He’s reached new heights with his fitness.
An NYC father of three claims he lost nearly 80 pounds by committing to one simple exercise: Jumping rope.
“I skip to maintain my fitness, both physically and mentally, because I feel like moving your body plays a huge role in one’s mindset on a daily basis,” Joseph Graham Jr., 32, told Newsweek last month.
Graham, who has a penchant for pink shoes, has been documenting his weight loss journey on TikTok — he’s also credited his success to push-ups and intermittent fasting.
He told Newsweek that he used to be a dedicated runner, going so far as to shed 35 pounds in 2012. But then his mother died in 2019 and gyms closed in 2020 for the COVID-19 pandemic, so he lost his momentum.
“I began overeating and consuming sugary drinks and snacks. My weight had climbed to 247 pounds, and I wasn’t happy with who I was as an individual or the way that I was living,” Graham explained to the outlet. “I was most disappointed by the fact that my children were witnessing me spiral downward.”
Graham said his brother got him a Crossrope, which is a weighted rope, in 2021 “and we just started moving.”
The global jump rope market was valued at $1.95 billion in 2021, research shows, with that number expected to jump to $2.62 billion in 2031.
Not only are jump ropes cheap — several options are available on Amazon for less than $10 — but doing the exercise can build endurance, boost heart health, improve balance and coordination, and burn calories.
“Six weeks of rope jumping has been found to decrease” body mass index, Michele Olson, an adjunct professor of sports science at Huntingdon College in Alabama, revealed to USA Today last month. “When coupled with a calorie-reduced diet, reported changes in body weight and body fat range from approximately 3 pounds to as high as 7 pounds in eight weeks.”
For his part, Graham told Newsweek he has also excelled by going to bed between 9:30 and 10 p.m., slashing sugar and junk food from his diet, and using his children and late mother as inspiration.
He advises people interested in starting to jump rope to practice the “basic skip” — don’t let your feet go too high off the ground, keep your arms by your side, and let the movement come from your wrists.
Rachel Carter is a health and wellness expert dedicated to helping readers lead healthier lives. With a background in nutrition, she offers evidence-based advice on fitness, nutrition, and mental well-being.
