There’s something to be said for “playing in the dirt.” Gardening – the adult version of dirt playing – can be incredibly gratifying. Seeing that first bit of growth start to pop out of the ground after all your prepping, planting and pampering can be quite satisfying. However, did you realize that besides making you feel good about your agriculture aptitude, there are significant health benefits of gardening? It’s true. Gardening can provide a good full-body, low-impact workout, ease stress and even improve eating habits. And, recent research has even shown that bacteria in dirt can make us smarter! It may be time to dust off that shovel. Gardening benefits your fitness level While it’s true that gardening doesn’t provide the same calorie burn as say a circuit class or lifting weights  (unless of course you’re hauling very heavy yard equipment long distances), it does require muscle strength. And depending on the type of equipment you are using, dragging the tools around the yard can torch quite a few calories. And then there’s the digging, which uses your back muscles, core, arms and legs. Bending up and down to plant the seeds and to weed require strength and stretching and are all excellent forms of low-impact exercise