Be a budding athlete and take up your garden shovel

GETTING down and dirty in the garden is an excellent form of exercise, a doctor has claimed.

Medical Director of Pfizer Healthcare Ireland Dr John Farrell said many gardening activities burn the same number of calories as some traditional forms of exercise.

Digging in the garden is thought to burn about 150 calories in women and up to 200 in men — the same amount as a leisurely swim, cycle or even a work out with a punch bag.