Helping people, changing lives: 3 health benefits of volunteering by Angela Thoreson, L.I.C.S.W. (www.mayoclinichealthsytem.org)

Research has shown that volunteering offers many health benefits, especially for older adults, including:

1. Improves physical and mental health.Volunteer activities keep people moving and thinking at the same time. Research has found that volunteering among adults, age 60 and over, provided benefits to physical and mental health, and volunteers report better physical health than do nonvolunteers. Research also has shown that volunteering leads to lower rates of depression and anxiety, especially for people 65 and older.

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