This post was born out of the need to know what substances are generated by walking at night or in any dark environment, and in this way know how beneficial night walks can be.
Walking at night offers a series of benefits, both physical and mental. It is an accessible and enjoyable activity that can improve our quality of life.
You should walk in both environments: day and night, with light or in the dark.
Night walks should be done in the dark but not dangerous, that is, there is some light, to have visibility and safety throughout the walk, preferably natural light (moon), not artificial. Let them be safe walks, preferably on known trails and without danger of tripping or falling, in semi-darkness.
Walking at night, in safe places, can be a very rewarding and beneficial experience for our physical and mental health. Let’s see what its advantages, disadvantages are and the care we must take:
Advantages of walking at night:
• Stress reduction: Contact with nature and darkness can help reduce levels of cortisol, the stress hormone.
• Improved sleep: Performing moderate physical activity before bed can help regulate sleep cycles and improve its quality.
• Strengthening the immune system: Regular exercise, such as walking, boosts the immune system, helping to prevent illness, whether during the day or night.
• Greater connection with nature: Observing the night sky, the sounds of the night, and the tranquility of the environment can provide us with a feeling of peace and connection with the natural world.
• Greater privacy: In some places, walking at night can offer more privacy and peace of mind than walking during the day.
• Relaxing effects: For some people, walking at night can have a relaxing effect and serve as a transition between daily activity and a night’s rest. This could help reduce stress and promote better sleep, positively aligning with your circadian rhythm.
• Impact on dark exposure: Walking at night can increase dark exposure, which is beneficial for melatonin production if done without exposure to artificial light. This could help adjust circadian rhythms to a more natural cycle, helping you fall asleep more easily after walking.
Disadvantages of walking at night:
• Safety risks: It is essential to choose safe routes that have some lighting, especially if you are walking alone.
• Increased risk of injury: Reduced visibility can increase the risk of tripping or falling.
• Difficulty maintaining a constant pace: Lack of natural light can make it difficult to perceive distance and terrain, which can affect the pace of your walk.
• Exposure to animals: In some areas, there may be a greater presence of nocturnal animals, which could represent a risk.
• Circadian Rhythms: Walking at night can influence circadian rhythms, which are the approximately 24-hour biological cycles that regulate various bodily functions, including sleep, wakefulness, hormone release, and other physiological functions. Here are some ways walking at night can affect circadian rhythms:
Ø Exposure to light at night: Exposure to light, especially high-intensity artificial light (such as blue light from screens), can delay the circadian rhythm. This means that walking under artificial light at night could interfere with the production of melatonin, the sleep-inducing hormone, making you feel less tired and affecting the quality of your subsequent sleep.
Ø Desynchronization of the sleep-wake cycle: Walking at night can disrupt the natural sleep-wake cycle, especially if done close to normal bedtime. This could cause you to go to sleep later and disrupt your circadian rhythm, which could lead to a decrease in sleep quality and daytime alertness.
Ø Evening exercise: Physical exercise, such as walking, releases endorphins and increases body temperature. If done too close to bedtime, it can make it difficult to relax and fall asleep, which could disrupt your circadian rhythm. However, for some people, a gentle walk before bed can ease the transition to sleep.
In summary, the relationship between walking at night and circadian rhythms depends on factors such as light exposure, the timing of exercise, and the individual response to it. It can have both disruptive and beneficial effects, depending on how it is integrated into your daily routine.
Substances produced by the body during night walks:
• Endorphins: These hormones act as natural pain relievers and produce a feeling of euphoria and well-being.
• Serotonin: This neurotransmitter is related to mood, appetite and sleep. Physical activity increases its production.
• Oxytocin: Known as the love hormone, oxytocin reduces stress and promotes a feeling of social connection.
• Growth hormone: This hormone, essential for tissue repair and growth, is released during sleep and exercise.
Care when walking at night:
• Security:
Choose safe routes with sufficient lighting.
Inform someone about your route and return time.
Use reflective clothing and a flashlight.
Avoid isolated or low-traffic areas.
• Appropriate footwear: Use comfortable shoes with good traction to avoid slipping.
• Hydration: Carry a bottle of water with you to stay hydrated.
• Protection against insects: If you walk in areas with mosquitoes or other insects, use repellent.
• Weather: Check the weather conditions before going out and wear appropriate clothing.
Additional recommendations:
• Start gradually: If you are not used to walking at night, start with short distances and gradually increase.
