I am planning on playing squash once a week with a friend of mine, so on a casual level, however I am overweight (well squash would help in that sense for me lose weight also) and I go to gym regularly (3x a week).
my question is if there is anything i should watch out for? or any specific warm up i should do to avoid having knee problems?
many thanks
As others have said, check with your doctor before taking on a new exercise regime esp. because you say that you are overweight and concerned about your knees. I also agree with @Jeremie that a sports physical therapist or physiotherapist can help you with a specific program for your knees. Often strengthening the hip muscles (glutes) helps to minimize knee pain. You could then incorporate these exercises in your gym routine.
As for squash, it requires quick starts and stops. This can be hard on the knees. If you have access to a pool, you could do sprints in waist deep water to condition your legs for the quick acceleration and deceleration needed.
A dynamic warm-up is important to get your body parts ready for the quick movements.
The quick push off can also be hard on the quads, hamstrings, calf muscles and Achilles tendons. A regular stretching program and after you play will help prevent injury and give you the flexibility you need. The following questions/answers have specific stretches:
You will also want to make sure that your shoulders and wrist muscles are warmed up well.
BTW, squash is fun and a great way to exercise for weight loss. The quick intense bouts are like intervals.
A (sports) physiotherapist would be able to answer that question better so I would encourage you to find one and ask them this question. If you can afford it, investing in a good pair of knee sleeves (both for the gym and for squash) like some Rehbands might be a good idea. They can help lock your knee in place and keep it warm during your training sessions. If you plan on keeping it on for a prolonged period of time do not buy one that is too tight.
Anecdotally, I have managed my own knee pain by reinforcing the surrounding muscles, meaning doing a lot of leg curls (to reinforce my hamstrings) and squats/front squats (to reinforce my quadriceps). I avoid the leg extension machines are they can be bad for the knee joint (it depends on your leg proportions but I'd rather not take any risk).
