Improve your health by volunteeringWe have good news for all of you who have thought about volunteering and never made up your minds to actually get on with it. Now, in addition to the satisfaction coming from helping people in need, there is something extra in store for you – health! Yes, a new piece of research by UnitedHealth Group and the Opium Institute shows that going to the fitness is not the only way in which you can keep healthy; volunteering has some great benefits for your body and mind as well and we will list them in this post based on a Mashable Infographic.

The Doing Good is Good for You: Health and Volunteering Study, states that about 25% of the people who spend some of their time volunteering in the past year have reported that this activity helped them control a chronic illness they have been struggling with. This shows that volunteering is good not only for the NFP organisations who need a helping hand to fulfil their goals, but also for the people who venture to provide this essential help and make a difference.

But how does volunteering actually help? Well, to start with, the report points out that 76% of the volunteers asked stated that volunteering made them “feel better”. Enough said – when you feel better, you feel better and it is not that important to find out exactly why. Anyway, 94% of the interviewed mentioned that volunteering led to them having a better mood and this is not surprising.  Most of them probably met with like-minded people, spent some quality time helping those in need, made new friends and had fun volunteering. If that doesn’t help you be in a good mood, what would?

The interesting facts don’t stop here, though. It appears that 96% of the volunteers came out of volunteering with an enriched sense of purpose in life, while 95% realised that their work will make the community a better place to live. It is also good to know that 80% of the participants in the survey feel they have control over their health, while 78% feel less stressed than they used to before they started volunteering.

And if you feel that all this sounds good, there is more to come – volunteering is also good for your career. See how:

  • 49% of the volunteers interviewed believe that the experience helped them with their career in the paid job.
  • 56% feel that their career will be supported by volunteering.
  • 64% of the people who did some volunteering with colleagues state that this improved their relationships, while 81% of those who do volunteering work through their workplace feel closer to their colleagues.
  • 87% of the people who felt that volunteering was good for their career stated that it actually developed their interpersonal and teamwork skills.
  • Finally, more than 75% stated that they now manage their time better than they did before!

All this sounds amazing, doesn’t it? Volunteering seems to be the best way to keep healthy – improve your condition while improving the condition of others. If you believe these results, why not give it a try? And if you are sceptical, just check them for yourself!