There's no need to spend your pregnancy lounging on the couch. Unless you have a high-risk condition and/or your doctor advises against exercise, being active during pregnancy can have many benefits.

One recent study, for example, shows that doing water aerobics during pregnancy can make labor bearable. Half of the women in the study attended three 50-minute water aerobics sessions each week, the other half did not. Researchers followed up with the women after they delivered their babies and found that, while the duration and type of delivery didn't vary, women who didn't participate in water aerobics requested anesthetic more frequently than the women who were active during pregnancy.

So, is water aerobics the magic solution that makes labor more bearable? I don't think there's enough information from this study to suggest that. But water aerobics is a gentle, effective exercise and is a good choice for pregnant women. The American Pregnancy Association has more suggestions for exercise. Before beginning any exercise routine while you're pregnant, it's important to check with your OB/GYN.

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Recently, a friend of mine hosted a pool party for her neighbors. She was thoroughly surprised when several neighbors just sent their children unattended. While some of the kids were older, strong swimmers and probably would have been fine, my friend sent them back home and asked them to come back with a parent. That's one of her pool rules. She has a toddler and can't supervise everyone's children. So, if your kids are going to swim in her pool, you need to supervise them. Some of her neighbors weren't too pleased. I, on the other hand, think it's a perfectly reasonable rule.

Caution must be used when swimming. Simple measures and rules are the difference between a fun, summer activity and people getting hurt. In 2007, US medical professionals treated nearly 172,000 swimming-related injuries. Many of which could have been prevented. To prevent pool injuries, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons offers the following tips:

• Never swim alone or allow others to swim alone.
• Supervise children at all times.
• Don't swim if you feel tired, cold, or overheated.
• Never dive in shallow water. (Inspect pools before diving, so you're well aware of the depth.)
• Only one person at a time on the diving board.
• Don't run on the diving board.
• Dive off the end of the board, and don't bounce more than once.
• Always make room for the next diver by swimming away from the board after hitting the water.

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While both men and women can get varicose veins, it seems that we ladies tend to worry about them more than guys. The bulging masses occur when veins weaken and become loose, allowing blood to pool. Not only are varicose veins unsightly, they can also be painful and itchy. Not exactly fun.

Genetics, obesity and pregnancy all play a part in causing veins to weaken but there are still ways to try and prevent varicose veins from forming. Blood flows to your heart faster when muscles contract and put pressure on your veins, forcing blood though more quickly. If blood isn't moving, it starts to pool resulting in varicose veins. Exercise helps because it keeps blood flowing but for those who spend a lot of their day being inactive (if you've got a desk job, for example), you can still contract leg muscles by standing up and down on your tip toes or by flexing your feet.

If you're obese, losing weight will help, and wearing support hose also works as the garment puts gentle pressure on your legs, helping constrict veins and force blood back to your heart. Want more ideas? Check out this article for additional ways to keep varicose veins at bay.

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We're starting to see our first 80 degrees days down here in Texas, and with the arrival of summer comes constant pestering from my 2 1/2-year-old to "go to the pool! Go to the pool!"

I'm sure many parents are fielding similar requests from their families this time of year, so now is a good time to remind you that the pool can be a great place for adults, too. Most notably, because there are a number of health benefits to swimming.

In fact, "It's been said that a half-hour of water activity is equal to two hours of walking outside," Mark Smith of the YMCA tells KMBC-TV in Kansas City. Plus, because "The water has almost zero gravity," there's less pressure on your bones and joints, which makes it easier to walk.

So give in to your children's demands. Take them to the pool this summer -- and get some exercise while you're at it!

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Chlorinated pools may have an adverse affect on those working in and around them. A recent Dutch study finds that, because of the way chlorine reacts with substances like sweat, it creates byproducts in the air that may eventually cause breathing problems in those regularly exposed to it.

The most dangerous byproducts are chloramines, which irritate the respiratory tract. At the 38 pools they surveyed, researchers found that swimming instructors -- or, those who had the most regular exposure to chloramines -- were nearly 2 1/2 times as likely to suffer from sore throats and nearly 3 1/2 times as likely to suffer from chronic cold when compared with other pool workers.

Fortunately, this doesn't appear to affect those who use the pools -- although these users are thought to be the source of the problem. Subsequently, researchers suggest that improved hygiene amongst swimmers might work to improve the air quality for instructors, and other at-risk employees.

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