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There are many ways to stay active and healthy as an older adult, but one of the most meaningful and rewarding ways is through volunteering. Too often, retirees have a harder time participating in their communities, which has a detrimental effect on their health and the overall health of society. Volunteering can help revitalize the social life of older adults and has plenty of to boot!

Volunteers live longer

Aside from being a great way to help others, older adults who volunteer have . The Mayo Clinic also recommends volunteering for older adults, of depression, anxiety, and even heart disease and stroke, ultimately lowering one鈥檚 mortality rate even when controlling for physical health That鈥檚 right, volunteering on a regular basis reduces the risk of death! Talk about helping yourself while helping others.

Health risks of loneliness

One of the saddest and most preventable risks to one鈥檚 health is loneliness. The WHO says that social isolation and loneliness have on health as smoking and physical inactivity! Staying connected to other people is crucial to living a healthy life. While we鈥檝e written about how volunteering helps with loneliness before, it鈥檚 important to hammer home what a danger loneliness is, especially when of older adults report experiencing feelings of loneliness

When you don鈥檛 have people in your life, it鈥檚 hard to feel motivated to take the steps necessary to take care of yourself. When people aren鈥檛 relying on you, because there鈥檚 no one to hold you accountableVolunteering fosters social connection, makes taking care of oneself easier, and can make the world feel less overwhelming.

How to get started

Embarking on any new venture can be intimidating, and volunteering is no different. Thankfully, there are plenty of organizations around who rely on volunteers and want to make the process of signing up as easy as possible. Start out by deciding as well as what knowledge and skills you can offer and then research groups working on those issues in your area.听

Cultural and religious institutions often have opportunities to volunteer, as do food banks and animal shelters. There are also plenty of websites dedicated to matching up volunteers and organizations. You could also 鈥搘e鈥檙e in hundreds of schools across the country and even offer online volunteer opportunities through our 51茶馆 Connects program.

Volunteering is good for everyone

No matter what cause you choose to give your time and energy to, volunteering is an excellent way to maintain health and social connections in your golden years. Helping other people not only gives you the warm glow that comes with doing charitable deeds but can also facilitate living a longer, healthier, more connected life.