Even if you think you're getting enough exercise, you can be throwing it all away when you sit down. New research finds sitting for too long every day puts you at higher risk for cardiovascular disease and even cancer.

A room full of friends makes exercise more bearable for Sandy Christea. I have no discipline so I come here and do it and get it done," she said.

But it turns out even a strict 30 minutes of exercise five days a week isn't enough to combat chronic illness and obesity if you spend too much time sitting. That's something Sarah Gremore used to make a hobby after work. "That's all you want to do is sit down and not do anything," she said.

Gremore worked as a secretary and spent eight hours a day on one seat. Now, she moves around a lot as a waitress. "You're there for 12 hours on your feet," she said. But Gremore still struggles with staying active after the work days ends. "Even when you have a desk job or an active job, either way, you're tired," she said.

New research in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition finds even people who spend seven hours a week moderately exercising can't cancel out sitting in front of the TV or at work for 7 hours a day. That's partly because the minute you hit the seat, your body's ability to burn calories drops to only one per minute. Activity in leg muscles stop and after a couple of hours, good cholesterol drops 20 percent. But factors like level of intensity in a workout matters in how much exercise is enough to make a difference in your health. "Physical activity that you did in the past, what you're doing now and what you're capable of what your health allows you to do," said Diane Holm, of the Health Department.

Simple things like pacing while on the phone at home or getting up to move around once every hour while at the office can help speed up your body's ability to burn calories.

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Information courtesy of NBC News.