Hike With Patrick

I am 6'2"—very tall by everyday standards. For years, I lived in an environment that simply wasn’t designed for people like me. Kitchen counters, bathroom sinks, and tables were all too low. Society, in many small but constant ways, was not friendly to tall bodies.

Before 2016, I suffered frequent and sudden lower-back spasms. Something as ordinary as brushing my teeth, washing dishes, or trying to hug a toddler could trigger an attack. When it happened, I had zero defense. I would collapse onto the floor, unable to move, and then be confined to bed for three or four days. This cycle repeated itself for years, beginning around 2009.

Ironically, before all of this, I was quite athletic. In 2006, I ran a 10K in 45 minutes and 30 seconds. But after 2009, I stopped running altogether. I also stopped hiking challenging or strenuous trails. Pain dictated my limits.

To avoid further injury—and quite frankly, to avoid suffering—I began searching for a different solution in 2016. I did not want temporary relief; I wanted a system that worked in real life, all day long.

Over time, I developed a set of breathing and postural practices designed to engage the abdominal muscles continuously, while reducing unnecessary and harmful overuse of the lower back. This is the core logic—the foundational principle—behind the 24-Hour Belly-In Method.

To be very clear: this system does not rely on heavy strength training. It is built almost entirely on breathing and posture. The goal is not to make the core strong for one hour in the gym, but to make it present for 24 hours in daily life.

On September 24, 2022, I hiked the Golden Ears Summit trail. Two weeks later, while chatting with a friend, I suddenly realized something remarkable: my back hadn't hurt at all—not during the hike, and not afterward.

That was the moment I understood—after six years of practicing 24-Hour Belly-In, my back was effectively healed. The method had become second nature. From that point on, I returned to running and hiking. Movement was no longer something to fear.

At the end of 2025, I went snowshoeing in Banff and stayed at a hostel. When I walked into the shared kitchen, it was full of tall, young Australians—around 22 years old—on two-year working holiday visas. What struck me was this: I was the confident one. They were the awkward ones. I realized then that posture and gait quietly communicate strength, calm, and presence. My way of standing and moving had changed.

On January 16, 2026, I went swimming at a public pool. Looking around, I felt a strong visual discomfort—so many people with collapsed posture and disengaged cores. It made me realize how rare, and how valuable, good posture truly is.

I am genuinely happy to devote myself fully to teaching the 24-Hour Belly-In Method to the public. The method helps individuals build sustainable, continuous core engagement in daily life. It improves posture and presence, enhances athletic performance, supports digestion, boosts metabolism, and helps defend against metabolic syndrome.

Techniques such as hip drive and the hiking/cat-step gait are explained. When you truly understand and embody the essence of 24-Hour Belly-In, these techniques emerge naturally. They become water flowing downhill—effortless, intuitive, and no longer out of reach.