A hamster wheel, also known as a running wheel, is a device used primarily by hamsters, rodents, and other cursorial animals to exercise. Typically, these devices are made up of a ridged or runged wheel that is held on a stand by a single or pair of stub axles. Hamster wheels provide rodents with the opportunity to run and exercise even when their space is confined. The term "hamster wheel" was first noted in a 1949 newspaper advertisement and has since become a widely used term.