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Lecture Notes

The third possible explanation is that physical activity provides a distraction from our daily worries or our stressful society. It gives you, in a sense, a time out from the things that might be stressing you outside of that physical environment. And alternatively, the repetitive motions of some activities such as cycling, walking, or even just regular breathing while you're being physically active may also alter your state of consciousness that increases your calmness or maybe reduces tension. And so physical activity, one potential avenue to improve mental health, is that it just provides a distraction from our daily worries or stresses.