Haven't stretched in years…am i screwed?

I quit static stretching years ago. Now, I do dynamic stretches before every workout. These include a lot of the drills you see sprinters do. A skips, high knees, lunges, karaoke, crab walk, leg swings, and a variety of modified yoga moves, but always done dynamically.

You are not as tight as you think.

Relax. Relax more. Try now.

I agree with this!

add in more strength training. Do full ROM squats and lunges. Front and side lunges.

Start by doing some strides at the end of your runs.

If that doesn't solve the problem, add some plyometric drills to the strides routine.

If you're so physically tight that you can't do normal things like pick something up off the floor then you need to work to get a normal range of movement back. You could have a warm bath and walk around a little bit and then just gently try to do the movements you want back. Don't push or force the movements and I wouldn't even hold them really or take them right to the end of the movement, I'd just try to get used to doing those kind of movements again in an active/daily activity kind of way. I'd also make sure you're getting good amounts of vitamins and minerals including electrolytes and that you're well hydrated. Make sure you eat well too with good amounts of protein and fat.

I've felt like I didn't have the flexibility to jump off a curb before.

The good thing is that flexibility can be worked on and it comes back. There are just normal people who train for the splits and can do them in a few months from a base of nothing. It responds really well to training. The more you do the movements the easier they should become and the more comfortable you should become but DON'T push it and try to stretch or stretch to the point of pain/like you're really pushing it. It's counterproductive (your muscles will just contract to fight it anyway). You could consider getting a massage as well if you think that will help.

I don't stretch but I foam roll and it really helps to prevent tightness.

Not stretching reduces frequency injuries? What does that mean?

I had a lesser version of this. All I did was run 70 to 100 miles a week year round for 2 years without any stretching or mobility work whatsoever. I was tight all the time, and while I could pick stuff off the ground; my compromised biomechanics made it so that I could not run with good form under 6:40 min/mile pace. I would get injured or sore by just doing 4x15 seconds at sub-5 minute pace and I could not hold 5:15 min/mile pace for more than 30 seconds because my form would break down. Eventually I could not even run for 30 minutes at 8 minute mile pace without compensation injuries and low back pain.

I had to stop running for one month to deal with chronic injuries and started stretching for 1 hour a day. At the beginning, merely getting into a lunge position was painful and I felt a stretch. After 1 month off and 3 months of building back up, I am at 60 miles a week and can do strides and speed work pain-free. My limiting factor is now my cardiovascular fitness and my body's ability to absorb and return impact forces; not my flexibility.

I only do 6 stretches, but I hold them each for 5 minutes everyday on each side after all running and lifting is done for the day. It was very painful for the first 4 weeks but now it is much easier. Hip flexor, hamstring, calves, achilles, hip extensors, hip rotators.

Tell me exactly how the karaoke helps you in regards to gaining more flexibility and range of motion?

Stretching helps me. But it is not sufficient. I have to add in foam rolling and hypervolt massage gun.

Spell it "carioca" and it will make sense. It's a strides vs. striders thing.

If you've been running then you've been stretching

Apologies. Hit post button too soon. Sounds like you need hamstring and lower back exercises. Static stretching way overrated and you're not screwed. I've got no flexibility either and do hammie and back exercise all the time to try and stay pain free.

I started swimming for half an hour after my runs, primarily to stretch out and secondarily for extra cardio, it helped a lot.

I don't think you are screwed. Just take it slowly first. I would probably start with the yanva yoga and see how it feels. Yoga improved my flexibility a lot and i was doing it only for about 4 months. Don't really understand why i was ignoring for such a long time.