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Seniors Who Volunteer Reap Real Benefits
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Comments (1)`Tis the season for giving, and with 76 million baby boomers now beginning to reach retirement age, more and more seniors are volunteering and feeling the benefits of doing so. On a recent sojourn to Alcatraz Island in San Francisco, I noticed a group of senior women happily planting flowers alongside the prison’s grounds clearly enjoying the fresh air and camaraderie. Turns out, these women volunteer regularly and have helped to transform “The Rock” into a beautiful island garden.
Older volunteers are a great asset to their communities. Seniors possess the experience, expertise and time that can greatly benefit any organization or cause. Whether seniors help deliver a hot meal to a homebound elder, read to an elementary school child or help out at their church or synagogue, it is a win-win situation for all parties involved. Moreover, seniors realize meaningful improvements in their own mental and physical health, say researchers at the John Hopkins Medical Institutions.
In addition to giving older people meaning and purpose to their lives, volunteering also offers the following specific benefits:
- Volunteering increases one’s physical health and agility—volunteering helps older people stay physically active. Seniors who engage in physical activity have lower incidences of heart disease and diabetes.
- Volunteering increases one’s cognitive and mental well-being—volunteering helps keep the brain engaged, which helps protect the memory as people age. In fact, experts say that engaging in mentally challenging tasks is one of the best ways to stave off Alzheimer’s and dementia!
- Volunteering increases one’s social interaction—studies show that seniors who stay busy with a lot of social interaction were the happiest and healthiest.
I’m all for doing anything that may help slow the aging process and lead to a higher quality of life. Perhaps tonight I’ll head down to my local SPCA to help socialize forlorn cats.
What can you do for others...and yourself?
To your health and happiness,
Ami Icanberry
Posted in: Emotions & Your Health, Tips for Healthy Living
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