• Walk with company: Walking with someone else can be safer and more fun.
• Enjoy the environment: Pay attention to the sounds, smells and sensations that nocturnal nature provides you.
Walking at night turns out to be an excellent way to relax, improve physical and mental health, and connect with nature. What we recommend is to take sufficient precautions to guarantee our safety and thus be able to fully enjoy these nighttime experiences.
Below are certain benefits of walking at night and how these night walks positively influence our mood.
1) Health benefits of walking at night:
In addition to the general benefits of exercise, walking at night offers specific advantages:
• Improved sleep: Exposure to sunlight during the day helps regulate the circadian rhythm and makes it easier to fall asleep at night. Walking outside before bed can enhance this effect, as long as it is not too close to bedtime.
• Stress reduction: The darkness, tranquility and connection with nature experienced when walking at night can help reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
• Strengthening the immune system: Regular exercise, such as walking, stimulates the production of immune cells, helping to protect us from diseases.
• Weight management: Walking at night can be an excellent way to burn calories and help maintain a healthy weight.
• Cardiovascular health: Like any physical activity, walking improves heart health and reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease.
2) Influence on mood:
Walking at night can have a positive impact on our mood in several ways:
• Reduction of anxiety and depression: Exercise releases endorphins, neurotransmitters that act as natural pain relievers and produce a feeling of well-being.
• Improved self-esteem: Achieving physical activity goals, such as walking a certain distance or increasing the frequency of walks, can increase self-esteem and self-confidence.
• Increased creativity: The solitude and tranquility of the night can encourage reflection and stimulate creativity.
• Connection with oneself: Walking at night can be an opportunity to disconnect from daily worries and connect with your thoughts and emotions.
The aforementioned benefits, in both scenarios, are achieved by walking at night, since they impact our body physically and mentally, and they also turn out to be an accessible and pleasant activity that can improve our quality of life.
Walking is one of the simplest and most natural activities that humans can do, but it can also be one of the most revealing. At every step, we move not only along visible paths, but also through invisible ecosystems that support life and connect us to a world we often choose to ignore. This post is an invitation to reflect on this hidden reality and the urgent need to protect it.
When we think about nature, we usually imagine majestic landscapes: mountains, rivers, lush forests or starry skies. However, there is also a more discreet nature, made up of elements that we cannot see with the naked eye. From the mycorrhizal networks beneath the soil that nourish trees, to the microorganisms that clean the air and bodies of water, these invisible ecosystems are fundamental to the planet’s balance.
By walking, we literally leave our footprints on this invisible world. But are we aware of the impact of each step? Recognizing the existence of these ecosystems is the first step towards their protection.
The Connection with the Essay “Invisible Ecosystems: The Life We Ignore in the Era of the Anthropocene”
The essay “Invisible Ecosystems: The Life We Ignore in the Age of the Anthropocene” delves into the impact that our disconnection from the invisible has on the environment and on ourselves as a species. From philosophical reflections to concrete proposals for action, this essay offers a comprehensive guide to rediscovering and protecting those hidden worlds that are essential for our survival.
If you want to explore more about this topic, we invite you to read the full essay on Amazon, Kindle Edition: https://www.amazon.es/dp/B0DTGXNZY2. (The English edition: soon to appear).
The Animated Short Film “The Silence of Invisible Ecosystems”
Coming soon, you will also be able to enjoy an animated short film titled “The Silence of Invisible Ecosystems”, inspired by the ideas in the essay. This creative project combines a captivating narrative and endearing characters to convey a powerful message about the importance of caring for the invisible. Keep an eye on this space, where we will share a link to the short film soon.
Walking as an Act of Reflection
Every time we walk, we can choose to turn that everyday act into a conscious act. Observe the details of your surroundings, feel the ground beneath your feet, breathe deeply and ask yourself: what am I not seeing? Walking is a bridge to reflection and discovery, a reminder that we are part of something bigger.
As the writer and naturalist John Muir said: “In every walk with nature you receive much more than you seek.” Let us open ourselves to the possibility of rediscovering the invisible, of reconnecting with the earth and of acting to protect it. Because in every step, there is the opportunity to change our perspective and, perhaps, the future of the planet.
Let’s go out to walk among the invisible and rediscover the forgotten!
