"Exercise to create a pause from stress Dr. Stacy Sims explains how physical activity functions as a pattern interrupt for the stress cycle. She described how exercise "creates a pause moment that separates you from stress and feeds back into positive metrics, leading to empowerment and better body positivity." Unlike passive recovery, deliberate movement reshapes the feedback loop: the body interprets effort as competence, not threat, which over time rebuilds a healthy stress response. Source: Dr. Stacy Sims, The Mel Robbins Podcast, The Body Reset: How Women Should Eat & Exercise"