Examining the Impact of Acute Exercise and Arousal Reappraisal on Stressor‐Evoked Psychological and Cardiovascular Responses

Extreme stressor-evoked psychophysiological responses are associated with adverse health outcomes. The present study examined the individual and combined influence of exercise and arousal reappraisal on stressor-evoked psychophysiological responses. Participants (N = 238) were randomly assigned to one of four groups: control (CTRL), arousal reappraisal only (AR), exercise only (EX), or combined arousal reappraisal and exercise (AR + EX). After completing baseline 1, the assigned experimental condition, recovery, and baseline 2, participants underwent a speech task. Cardiovascular measures were obtained during baselines and the stress task, and state psychological measures were obtained after informed consent and after the stress task. Trait reappraisal was also measured. There were no group differences in stressor-evoked cardiovascular responses. However, despite similar stress intensity ratings across all groups, participants in the AR group interpreted their stress more positively. Additionally, moderation analyses demonstrated that individuals with higher trait reappraisal in the EX and AR + EX groups viewed their physiological arousal as more helpful than individuals in the CTRL group. Arousal reappraisal may improve interpretations of acute stress. Additionally, acute exercise may be most beneficial for reducing negative interpretations of perceived physiological arousal when trait reappraisal levels are high. Future research should explore whether repeated arousal reappraisal and exercise training may promote more adaptive stressor-evoked responses.