What You Need to Know About 30 Day Breakaway

If you’re ready to discover how resilient you are both physically and mentally, you won’t want to miss Beachbody’s 30-day running challenge, 30 Day Breakaway.

Created by Super Trainer and track-and-field athlete Idalis Velazquez, this program combines resistance training with running to help you not only conquer a 5K with confidence but also build a leaner, stronger, faster body.

Ready to see how fast and how far you can go?

We sat down with Velazquez to find out what inspired this 30 Day Breakaway and why everyone — from beginners to longtime runners — can benefit from this running challenge.

What was the inspiration for 30 Day Breakaway?

“I wanted to create a program that would help people break away from any fitness and mental plateaus, any physically self-limiting beliefs, and even their own living room — and help them reconnect with nature and all the amazing benefits of running.

30 Day Breakaway helps empower people as they turn their ‘I can’t’ into ‘I can’t believe I just did that!’ and celebrate many uplifting non-scale victories.

I want people to establish the habit of getting outdoors and adding running to their lifestyle. Plus, a commitment of four weeks is attainable and not intimidating, setting people up for success.”

Who should do 30 Day Breakaway?

“The program is designed to be accessible for beginners, yet challenges even the most experienced runners. 30 Day Breakaway offers different calendars depending on your level of fitness, running experience, and the time you have.

Everyone will improve their running capacity, technique, and overall strength and conditioning. New runners will be able to run their first 5k, while experienced runners will improve upon their personal best records and their running pace and speed in longer races.”

I haven’t run since elementary school! Can I still do 30 Day Breakaway?

“Yes! Most people in our test groups hadn’t run in years — or even decades. For them, the first few workouts were very emotional, because they thought they would fail.

They were surprised by everything they were able to accomplish each day and how much their strength and stamina increased each week.”

What can I expect from the workouts? How does the program work?

“You’ll do 20 to 25 minutes of strength training, and then either head out for a run with your headphones or hop on a treadmill as you follow along with a video.

Most days you will alternate running short intervals at a recommended intensity with walking or slower running during the rest periods. Whether you use the audio or video option, I’ll be motivating you every minute!

In addition to cueing the intervals, I’ll share how to run more efficiently and with proper running posture and form.

If you choose the video format, you also get to see me and my running technique as I coach you to change the treadmill speed, incline, and more.”

What’s the benefit of resistance training in 30 Day Breakaway?

“The combination of resistance training and running is the most effective and empowering way to create a strong, powerful, leaner body and optimize fat loss.

Strength and stability should be the foundation of any fitness program. We need stronger joints and muscles to be more mobile, increase our longevity, and decrease the risk of injuries.

During 30 Day Breakaway, you’ll be doing functional movement patterns and strength exercises that will help strengthen your glutes, legs, and core.

You’ll also increase your total-body strength, stability, and power to help you unleash your running and fitness potential.”

What’s the benefit of interval workouts in 30 Day Breakaway?

“Besides helping you torch calories and shed fat faster, interval training is going to increase your fitness faster than pretty much any other type of running.

Giving yourself a breather between segments of fast running allows you to handle more of it, delivering a greater stimulus to your heart, lungs, and muscles.

Interval workouts help to improve your cardiovascular system, speed up your metabolism, and create the “afterburn” effect that allows you to burn calories long after your run has ended.

We need to incorporate new challenges into our workouts, and interval running is the perfect fit since it keeps your body guessing.”

I’m worried about getting hurt. How can I avoid injuries?

“I included knee- and glute-strengthening exercises and sequences to help you reduce injury risk and become a stronger runner. Also, never skip the mobility exercises and recovery workouts!

Take the time to prep your body prior to the runs, stretch after, and follow the recovery days. This will ensure you feel your best and continue growing stronger.”

What if I miss a workout during the 30 days?

“Life happens — it’s not a big deal. Simply pick up where you left off!”