A central feature of an outlet being effective is if it distracts from the stressor. But, obviously, more important is that it also be something positive for you—a reminder that there is more to life than whatever is making you crazed and stressed at the time. The frustration-reducing effects of exercise provide an additional layer of benefit, one harking back to my dichotomy, repeated ad nauseam, between the zebra running for its life and the psychologically stressed human.
