CHECKUP\NEWS, TIPS, & TRENDS\Many know it, but few do it.

Byline: Daily News Wire Services

Almost 90 percent of American adults know they should exercise at least three times a week, but only 49 percent report that they follow the health recommendation, a new Gallup poll shows.

In random telephone interviews of 1,012 adults aged 18 and over, 82 percent identified lifestyle habits they could change to achieve better health, including exercising more, quitting smoking and improving their eating habits.

"The Family Health Index poll tells us that many people are talking the talk about health, but they're not walking the walk, running the mile or even getting the health screenings they need," said Dr. Douglas Henley, a Fayetteville, N.C., family doctor and president of the American Academy of Family Physicians, which commissioned the survey.

"The results show that there are very significant areas such as smoking, weight, exercise and cancer screening where the survey respondents are not following the guidelines recommended by family physicians."

Advice hot line: Instead of panicking in fear of an unwanted pregnancy after unprotected sex, women can prevent pregnancy by taking a specific dose of ordinary birth control pills, according to the staff running the new toll-free Emergency Contraception Hotline.

But women - and even some doctors - may not know about emergency contraception, according to the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals (ARHP), based in Washington, D.C.

Emergency contraception can be used by almost any woman, even if she is not currently taking birth control pills for medical reasons, according to the ARHP.

"Condoms break, or couples don't use birth control and regret it later, but the availability of emergency contraception means women can do more than just hope they don't get pregnant," said Dr. Kirtly Parker Jones, chair-elect of the ARHP.

Emergency contraception has to be taken within 72 hours after unprotected sex, and a second dose 12 hours later. The birth control pills reduce a woman's risk of pregnancy by 75 percent, by preventing a fertilized egg from implanting in the uterus. And insertion of a copper-T IUD can prevent pregnancy up to seven days after having unprotected intercourse, according to the ARHP.

Those interested in learning more about preventing pregnancy after intercourse, can call [phone]. The hot line, run by the ARHP and Bridging the Gap Communications, can also provide women with the names of health-care providers in their area who can supply them with a birth control prescription.

Travel tips: If your summer plans include a trip to a tropical or underdeveloped country, some travel-smart tips can reduce your chances of contracting cholera and other potentially deadly infections, according to a Texas researcher.

"The best bet for avoiding cholera is to be very careful about what you eat and drink," said Dr. James H. Runnels of the Travel Medicine Service at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

Fecally contaminated food and water can carry the infectious agent that causes cholera, which can cause mild intestinal upset or severe diarrhea, vomiting and dehydration, shock and coma.

Travelers may want to consider being vaccinated against the disease before their trip, although the vaccine is not very effective against older strains of cholera and offers no protection against new strains, he said.

Cholera actually poses a relatively small risk to travelers who visit an area for a short while, Runnels added.

While traveling through underdeveloped countries, ocean beach water near cities and river mouths, which may be heavily polluted with sewage and other wastes, should be avoided, he said. And swimming or wading in fresh-water streams may increase your risk of contracting schistosomiasis, a parasitic disease of the blood.

To avoid disease-causing insects, select hotels with rooms that are screened or air-conditioned and steer clear of open-air restaurants and outdoor buffets, Runnels said.