You Can Stop Going Around in Circles

Tired of running in circles? Well, you can now break the monotony and run in ellipses. That’s right, gyms all over town are adding elliptical machines to their arsenal of workout hardware. Like its StairMaster and treadmill cousins, the new cardiovascular contraptions are easy on the joints but tough on leg muscles, and you can even work on your glutes or quads.

Science Explains Women and Cuddling

Attention, martians (men). Ever wonder why venusians (women) like to cuddle after sex? To save you from your own pathetic loneliness? Or just to be annoying?

Actually, neither. According to JANE magazine, female bedroom bonding instincts are tied to hormonal and physiological changes that take place during sex. After orgasm, a woman produces about 60% more oxytocin--the chemical thought to produce feelings of bonding and closeness. If only guys heard “huddle,” not “cuddle.”

Help for Fat Cats and Porky Pooches

Is kitty turning into a major tubbo? Is Fido’s girth too much for that sweater you knitted for him just last year? They’ve got tons of company. About 50 million dogs and cats in the U.S. are overweight, says a Marina del Rey company out to balance pet scales. Petkin Pet Care Systems is marketing a solution: diet pills for dogs and cats. No mention of kitty treadmills or doggy StairMasters--yet.

Evidently, Exercise Doesn’t Aid Sleep

In spite of the strain and sweat, athletes and other regular exercisers sleep about as well and as deeply as the average couch potato. According to the American Sleep Disorders Assn. and Sleep Research Society, a study by a UC San Diego professor debunks the common misconception that exercise automatically translates into a good night’s sleep.