There are several Posts that I have dedicated to the issue of unhealthy fears (pathological and chronic) or phobias. In a generic way we analyze them in Future Post WALKING AND THE MEANING OF LIVING WITHOUT FEAR, in a particular way in others: fear of loneliness, fear of freedom, agoraphobia and claustrophobia; and in one more, where it is explained in detail how the practice of the WALK-RWD system allows us, if not to eradicate fears, at least to reduce them to an important level, since it is possible to achieve a “mental/psychological balance” both emotionally and sensitively in people who suffer from any type of phobia.
Generally, the phobia is a symptom of some emotional (or psychological) problem that the individual – who suffers from it – blocks so as not to recognize it, an impulse repressed (or inhibited) by his conscious, an aspiration or an unsatisfied desire (for love or possession) that could not be carried out successfully. They are primary or essential (fundamental) desires that are unsatisfied or frustrated. They are also the source of Plutomania(1).
Phobias are generated (result) in the minds of individuals, due to desires that are incompatible with reality, that which we consider normal and true. That tendency arises, consciously or unconsciously, that acts on your mind, directing you towards a negative reaction, of fear, towards the phobic object.
The contact – real or imaginary – of consciousness with the phobic object is intolerable and this causes the individual who suffers from it to reject and store the information in the unconscious; in other words, this conscious behavior towards the phobic object is a defense mechanism that evades or inhibits the desire or psychological feeling, transforming it into an exaggerated and unbearable fear. The unconscious is always in charge of receiving and processing it.
These types of phobias that human beings suffer from are very varied: acrophobia (from the gr. acros: high, extreme, phobos: fear, horror of heights, vertigo of heights; agoraphobia; aerophobia; cenophobia: of empty kenós, horror to empty spaces; social phobia (2), photophobia; nyctophobia, horror of night; wheat, food, repugnance to food; xenophobia, exaggerated rejection of foreign things, and dozens more.
In general terms, the individual who suffers from a phobia resorts to two stages of response. The least helped is the one where he senses that he must face that sick fear because he is quite aware that he should not have that fear to the degree that he feels it; and the other stage, the most frequented, avoids the phobic object in an exaggerated way. Two attitudes that summarize the impulsive reactions of people who suffer from phobias.
We must look for a third option, and this is where the WALK-RWD system can help us from the perspective of seeking liberation and satisfaction of repressed desires (unconscious contents) to improve and integrate the personality of the individual who suffers from the phobia, or well tending to complete it and consummate it in a more harmonious way.
The phenomenon of phobias clearly explains that part in which its negative part is attributed to the unconscious. However, the unconscious serves as a repository for the tribulations that the conscious suffers when feeling fearful of certain stimuli external to the self; but the unconscious is not damaged, but rather serves the human mind as a receptacle, warehouse, processor and as a cathartic mechanism: a conductive medium to make those rejected stimuli and impulses flow to consciousness, serving so that consciousness itself can assimilate them in an ideal or less painful way for her (Posts THE UNCONSCIOUS AND THE CONSCIOUS IN THE APPLICATION OF THE WALK-RWD SYSTEM; PSYCHOANALYSIS AND THE WALK-RWD SYSTEM).
The principle (rule) that we will have to comply with through the application of the WALK-RWD system is that the greatest help that can be provided to a person who suffers from a phobia is not to satisfy their material needs and desires in a way external to them her jurisdiction, but to instill security in her so that she can satisfy them herself. In addition, he must be taught that he must attend to his own desires and true needs – mastering and understanding them -, for which he must renounce social conventions, freeing himself from the conditions that he has acquired in his existence and that have not allowed him to strengthen his own character or mature their personality (Future Post THE PERSONALITY DEFINED BY THE RHYTHM OF WALKING-BODY, Post THE WALK AND THE INSTINCT TO LEAVE THE PLACE OF ORIGIN).
Let us keep in mind that the WALK-RWD system tends towards culture, and this aspires to satisfy essential desires, not the unnecessary or artificial appetites (desires) of aggregate civilization (Post READING IS WRITING, WITHOUT STOP WALKING).
We have already stated that the WALK-RWD system generates, by itself, a process of harmonization in our mind and body with the structured activities of reading, writing and drawing, placing us in an excellent stage of motivation and enthusiasm, reducing the hierarchy of all activities daily obligations, and in this case of analysis, taking away the power of phobias.
