The JumpSnap® is a ropeless jump rope designed for exercising, intended to allow people to jump rope anywhere without having an actual rope swinging around and bumping into things. The JumpSnap® is also a good option for people who are uncoordinated and find themselves tripping on a traditional jump rope, which interrupts the workout, and slows the heart rate, or could potentially lead to injury. The JumpSnap® is sold in a kit that comes with two jump rope handles, interchangeable weights that can be added to each handle, and a DVD that includes four different workouts to ensure variety.
Jumping rope is often recommended by trainers and physicians as a way to get exercise. It is aerobic exercise, so it gets the heart pumping, which can help with weight loss and improve overall cardiovascular endurance, among other benefits. In addition, the whole body is engaged all at once, which is rare to find in other types of aerobic exercise like walking or jogging, and is very beneficial to the bones and muscles. With practice, many people can become better at jumping rope, and use it as a type of daily exercise. Unfortunately, some find it to be too challenging; it is also hard to do inside, especially in a small room, or while traveling.
The JumpSnap® aims to address some of these issues by eliminating the rope itself. The electronic handles keep track of the amount of time spent jumping and the calories burned, and three different weights may be inserted into the handles to make them heavier, and to make it feel more like an actual jump rope, as they extend on nylon strings slightly past the end of the handle. Using this device, people are able to mimic the motions when jumping rope, without fear of tripping over the rope or swinging it into something or someone in the room.
For traveling, the JumpSnap® also represents a good option for use in a small hotel room. Some people simply use this device for traveling, and use a regular jump rope when at home. The instructional workout DVD, however, provides four different individual workouts using the JumpSnap®, which can help to add more variety to a standard jump rope workout. Of course, it is possible to simply try different methods independently when using the JumpSnap®, such as jumping on one foot, skipping, or jogging in place, among others. The beauty of any jump rope workout is that it is easily customizable, and can be made more or less challenging based on one's physical ability.
There are some drawbacks, however, to using this device instead of a traditional jump rope. First of all, some may find that the jumpsnap® feels awkward, or less natural than doing this kind of exercise with a real rope. Additionally, some have complained that the dangling counter weights can sometimes hit the user's fingers causing some discomfort. Therefore, the device may not be for everyone, but it does provide a viable alternative to jumping rope indoors or when traveling.