that people who walked more than 7,500 steps daily before surgery had a 51 percent lower risk of postoperative complications.
Together, the findings suggest that physical activity both before and after surgery may strongly influence recovery.
Wearable technology is becoming increasingly common around the world. Many people now wear smartwatches or fitness trackers that measure steps, sleep, and heart rate. Researchers believe this technology could become an important part of future healthcare.
Doctors may eventually use wearable data to monitor recovery remotely after patients return home. Instead of waiting for follow-up appointments, healthcare teams could watch for sudden drops in activity and identify patients who may need extra help.
The researchers also suggested that walking goals could motivate patients during recovery. For example, a patient might aim for a certain number of steps before surgery and another target during the days after surgery.
However, doctors caution that recovery plans should always be personalized. Some patients may have heart disease, arthritis, breathing problems, or other conditions that limit activity. Exercise and walking plans should always be discussed with healthcare providers.
The study has important strengths because it used real-world information collected continuously from wearable devices. This gives researchers a more accurate picture of recovery than relying only on surveys or occasional hospital checks.
Still, the researchers admit there are limitations. The study cannot fully prove that walking itself directly causes faster recovery. Patients who naturally recover faster may simply feel well enough to walk more. More research is needed to better understand this relationship.
Even so, the findings strongly suggest that walking is both a sign of recovery and an important part of the healing process itself.
After reviewing the study carefully, the findings appear very meaningful because they provide objective evidence supporting something doctors have recommended for years. The use of wearable technology also represents an exciting step toward more personalized healthcare.
Although future studies are still needed to prove direct cause and effect, the evidence strongly suggests that encouraging safe movement after surgery could improve outcomes for many patients.
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