10 Ways to Burn Off One Can of Coke

The National Soft Drink Association reported in 2002 that the average American consumes over 600 12-ounce servings of soft drinks each year. That's more than a can of Coke a day and adds a whopping 700 to 1,00 empty calories to our diets each week.

Despite countless studies showing the negative effects of both diet and sugary soft drinks on our teeth, gums, esophagus, bones, and, of course, waistlines, the consumption rates of Americans cola habits continue to rise. The Coca-Cola company keeps a standard of raising consumption of its brand by 25 percent each year and accomplishes this goal by targeting youth and young adults and continuous advertisements connecting their soft drink to good feelings. (Take the recent "Open Happiness" campaign launched to encourage tight-budgeted consumers to view their product as a "cheap escape" from the economic hardships.)

But, if you're like me, sometimes that single can of Coca-Cola a day is what keeps you going through your afternoon. Nothing goes with popcorn and movie, or donuts at breakfast (ahhh, college), or Crown Royal and Jack Daniels, quite as well as a Coke.

So for all my soda addicts, here are ways to burn off the calories in one can of cola. If you're serious about your "Coke habits" (the legal kind) then you'll need to be serious about some lifestyle changes to keep those empty calories from taking permanent residence on your thighs.

1. Walking briskly for about 20 minutes (13 minutes if you're walking uphill) burns about 100 calories, the equivalent of one can of Coca-Cola Classic.

2. After dinner, with a soda as your dinner beverage, slow dance with your sweetheart to a minimum of seven songs (about 30 minutes). Throw in some spins and twirls, don't just sway like 5^th graders in the gym.

3. If you are eating in and want soda with your dinner, burn the 100 calories while you cook (at least 20 minutes), followed by cleaning the dishes and wiping down the counters.

4. Add eight 16-ounce glasses of frigid ice water to your daily beverage intake and your metabolism will naturally speed up to warm the water as your body takes it in and also shave an extra 100 calories off your day.

5. Walk up and then back down at least 10 flights of stairs. If you live or work in a building with stairs, make the stairs your M. O. over the elevator and you'll quickly gain toning, definition and the ability to drink as much soda as you want.

6. Plant a few trees or a tray full of flowers in your yard. Not only will you burn 100 calories in about 15 minutes worth of gardening, but you'll get that cozy, green feeling in your heart.

7. Take a 20 minute bike ride around the neighborhood.

8. Slip into your gym's aerobic dance class for 12 minutes. If you can still stand up, you can grab a coke from the vending machine on the way out and drink it guilt free. Or stay for the whole hour-class and burn more than 500 calories.

9. Make-out for an hour. You can have a bonus can of cola if you water it down with Crown of Jack and make it an aggressive make-out session.

10. Sing karaoke for at least 30 minutes. If you're at the bar, you're probably drinking, so remember to add extra sets for each double Crown you have.

Aside from adding exercise, female soda drinkers especially need to be aware of their calcium intake. Carbonated beverages (including diet drinks) require calcium to process the carbonation in your body. If your body does not have calcium readily available, it will begin to pull from your bone supplies. This is most alarming for women, who build the majority of their bone mass by their mid-twenties and can then begin losing it again with osteoporosis. Building calcium lost form bone mass later in a female's life is much harder. To prevent this, soda drinkers should add an extra serving of calcium for each carbonated beverage they drink each day. If you're not a milk drinker, keep single-servings of low-fat yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese, or even ice cream and frozen yogurt. Calcium supplements, like chocolate or caramel flavored chewy candies, are also a workable option.