Exercise

Gerbil care-  exercise  and stimulation


Gerbil are active little critters,  and you will need to provide means for them to exercise,  and things to keep them busy.
For exercise,  give your gerbils a wheel in their cage.  Some gerbils may not use a wheel,  but they should have access to one all the same.  Wheels provide great exercise for them and most gerbils will really enjoy it.
For more information on wheels,  click here.
Your gerbils should also get another form of exercise-  out-of-cage time.  Some people use hamster balls for this,  but I wouldn't suggest it,  for two reasons. One,  that many gerbils don't like and are scared of them.  Two,  balls do not allow a gerbil to sniff and investigate nooks and crevices as is their nature.
A better method is to let your gerbils explore a "gerbil proofed" bedroom, hallway,  or bathroom.  Just close the door (make sure they can't squeeze under it),  pick any electrical cords off the floor along with anything else they shouldn't chew,  and if necessary,  block off any places where you can't get to them.  You can also sit in the room with them,  to help them get used to your presence.  And they're quite entertaining to watch!
Another common and effective method is to use a playpen.  You can generally buy one,  or make your own.  Basically,  the idea is just to block of a section of a room for the gerbils to explore.  Since its a smaller space and unlikely to have much in it,  you may want to put some toys in the playpen for them.
And finally,  the way I most often let my gerbils out of the cage is in a bathtub.  Simply put a towel on the floor of your bathtub,  put some toys in,  and let the gerbils roam!  
Out-of-cage time also provides stimulation for gerbils.  But on top of this,  make sure they have enough bedding to burrow in and plenty of cardboard/new toys in their tank to keep them busy.