Exercise makes me sick

Last month, my mom tried yoga, but quit because it made her extremely nauseous after each session. One of my friends at work and I were talking about exercise and nausea and decided to google connections between the two. The information found was interesting. Most of it came from commentary on chat boards, based on e-people's experiences. Nothing seemed too out-there overall, so I am jotting it here as a reminder of what to or not do the next time I feel sick rather than feel the burn.

Exercise pointers "from those who know":

* Drink. Dehydration can cause nausea. Drink plenty of water before and after exercising; sip during your workout. Exercise such as yoga kicks up toxins in the body and water helps flush them out. Be sure to drink lots of water even several days after a yoga class. (Just don't drink too much as that can also cause nausea.)

* Fill the tank. An upset stomache may mean your body needs water, electrolytes, and protein. In short, your fuel tank is empty. To stave off nausea, drink a 16-ounce bottle of water an hour before class. Post-exercise, injest a sports drink like Gatorade and a protein-spiked snack (think turkey and cheese on an English muffin or yogurt or protein bar or shake). When eating something prior to exercising, keep it light and simple 30 to 60 minutes prior to your activity .

* Gauge your intensity. If you feel nauseous, dial it down a notch and build up to full throttle over time. Bring in a fan, strip off a layer of clothing, cool down with a drink. You may be overheating or simply working too hard.

* Cool down. Avoid abruptly ending a workout. Take the time to regulate your body with a cool down.

* Yoga/exercise alone doesn't trigger illness. There can be many contributing factors including current state of health and lifestyle (too much or not enough sleep, coming down with something, emotionally stressed, etc.), age, fitness level, the type of yoga, the teacher's experience and your approach. The activity may be your body's "final straw".

* Shop around. Find a class or exercise that fits you. People shop for clothes, cars, houses, etc., why not an exercise they like?