How does exercise help in managing stress?

Exercise plays a significant role in managing stress by lowering cortisol levels, a key stress hormone that the body produces in response to stressors. When an individual engages in physical activity, the body helps to regulate and balance hormone levels. Regular exercise enhances the body's ability to cope with stress by not only decreasing overall cortisol levels but also promoting the release of endorphins, which are chemicals in the brain that act as natural painkillers and mood elevators.

Moreover, enabling a reduction in cortisol can help alleviate feelings of anxiety and tension, ultimately leading to an improved sense of well-being and mental health. This physiological process further contributes to resilience against stress, making individuals better equipped to handle stressors in their lives.

The other options do not accurately describe how exercise specifically aids in stress management or they suggest processes that do not align with the beneficial effects of exercise. While providing a distraction can be an ancillary benefit of exercise, it does not encapsulate the primary physiological impact. Increasing stress hormones contradicts the stress-reducing effects of physical activity. Enhancing cognitive appraisal could relate to mental processes involved in stress resilience, but it is not as directly connected to the well-documented hormonal changes initiated by regular exercise.