There is no specific recipe for each phobia, however, it is worth mentioning that through certain attention and care we can get closer to eliminating it. In general, each individual keeps some fears about some things deep inside and begins to realize it, until he or she manages to have contact with them. No one can say a priori that they feel a phobia about something, until they have the experience of their personal relationship or contact with that “object.” As I already mentioned, there are several Posts that especially deal with some psychological and emotional problems, and in the future I will continue to develop this system to apply it specifically to various phobias.
In general, there are 6 specific routes that we will have to walk with the WALK-RWD system, taking the first steps by applying it comprehensively, that is, writing, reading aloud, and if required, also drawing, while we walk.
1st ROUTE.
Let’s determine the phobia to be treated and its magnitude. We must quantify the thresholds of that fear. Let’s think that we will try to reduce it and if we can, eliminate it.
We will have to take into account in this route that there are two scenarios: the one in which we are psychologically immersed in defined fear; and the other is that scenario that participates within us since we are born or, the phobia that we have acquired and paid over time, surely from the first years of life.
2nd ROUTE.
Let’s analyze objectively, according to our experience and inclinations – emotional and psychological – if we feel a rejection towards the phobic object: if there is any link between the phobia and any activity, commitment, etc. There must be that conscious or unconscious connection.
3rd ROUTE.
Determine, once the phobia is determined, the functional characteristics for the next 2 stages.
A) NEGATIVE OR LACERANT STAGE
• Rejection
• Disgust
• Repudiation
• Distress
• Repulsion
• Aversion
• Nausea
• Dizziness
• Others
B) POSITIVE OR PLEASANT STAGE
Let us complement this route by pointing out on a conscious level if this phobia causes us, sometimes and on certain occasions, positive, good, pleasant, useful, utilitarian, fun, valuable, healthy and beneficial aspects, which clearly presents a paradoxical situation.
And as something defining, a relationship made up of the negative, bad and unpleasant aspects that are felt when the phobia arises.
4TH ROUTE.
As the human being usually responds as we have pointed out within these 2 stages –negative and positive-, we will have to take the following steps by applying the WALK-RWD system.
We must be aware of what we ourselves have experienced in relation to how attractive or not, how satisfying or not, certain activities are.
When we feel rejection towards something, we must become aware of the reason for this rejection.
It is suggested that the person write down the essences that make up their rejection, while walking, as well as the chains of links that lead to their phobia, as analyzed to determine their “acquisition”, becoming aware of the attitudes and activities they develop in this new controlled environment, and the behavior of the person who is suffering from it.
We must be aware that if something is rejected, it is because we do not like it.
To determine the links we must point out that essentially: If we reject something it is because it is of no interest to us, and sometimes it scares us.
We will write this description and read it aloud while we walk: Basic and unavoidable recommendation.
We must place rejection and phobia together, in an exact process, at the same moment, so that they flow and emerge at the same time.
Now, let’s ask the following questions: Why do we reject it? Why are we afraid of it? Why does it bother us?
As we walk, we will have to write with all honesty and truthfulness, the answers to these 3 questions and we will analyze them deeply, in such a way that we will find the possible “cause” and we will be able to know ourselves better, in terms of what we feel and why. we feel it, essentially trying to know what its causes are.
All of this will bring us closer to the “cause (or causes)” why we feel a phobia for an “object.”
If we look for positive aspects in each “cause” for each of the negative issues, we can take a firm step towards mitigating the phobia and perhaps even eliminating it.
We must also be aware that this possible success in alleviating the phobia will be verified if the program of actions is carried out within the WALK-RWD system and through repetitive acts that, although the rational part of the person rejects them, the neurovegetative system (Sympathetic and Parasympathetic) and the unconscious receives and processes them. Let’s leave the work of making each “cause” inherent to us to the unconscious and these other systems and in a not very long period of time (3 or 4 weeks = 20-30 walks) it will begin to transform -in the person affected by the phobia- their fears in attitudes of acceptability of oneself (emotional or psychological problem due to repressed desires) and towards the phobic object.
5TH ROUTE.
Let’s evaluate the intensity of the impact of the phobia on our interiority. Is its effect on us very negative? How much does it upset us? Do we feel anxiety? Do we feel panic?
Once we have finished this evaluation, pointing out all the physical and mental aspects, let’s re-analyze if we were correct in its negative scope. Let’s reconfigure our conclusions about the phobia analyzed.
6TH ROUTE.
Let’s select 2 or 3 negative aspects of the phobia, which we feel more aggressive and less tolerant.
