A huge motivator for volunteering for people of any age is the desire to give back to the community — but it’s more than just the community that benefits when older adults volunteer. In fact, older adults benefit more from volunteering than any other age demographic. Recent research bears this out. Here are three related benefits of volunteering that help older adults actively age in their community.
Altruism is good for your heart
looked at how altruism affects blood pressure (hypertension) in people aged 65 and up. Researchers from University of British Columbia and University of California-Irvine gave one group of hypertensive seniors $40 for three consecutive weeks ($120 total) to spend on themselves and gave another group of hypertensive seniors the same amount to spend on other people.
People who spent money on others had lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure than those who spent it on themselves. In addition, the benefits were comparable to pressure-lowering medications or exercise. Volunteering can not only make you feel better, but it can improve your physiological well-being.
Preventing Cognitive Decline
Quite a number of studies have shown that retirement (especially early retirement) increases the risk of dementia. looked at whether volunteering in later life reduced risk of dementia. People who regularly volunteered for at least one hour per week were 2.4 times less likely to develop dementia compared to non-volunteers, while the sporadic volunteers didn’t see the same benefits.
The researchers concluded regular volunteering shares the benefits of a paying job, such as structure to the day and a widened social circle.
Promotes Active Aging
A more recent , looked at 13,000 participants of the .
This study found that if someone volunteered for at least 100 hours per year (less than two hours per week) for four years, they experienced a number of health benefits, including: a reduced mortality risk, reduced risk of physical functioning limitations; increased amounts of physical activity and better overall psychosocial outcomes, such as increased optimism or a stronger sense of purpose in life.
The bottom line is that volunteering is a great “aging in place” strategy because it promotes social, physical and mental health. If you are planning your retirement soon, consider incorporating volunteer work into your schedule to ensure you fully enjoy your retirement years.
Don’t let concerns about time commitment hold you back from getting involved. In fact, the time commitment can give you the routine and structure you may lose when you retire. In addition, volunteer work doesn’t need to take a lot of time and organizations that value volunteers will offer the flexibility you need when you need it.
