Exercise and volunteering programme linked to better mental health, according to new study

Volunteering combined with exercise can have a positive impact on people’s mental health. This is a key finding from a new study by Maria Cotofan, Christian Krekel and Ekaterina Oparina, published in Social Science & Medicine.

There is growing interest in ‘social prescribing’, where medical professionals refer people with unmet social or emotional needs to community activities such as volunteering. In this study, the researchers collaborated with UK non-profit organisation GoodGym to evaluate the impact of combining physical exercise with volunteering in local communities on mental health outcomes. Good Gym operates nationwide in the UK, has over 25,000 members and has helped more than 58,000 people with about 383,000 tasks since its founding in 2009.

Using survey and administrative data from 2,856 respondents, the researchers examined GoodGym activities that combine exercise, such as running, cycling or walking to a location, with volunteering for local community organisations or helping isolated older people. Participants reported lower levels of mental ill health and loneliness, alongside stronger feelings of belonging, connectedness and trust.

The study also estimated the size of these benefits. Taking part in the programme was associated with a 0.23 standard deviation improvement in mental health in the researchers’ most conservative estimate, while participants’ life satisfaction scores were 0.43 points higher on average. The benefits appeared to last over time: even among people whose last participation was more than six months earlier, life satisfaction remained 0.31 points higher.

To put these figures into context, the 0.43-point increase in life satisfaction is around 63 per cent of the difference between being employed and unemployed (0.68 points), and around 73 per cent of the difference between being partnered and single (0.59 points).

The study provides important support for the use of social prescribing, suggesting that community-based exercise and volunteering programmes could offer a practical, cost-effective and scalable way to support mental health while also helping people feel more connected to their communities.

Commenting on the findings, Dr Christian Krekel said: "GoodGym is a really good idea. Why waste time in a gym if one can exercise together with other people in one's local area, while also helping the community? That pays off not only for those exercising but also for the local community as a whole. At scale, programmes like this could offer a simple and practical way to improve wellbeing while strengthening social connection in communities."

Cotofan, M., Krekel, C., & Oparina, E. (2026). Getting fit by doing good: Exercise, volunteering, and mental health at scale. Social Science & Medicine, 408, 119707. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2026.119707