Let’s get involved in what we want not to be afraid of, facing especially those selected aspects.
Let’s eliminate the rest of the negative aspects, and only focus on the most unpleasant ones.
Let’s always do it by walking, writing and reading aloud.
From the 1st week (7 walks) we will begin to improve our phobic situation, however, we must consider repeating, if necessary, the process from specific Route No. 4, carrying out the basic and unavoidable recommendation. But in my experience, you only have to complete 4 weeks or 30 walks to feel a substantial change with respect to the recognized phobia, that is, a true change in attitude and improve our phobic sensations.
As an additional comment, generally, a percentage of the activities we carry out bring with them negative aspects – or that are not very pleasant – which transform them into situations of fear and not wanting to confront them. If we could only put these activities into practice, perhaps we could gradually transform them into activities that cause us less aversion, and perhaps or surely some of the phobias will disappear.
As a general prescription, we must be aware of the latter that we have just pointed out, because that is what some human activities are like. No activity develops pristinely, all of them are confabulations of others, and we have to look for ways that the negative ones – or not very favorable ones – do not hinder or make difficult those that we like. Phobias are psychological networks of repressed desires.
Let’s open these paths to the unconscious so that repressed desires flow to consciousness, but without stopping walking.
PHOBIAS TAKE US DOWN CROWDED PATHS, LET’S GET RID OF THEM.
(1)Loya Lopategui, Carlos, Plutomanía, EMULISA, México, 2024. Available on Amazon, Kindle edition.
(2)Loya lopategui, Carlos, Orfeo Los Disfraces de la Depresión, EMULISA, México, 2024. Available on Amazon, Kindle edition.
Continuing with my stubbornness of encouraging and convincing people that they should walk, I will now use the concept of human conditioning to take effect in a more convincing way. I will do so, using this resource in a more analytical and programmatic way, because I have already referred to this topic implicitly in other Posts when I have analyzed habits.
To do this, I will delve into Pavlov’s Reflex and some other theories about Human Conditioning.
The relationship between human conditioning and Pavlov’s conditioned reflex lies in the ability of humans to learn and associate stimuli in a similar way to how other animals do, such as Pavlov’s dogs. Both concepts highlight the importance of associations and learning connections between stimuli and responses in human and animal behavior.
Human conditioning and Pavlov’s conditioned reflex are related concepts that focus on how stimuli can influence human behavior.
Pavlov’s conditioned reflex, also known as classical conditioning or Pavlovian conditioning, was discovered by the Russian physiologist Ivan P. Pavlov. Pavlov observed that dogs could associate a neutral stimulus, such as the ringing of a bell, with food. After repeating this association several times, the dogs began to salivate just upon hearing the sound of the bell, even without the presence of food. This phenomenon demonstrated how a previously neutral stimulus (the bell) could elicit a conditioned response (salivating) after being repeatedly associated with an unconditioned stimulus (food).
Human conditioning follows a similar principle. It refers to the process by which people learn to associate stimuli and responses, whether consciously or unconsciously. Humans can also develop conditioned responses through repetition and association of stimuli. For example, if someone associates happy music with happy times, they are likely to experience positive emotions when listening to that music in the future.
If we consider walking as the bell and salivating as a stimulus to the digestive system or other systems, organs and glands of the human body, we could establish an analogy to illustrate how human conditioning and the Pavlov reflex could be applied to everyday activities.
In this case, let’s imagine that every time a person walks, they perform an activity that produces a response in their digestive system. For example, we might associate the act of walking with the anticipation of a meal. As this association repeats, the person may begin to experience physiological responses in their digestive system, such as the release of gastric juices, simply by starting to walk.
This association between walking and the response of the digestive system would be an example of human conditioning. Walking becomes a conditioned stimulus that, after repeated associations with the activity of eating, triggers responses in the body related to digestion. In this context, walking acts as the “bell” in Pavlov’s experiment, and the response of the digestive system would be comparable to the “salivating” of dogs.
This example illustrates how our actions and environments can condition responses in our biological systems. Human conditioning is a phenomenon that occurs throughout our lives, as we learn to associate stimuli and responses in various situations. This process can influence a wide range of physiological and behavioral responses in the human body.
There are various theories and approaches that have been developed to expand and complement the understanding of human conditioning, and some of them have evolved beyond Pavlov’s original conditioned reflex framework. Below are some important theories and approaches in this area:
1.-Operant Conditioning (B.F. Skinner).
