Will stretching when not warmed up still improve flexibility?

[Adshed]

My muscles are made of stone, my side split maxes out at 45 degrees... I'm one of the most inflexible organisms on Earth.

 

So I've embarked on a quest in becoming supple-bodied, but, as the title asks, is a warm up essential? I'm asking this because my locality gets very cold at this time of the year and takes a century to get body temp rising; this time is the biggest 'put-off' for me wanting to stretch. So was just curious to know the science behind getting flexible generally, and significance of the warm up prior to stretching.

 

Thanks,

Adshed.

[shreyasshree]

I am in no position to answer your question scientifically but out of some experience in sports I can tell you that warming up is extremely vital to your stretching. You don't need to warm up for long but little is advisable. For example you could start by mobility exercise; like rotating your arms and torso. If you like you could just jog around or if you prefer you could do it on spot. Warm muscles are much more easily stretched than cold ones, always warm up first to get blood circulating throughout the body and into the muscles. A warm-up should be slow and pleasant. If you don't you might risk tearing or injuring the muscle.

[barfbag]

I think the importance lies in prevention of injury, but I'm certain stretching can be done without warm up. Many runners start their warm ups with stretching, although it becomes important after a lengthy race or your muscles can seize up.

[Ten oz]

Yes, warm up. http://www.livestrong.com/article/462832-should-stretch-cold-muscles/

[barfbag]

@ Ten oz, and OP,

 

http://www.wikihow.com/Warm-Up

 

If you look at the first few (6) warm up exercises in that link you will see they involve stretching.

 

Stretching is a common warm up method on its own. I could find many better links, but that was quick.

 

It is like Chicken or Egg. Do you exercise first to prepare to stretch or do you stretch first to prepare to warm up.

 

What would the advice be to someone that wanted to exercise without stretching first?

 

Any form of stretching or exercise is warming up, and I would think the difference lies in the speed involved.

Edited July 20, 2014 by barfbag

[Ten oz]

@ Barfbag

The definition of exercise is: physical activity that is done in order to become stronger and healthier; a particular movement or series of movements done to become stronger and healthier; something that is done or practiced to develop a particular skill.

 

All movement is not exercise. When I walk from my bedroom to the kitchen in the morning to make Coffee that is not exercise. However it does increase my heartrate and put more oxygenated blood into my legs. Thus a warm up. Getting ones heart rate up and blood flowing is important to stretching. It can be achieved many different ways and a lot of it has to do with your fitness level. What a pro athlete may do to warm up might be exercise to either of us.

http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/new-ideas-on-proper-stretching-techniques