In physical work you have a natural outlet for that stress. Confining everything to your upper body, and even one part of it (the head) is gonna cause even more stress.
Yes, I think that physical exercise helped a lot. I go the gym every weekday at 3pm, and do heavy (for me) weight lifting for an hour. That has a great way of burning off the stress and resetting the mind. I highly recommend software engineers specifically plan some time in your day to get out of your chair and get some exercise.
