The Power of Volunteering: A Path to Healthier Aging

Herb Grulke and Mark Piepenburg are shining examples of how volunteering can positively influence the aging process. Mark recently celebrated an impressive milestone of 11,000 volunteer hours with Habitat for Humanity, while Herb, a dedicated ReStore volunteer, just turned 90 years young.

Volunteering, even in small amounts, has been linked to slower age acceleration for both retirees and working individuals, according to a new study from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis.

“We found that the effects of a moderate level of volunteering — between 50 to 199 hours per year, or about one to four hours per week — were strongest for retired people,” said Cal Halvorsen, an associate professor at the Brown School and co-author of the study “Does volunteering reduce epigenetic age acceleration among retired and working older adults? Results from the Health and Retirement Study.” The study will be published in the January issue of the journal Social Science & Medicine.

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