Research shows that people who volunteer regularly have a lower risk of death and enjoy better physical health as they age.
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It’s that time of year when it’s customary to be kind and do nice things for others. Well, here’s something interesting: Research suggests that when we make acts of kindness a habit, it’s also good for our health.
Whether it’s volunteering at a local food bank, or eating soup for a sick neighbor, there’s plenty of evidence that when we help others, it can boost our happiness and psychological well-being. But there’s also growing research that suggests they boost our physical health, too, he says Tara Groenewalda social and health psychologist at Chapman University.
Most of the evidence comes from observational studies of people who volunteer regularly. But there is also empirical evidence. Perhaps the most striking comes from Baltimore Experience Corps Experiencea large trial in which adults aged 60 or older were randomly assigned to either volunteer in elementary schools or be placed on a waiting list. Volunteers spent at least 15 hours a week tutoring underprivileged children. After two years, the researchers found that the volunteers had measurable changes in their behavior Brain health.
“They did not experience the decline in memory and executive function that we saw in the control group participants,” says Grunwald, one of the researchers involved in the trial. “And there was even Changes in brain size “In areas of the brain that support these different cognitive processes.”
The volunteers were also more physically active, “which is important for maintaining cognitive and physical health as we age,” she explained.
Other research has found that people who volunteer regularly have Reduced risk of death They have better physical function as they age. “People can walk longer at older ages and have better balance and so on,” he says. laura kobzansky, Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health.
Kubzansky studies the interaction between physical and mental health. Her research has found that people who engage in more voluntary and charitable donations do so Reduced levels of physical pain.
She says researchers still don’t know the exact mechanisms by which volunteerism and philanthropy improve people’s health, but there are likely multiple processes at play.
For example, stress causes a chain reaction in the body that can raise blood pressure and ultimately lead to higher blood cholesterol levels and other changes that increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. Other poor health outcomes. Volunteering may help mitigate the stress response, she says.
“Volunteering or doing an act of kindness can distract you from some of the issues you may be facing, so you may be a little less engaged,” says Kubzansky. “It may help give you more perspective on your own problems.”
When you go out to help others, it makes you more physically active and less lonely. Social isolation is well known Risk factor For physical and mental health problems, especially as we age.
“We know that better mental health is associated with better physical health,” she says.
Most research in this area has looked at middle-aged and older adults. He says there’s less evidence on the health benefits of helping behaviors when it comes to young people Julia Baumassociate professor of psychology at Chapman University, studies the social and psychological factors that influence the health of children and adolescents.
But one study really stands out High school students participated Who were randomly assigned to volunteer for 10 weeks with elementary school children. Compared with students in the trial who were placed on a waiting list, the teenage volunteers had improvements in several markers of cardiovascular health.
“Those students who participated in volunteer activities with younger students showed healthier BMIs, healthier inflammatory markers, and healthier total cholesterol,” Baum says. Students who increased the most in empathy and altruism behaviors, and whose negative mood decreased the most, also showed a greater reduction in cardiovascular disease risk over time.
Other research in adults has also linked regular participation in both volunteer work and informal acts of kindness — such as helping a neighbor — to Reduced risk of cardiovascular disease.
Given the findings so far, Kubzansky says she would like to see health officials conduct research on the health benefits of volunteering and other acts of kindness. Public health priority.
Meanwhile, Grunwald says we can’t go wrong when we engage in behaviors aimed at helping others.
“At the very least, it will make the world a little better place for many. And we might even make it a little better for ourselves,” she says.
Edited by Jane Greenhalgh
