Which statement best reflects the impact of exercise on stress management?

• A. Improved physical and mental fitness
• B. Increased stress hormones
• C. Decreased appetite
• D. Longer recovery time

Answer: (A)

Regular exercise helps you handle stress by boosting both physical fitness and mental well-being. When you stay active, your cardiovascular system gets stronger, energy improves, sleep often improves, and mood is lifted. These changes make it easier to cope with daily stress and bounce back from stressful events. Chemicals released during activity, like endorphins, contribute to a calmer, more positive mindset, reinforcing resilience. That combination—improved physical capability plus better mental state—best represents how exercise supports stress management. While hormones can rise briefly during a workout, the lasting impact is not higher stress hormones, but greater fitness and coping ability. Appetite changes or longer recovery times aren’t the central way exercise manages stress.