A few weeks ago, I participated in an event that I honestly hope to take part in every year for the rest of my life. That event would be donating blood to my local blood drive. This was my second time donating and I was absolutely ecstatic to do so. To my dismay though, many people around me oppose donating despite how great it is. So in an attempt to hopefully encourage any potential donors, here are 5 reasons that you should donate blood.

Please keep in mind that I am not trying to force others to donate. It is, of course, a choice and one that should be respected. This is my opinion on the topic based on my experiences and research and is not intended to offend anyone who thinks otherwise.

1. It Burns Calories!

A fun but little-known fact is that donating blood burns an average of 500-700 calories. That is the equivalent of running nearly 5 miles! Along with being a good way to burn off some extra calories, donating your blood is a great way to get a sense of where you stand healthwise. Two of my friends actually discovered that they were anemic after participating in a blood drive and this allowed them to change their diets before any ill effects had a chance to take place. Donating your blood test everything from your white cells and iron levels to your plasma and platelets and can serve as a free health check.

2. It's Absolutely Free!

As I just joyously stated, donating blood is almost always free! A lot of times at community blood drives, you do not even have to schedule an appointment. You just show up and all you give is about 20-30 minutes of your time in exchange for doing one of the greatest goods imaginable.

3. It Teaches You About Yourself!

Ask somebody who has never donated blood what their blood type is. I almost guarantee that unless they have had surgeries in the past or were just incredibly curious and had themselves tested they will not know. Along with learning my blood type (O+) I also learned all about my natural blood pressure, heart rate and other useful facts about my body.

4. It's Highly Regulated And Perfectly Safe!

Many kinds of donations such as giving money to charity foundations are not heavily regulated and thus it can, unfortunately, lead to your good deed just going to someone's wallet or having some other unintended effect. Blood donations are uniquely an exception to this with them being heavily regulated and incredibly safe due to this. The people who draw your blood are always trained professionals and you honestly could not be in better hands.

5. You Are Literally Saving Lives!

The average bag of blood that you provide when you donate can save up to three lives! Just take a second to imagine that. By just sitting in a chair for 30 minutes, you have saved the lives of 3 people who otherwise would not be with us today. If that alone is not enough of a reason to donate, I don't know what else could possibly convince you.