Final answer:
Aerobic exercise is beneficial in managing stress while perceived control helps in experiencing less stress overall due to favorable outcomes associated with it, such as lower reactivity to stressors.
Step-by-step explanation:
Based on the textbook's discussion, aerobic exercise may help us better manage stress by buffering some of the physiological mechanisms of stress, ensuring that physically fit individuals are more resistant to the adverse effects of stress. On the other hand, having a sense of control may help us experience less stress in the first place, as the perception of personal control is associated with a variety of favorable outcomes, including lower reactivity to stressors. Exercise acts as a buffer to stress, improving physical and mental well-being, while perceived control affects the intensity and chronicity of stress, improving our reactions to stressful situations.