WASHINGTON -- A new product claims to give people all the exercising benefits of jumping rope without the hassle.

The product is a ropeless jump rope called JumpSnap.

It's the invention of an Annapolis man who says he got frustrated trying to jump rope.

"I knew jumping rope was a great exercise, but I just couldn't do it, and I think I'm like a lot of people out there," said Brad LaTour, inventor of JumpSnap. "What most people do when they jump rope, they are so conscious about the rope that they overjump."

LaTour said JumpSnap is the result of his personal quest for physical fitness, and acceptance that he just didn't have the coordination for a traditional jump rope.

"I'll jump about 140 to 145 rotations a minute. That's like a boxer. Most people can't do that ... which is why I created it," said LaTour.

JumpSnap has two handles with small balls attached. With each rotation the device makes a snap sound much like a rope hitting the floor.

"It provides you with a rhythm, as if the rope were still connected," said LaTour. "Every rotation is a jump, in that every rotation also causes a snap to count that jump, so that also provides the rhythm."

According to LaTour, the snap helps the jumper maintain form, and an electronic chip in the handle keeps track of your workout.

"In the upper left, it shows the number of calories based on my height, weight and the number of rotations. So, I just burned approximately 77 calories in 4 minutes 14 seconds and I completed 571 jumps," LaTour said.

LaTour said the device could help others the way it has helped him.

"It helped me lose 50 pounds, so I'm a firm believer that it works. I also lost 6 inches in my waist," he said.

LaTour said JumpSnap is a great alternative for people confined to small spaces or with low ceilings.

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