Edmonton's = Child-Online Edition

Volunteering Boosts = Health and=20 Well-Being

By:=20 Volunteer Edmonton

Maintaining = a healthy=20 lifestyle is often easier said than done, especially for busy parents = juggling=20 kids and jobs. An evening on the couch might seem like a great way to = wind down=20 after a stressful day, but consider skipping a night with the TV and = spending=20 some time volunteering to improve your health and=20 well-being.

According to = the=20 Public Healthy Agency of Canada, volunteering offers a number of health=20 benefits. Feeling good physically, emotionally and spiritually, along = with=20 making new friends, developing new skills and setting a good example for = your=20 family members are just a few of the many positive outcomes of=20 volunteering.

Studies show = that=20 social participation, like volunteering, promotes health by positively = affecting=20 thoughts, emotions and behavior. Other notable benefits include = developing=20 social networks, enhanced confidence, self-esteem and improved coping=20 abilities=97all of which contribute to reduced blood pressure, healthier = lifestyles and lower mortality.

The Canadian = Mental=20 Health Association featured similar findings in their winter 2007 = edition of=20 Balance magazine. The article found that focusing on someone = other than=20 yourself interrupts usual tension producing patterns and reduces = stress-related=20 hormones.

=93We should = keep in=20 mind that quality of life isn=92t always measured by the physical = state,=94 says=20 Janice Bell, director of Volunteer Edmonton. =93Community participation = provides=20 volunteers with a sense of identity, belonging, and confidence. These = factors=20 are the key to a happy and healthy person.=94

To reap = these=20 benefits, you don=92t need to follow a strict volunteer regime that = requires you=20 to devote your evenings and weekends. A few hours a week or month, or = whatever=20 you can spare is all it takes. Extend these health and well-being = benefits to=20 the rest of your family by getting involved in the community as a=20 group.

For parents = of=20 teenagers, volunteering can have a substantial impact on their child=92s = development. A 2005 report by the Canadian Institute for Health = Information=20 identified five key assets that help determined a teen=92s overall = health quality,=20 feelings of self-worth and likelihood of being involved in risky = behaviour. Of=20 the five cited, youth who volunteered showed better health, higher = self-worth=20 and less likelihood of using drugs, alcohol or = tobacco.

Involvement = in the=20 community through volunteering also benefits the broader social = environment.=20 Social participation through volunteering is an important factor to = healthy,=20 vibrant communities because of the interaction between community = members.=20 =93Imagine your neighbourhood without the person who helps coach little = league for=20 your children or the group of students who pick up litter in the parks = and=20 schools in your community. Think of all the ways that communities = benefit=20 through volunteerism and imagine what would happen if that disappeared. = Chances=20 are, your quality of life would decrease,=94 Bell explains.

To learn=20 how to become involved in volunteering, visit www.volunteeredmonton.com.=20 Volunteer Edmonton is a program of The Support = Network.=20 For more information, please contact Evelyn=20 Pham at (780) 732-6655.