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Is Warming Up Really Necessary? New Research
2025 research reveals when you can skip warm-ups entirely, and when they actually matter.
2025 research reveals when you can skip warm-ups entirely, and when they actually matter.
We all spend 5-10 minutes on treadmills, doing arm circles, and stretching before touching a single weight, at least when we have the energy. It's become fitness gospel that you must warm up before exercise. No exceptions.
But what if this conventional wisdom is wrong?
Recent research is challenging everything we've been told about warm-ups, showing when they're actually necessary and when you might be wasting your time.
A 2025 study examined whether specific warm-ups improve resistance training performance. Twenty-nine experienced lifters performed identical workouts under three conditions: no warm-up, a single warm-up set, and a two-set warm-up protocol.
The results were surprising: there were virtually no performance differences between warming up and jumping straight into working sets when training at moderate intensities (around 10-rep max loads).
The researchers found negligible differences in total repetitions completed, fatigue levels, and perceived exertion between all three conditions. In practical terms, this means you could walk into the gym and start your workout immediately without compromising performance, at least for certain types of training.
This challenges the assumption that warm-ups are always beneficial. As the researchers noted, "it is possible to achieve greater time efficiency in RT sessions by forgoing a SWU when training at ~10RM loads."
For years, fitness experts have warned against static stretching before exercise, claiming it reduces power and increases injury risk. This advice has become so entrenched that many people avoid any pre-exercise stretching entirely.
However, a 2024 meta-analysis of gymnasts found that Static stretching showed no significant impairment to power performance in activities like squat jumps and countermovement jumps. More importantly, it actually enhanced performance in flexibility-dependent movements.
Meanwhile, this 2025 dynamic stretching research found that both dynamic and ballistic stretching provide small but consistent flexibility improvements regardless of age, gender, or muscle groups targeted.
The takeaway isn't that static stretching is superior; it's that the "never static stretch before exercise" rule oversimplifies a complex topic.
Before you start skipping warm-ups entirely, understand that context matters. The resistance training study focused specifically on moderate-intensity lifting (10RM loads) in experienced trainees. Different scenarios require different approaches:
High-intensity or explosive activities likely still benefit from warm-ups. If you're doing sprints, plyometrics, or lifting near your 1-rep max for maximum muscle growth, your muscles and nervous system need preparation for maximal efforts.
Sport-specific movements require practice and activation. A footballer shouldn't jump straight into match-intensity play, and a tennis player needs to activate the specific movement patterns their sport demands.
Cold environments or early morning workouts may require more extensive warm-ups. Your body temperature and muscle readiness vary throughout the day and with environmental conditions.
Individual factors matter enormously. Age, injury history, and personal preferences all influence warm-up needs. Someone with a history of hamstring strains probably shouldn't skip activation exercises, regardless of what research says about average populations.
A 2024 review in Sports Medicine argues we've been asking the wrong questions about warm-ups entirely. Instead of focusing solely on performance benefits, researchers suggest viewing warm-ups as pedagogical (teaching) and training moments.
The warm-up period can serve multiple goals: teaching movement patterns, addressing weak points, mental preparation, and yes, sometimes just buying time to feel ready. Even when physiological benefits are "slight and transient," psychological readiness has value.
This perspective explains why some people swear by warm-up routines even when research suggests simpler approaches work just as well. If a 15-minute warm-up helps you feel confident and focused, that mental state might outweigh any small physiological advantages of jumping straight into training.
The research suggests a more flexible approach to warm-ups based on your specific situation:
For moderate-intensity resistance training (most gym workouts), you can probably skip lengthy warm-up protocols. Start with lighter weights and progress to your working load—this serves as both warm-up and skill practice.
For high-intensity or sport-specific training, maintain some form of preparation. The exact protocol matters less than activating the movement patterns and intensity you're about to demand from your body.
When time is limited, don't let perfect be the enemy of good. A few dynamic movements or a single warm-up set appears to provide most of the benefits of more elaborate protocols.
Listen to your body and context. Cold morning? Previous injury? Feeling stiff? These factors might necessitate more preparation regardless of what average research outcomes suggest.
The stretching research also reveals that the type of flexibility you need influences your warm-up strategy.
If your workout involves significant range of motion requirements—think overhead pressing, deep squats, or gymnastic movements, some form of stretching (static or dynamic) will help you achieve those positions safely and effectively.
For activities with minimal flexibility demands, spending time on stretching might provide little benefit for that specific session, though it could contribute to long-term mobility goals.
For many Kenyans with work, family, and fitness commitments, time efficiency matters significantly. If you have 45 minutes to train, spending 15 minutes warming up leaves only 30 minutes for actual work.
The research suggests you might get 95% of the benefits with a much shorter preparation period, or sometimes none at all. This doesn't mean being reckless; it means being strategic about where you invest your limited time.
Consider this: if skipping warm-ups means you can train consistently rather than skipping sessions due to time constraints, you're probably better off in the long run.
Try a few sessions with minimal warm-up (starting light and building up). Notice any differences in performance, comfort, or injury rates. Some people genuinely need more preparation time, while others perform identically with less.
Track your responses over several weeks rather than making judgments based on single sessions. Your optimal approach might differ from research averages or your training partner's preferences.
The "always warm up" rule isn't supported by recent research as strongly as we think. Benefits are often smaller, more context-dependent, and shorter-lived than conventional wisdom suggests.
This doesn't mean warm-ups are useless—it means they're tools to be used strategically rather than religious rituals to be performed identically every session.
The fitness industry loves absolute rules because they're easy to communicate and follow. But like most aspects of training, warm-ups work best when matched to your specific goals, constraints, and individual response patterns.
Stop overthinking it.
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