B.F. Skinner proposed Operant Conditioning, which focuses on how the consequences of actions affect the probability of those actions being repeated in the future. This approach highlights the importance of positive and negative reinforcement in learning and habit formation.
2.-Social Learning Theory (Albert Bandura).
Albert Bandura introduced Social Learning Theory, which highlights the importance of observation and imitation in learning. The theory holds that people can learn new behaviors by observing others and the consequences of those behaviors.
3.-Cognitive Conditioning Theory (Edward C. Tolman).
Tolman proposed the Cognitive Conditioning Theory, which incorporates cognitive elements in the learning process. Highlights the importance of cognitive maps and mental understanding in the formation of conditioned behaviors.
4.-Second Order Conditioning Theory (N. R. F. Maier).
This theory extends the concept of conditioning across multiple levels. Instead of directly associating a stimulus with a response, it involves the association of a conditioned stimulus with another conditioned stimulus to produce the response.
5.-Information Processing Theory (Richard Rescorla and Allan Wagner).
This theory suggests that conditioning is based on prediction and information processing. Rescorla and Wagner proposed a mathematical model that describes how organisms form expectations about future events through conditioning.
These theories and approaches have enriched the understanding of human conditioning by providing additional perspectives on how we learn, remember, and apply conditioned behaviors in various contexts. Each of these theories has influenced psychology and contributed to the evolution of the field beyond the original principles of Pavlov’s conditioned reflex.
The theory of operant conditioning, proposed by B.F. Skinner, could be better associated with the human being’s willingness or reluctance to walk with the specific objective of conditioning him to walk, including the Pavlov reflex.
In operant conditioning, behavior is modified by the consequences that follow. In this case, we could consider the act of walking as the behavior we want to condition. If we associate walking with positive consequences or rewards, it is likely to increase the likelihood that the person will continue walking.
For example, we might reward a person every time they walk a certain distance, whether with a feeling of well-being, release of endorphins, or other perceived benefits. Over time, the association between walking and reward could lead to a more positive disposition toward the activity of walking, thus conditioning behavior.
This approach can also incorporate elements of Pavlov’s conditioned reflex. The walk, in this context, would act as the conditioned stimulus (Pavlov’s bell), while the reward would serve as the conditioned response (Pavlov’s salivate). Repetition of this association would strengthen the connection between walking and the positive experience, thus conditioning the willingness to walk.
In summary, operant conditioning theory offers a solid conceptual framework for understanding and modifying behaviors, such as the act of walking, by associating it with consequences that reinforce the desired behavior.
GENERAL CONDITIONING SCHEME FOR WALKING
In the simile of walking, the strict sequence to achieve conditioning could be as follows:
1. Unconditioned Stimulus (US): The activity of walking.
2. Neutral Stimulus (NS): The environment, visual signal or any other neutral stimulus associated with the walking activity.
3. Association: Repeat the association between the act of walking (EI) and the neutral stimulus (NS).
As this association is repeated, the neutral stimulus (NS), which originally did not elicit any specific response, becomes a conditioned stimulus (CS) that, on its own, can begin to evoke responses similar to those associated with the act. of walking.
4. Conditioned Response (CR): The willingness to walk, the activation of the muscular system and other physiological changes associated with walking.
In short, the sequence follows the same basic principle of Pavlov’s classical conditioning, but adapted to the act of walking. The activity of walking is repeatedly associated with a neutral stimulus (NS), which eventually becomes a conditioned stimulus (CS) capable of evoking the conditioned response (CR), which in this case would be the willingness to walk and the associated physiological responses.
SPECIFIC CONDITIONING SCHEME FOR WALKING WITH THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
To create a conditioned association between the act of walking and a response in the digestive system, we can consider additional elements that reinforce the connection. Below I propose some factors that could contribute to the formation of this conditioned reflex:
1. Context of the Walk: Associate the walk with a specific context, such as a place or a daily routine. For example, walking after meals or before certain events.
2. Specific Clothing or Accessories: Wearing special shoes and clothing could be elements associated with the activity of walking. You can also consider some accessories or even music to accompany us during walks.
3. Regular Schedule: Establishing a regular walking schedule can contribute to the partnership. If we always walk at the same time, the body could begin to anticipate the activity and activate associated physiological responses, such as preparing the digestive system.
4. Preparations before Walking: Performing specific actions before walking, such as stretching or mental preparations, could be associated with the activity of walking and, over time, trigger responses in the digestive system.
5. Association with Food: Combining walking with eating food could strengthen the connection. For example, walking before a meal regularly could associate the activity of walking with preparing the digestive system for food intake.
Let us keep in mind that the key is in the consistency and repetition of these associations. The more times the relationship between the walking activity and the associated elements are repeated, the greater the likelihood that the conditioned reflex will develop in the digestive system.
WALKING CONDITIONING SCHEME WITH A SPECIFIC ELEMENT
The sequence to achieve an association between a specific item (such as special walking shoes) and the reflex in the digestive system could be as follows:
1. Unconditioned Stimulus (US): Special walking shoes.
2. Neutral Stimulus (NS): The anticipation or awareness that you are going to take a walk while wearing those special shoes.
3. Association: Repeat the association between the use of special shoes (EI) and the anticipation of the walk (NS).
Over time, the anticipation of walking (NS) could become a conditioned stimulus (CS) capable of evoking associated physiological responses.
4. Conditioned Response (CR): The conditioned response could manifest itself at different levels:
• At a motor level: The willingness to walk, the muscle activation associated with walking.
• At a cognitive level: The conscious anticipation of the walk.
• At a physiological level: Changes in the digestive system in preparation for physical activity.
5. Side Effects on Other Organs and Glands: Since the digestive system is interconnected with other systems in the body, the initial activation of the digestive system could also have side effects on other organs and glands, such as the release of stress-related hormones or activation of the cardiovascular system.
It is essential to highlight that repetition and consistency are key to establishing and strengthening these associations. The more times the connection between the stimulus (special shoes), the anticipation of the walk and the physiological responses is repeated, the more ingrained the conditioned association will be in the organism.
Mainly, to develop this topic, we have selected the digestive system to stimulate it and obtain a conditioned response from it, however, we could also create these conditionings for creative thinking or for the neurocognitive system. For example, we are certain that walking stimulates and increases creativity, so we could focus and experiment specifically on this function, to achieve conditioning.
For example, develop the following scheme:
CONDITIONING SCHEME FOR WALKING WITH CREATIVITY
Let’s use special shoes to associate it with walking and look for the conditioned reflection of the increase in creativity.
1. Unconditioned Stimulus (US): Special walking shoes.
2. Neutral Stimulus (NS): The anticipation or awareness that you are going to take a walk while wearing those special shoes.
3. Association: Repeat the association between the use of special shoes (EI) and the anticipation of the walk (NS).
Over time, the anticipation of walking (NS) could become a conditioned stimulus (CS) capable of evoking responses from the cognitive system.
4. Conditioned Response (CR): The conditioned response could manifest itself:
• At a cognitive level: The conscious anticipation of the walk.
• Stimulation of creativity
Meanwhile, let’s get ready to walk and observe our dog every morning when we grab his collar. He immediately starts jumping with pleasure.
This Post has the purpose of presenting outstanding data on 2 relevant aspects. The first (Unit A) is to show the results of the research that I have carried out on the official organizations and departments of countries worldwide that are in charge of making effective the laws, regulations and provisions in relation to the construction of urban infrastructure, which guarantee and facilitate movement. comfortable and easy for people through walking, belonging to the social sector who have reduced mobility; and second (Unit B), observe the progress that has been made in the activity of traveling by bicycle, as an element that will serve as a pattern (template) to achieve some goals regarding what we should do in the future, with respect to walking.
Regarding the first aspect, the rules and provisions that those countries have issued that currently govern the design and construction of urban infrastructure, buildings, facilities and public spaces, recreational sites and areas, are presented, in general terms, urban facilities, squares and commercial buildings, multi-family housing and public transportation, to facilitate the mobility of this social sphere in a safe way, moving on foot
The social group of people we are referring to is those who have reduced mobility when walking, either due to age (older adults (1)) or who have some physical impediment to walking in an easy and comfortable way.
The second scenario emerges as a relevant element to analyze and confront because progress has been made in some countries, especially in Holland (Amsterdam and Ultrech), in the use of the bicycle as a fundamental means of individual transportation, and its study will allow us knowing its structural mechanisms and will also serve as a pattern to imitate in some general and specific proposals of the new paradigm of walking.
This post is the continuation of Post THE WALK-RWD SYSTEM AND PEOPLE WITH REDUCED MOBILITY, and also a core part of the series of 9 posts, titled “NEW WALKING PARADIGM”, a set of Posts that will lead us precisely to constitute the New Paradigm that we will build throughout this Blog.
Its development, regarding the first aspect, consists of 3 clearly defined and differentiated scenarios:
1. The group of people with limited mobility who cannot walk due to having both lower limbs in poor condition.
2. The group of people who can walk but one of their lower limbs is not in good physical condition and needs a crutch or cane for support.
3. The group of people who have their 2 lower extremities in good condition, can walk, but have some limitation in their mobility that makes it difficult for them to do so or prevents them from doing it normally, such as loss of vision in one or the other both eyes, problems with the hips, the spine, etc.
In general we could refer to these 3 scenarios as the group of people who have limited or reduced mobility for the practice of walking.
Although we could well include the elderly, we have decided not to do so in order to analyze it separately, although it contains very similar aspects.
To address these 3 scenarios, we have resorted to the available information and regulations and their specific analysis, in order to achieve their resolution in the “here and now”, defining those interdisciplinary actions (2) that are aimed at structuring the New paradigm that allows us to attend -permanently- to the needs of this social sector.
To address the problem with the resources and legal provisions that we currently have, we said in Post THE WALK-RWD SYSTEM AND PEOPLE WITH REDUCED MOBILITY: “…it will be addressed with the technical and regulatory mechanisms that we have at the present moment. I will allow myself to comment on all of them to the best of my ability. Legal provisions vary from one country to another, from one city to another, from one town to another; so each person must investigate this information in their place of residence (technical and legal), as well as about the services, supports and technical, engineering and architectural assistance that can be obtained for this social category, in order to better carry out this fundamental practice. It will depend on each person according to their physical-social position and where they are.”
We also expressed in the same Post: “We will achieve the second scenario – in a plural way – through an invitation that I have already made through several posts that belong to a series of them that will lead us to define a NEW PARADIGM IN WALKING [ …]. The incorporation of this social group in the integration of this new paradigm has a relevance of the first order, and therefore its great problems must be incorporated in the legal provisions, as well as in urban planning and architectural engineering projects, forever and in a manner continued.”
Likewise we said: “Regarding the efforts that have been made, I have been able to detect very significant results (substantial, transcendent), both in propositional documents and in practical programs, which I will present.”
There is the United Nations Organization WHO, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION, which has the central function of seeking to care for the world population within certain frameworks of acceptable health. And one of those scenarios is to transmit the importance of exercising, that human beings must exercise permanently. However, I believe that in the immediate future it will be necessary to seek to address this sector with greater acquiescence, conveying that all member countries of the United Nations must focus on legislating within their legislative frameworks the timely attention of this social class.
As we can imagine, the technical, functional and legal regulatory information is dispersed in different orders in the different countries that have advanced in this area. I have dedicated myself – according to my possibilities – to obtaining this information in the countries that have it, synthesizing it, which I present in an accessible and brief manner in the following sections (blocks, modules, groupings).
Regardless of this effort, the inclusion within WHO of the incorporation of universal precepts containing a legislative framework should be considered, so that they can serve as a reference for all countries worldwide.
The practice of walking should be incorporated as one of the human rights that the UN has deployed worldwide.
Furthermore, it could be incorporated into an administrative and executive department in the same WHO organization, so that this social sector is better served at a global level.
This organization must extend its regulatory provisions in all areas and to all countries in the world. It may sound like a chimera, but it is worth trying, since there are several instances from a technological point of view that can help almost 100% of the people who make up this social group, at a universal level.
It is necessary to implement specific education in this sense (Future Post ENGINEERING, PEDAGOGY OR PSYCHOLOGY OF WALKING) that leads humanity to strengthen this fundamental activity of the human being, transmitting an education, through scientific instruction and financial support. That is to say, it must focus on this social sector, and propose the guidelines and principles for its operation, which is oriented to people in these 3 scenarios, and must also include the category of elderly people who have problems very similar to these, and that they must also be supported with specific legislation, at the international level and in each country of origin.
At a global level, there are various international treaties and conventions that establish rights and standards in the social sector of disabled people. Some of the most important are:
• Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol: This United Nations treaty establishes the rights and freedoms of persons with disabilities and focuses on ensuring their full and effective inclusion and participation in society.
• Universal Declaration of Human Rights: This document establishes the fundamental and universal rights of all people, including people with disabilities.
• Council of Europe Recommendation R (99) 5: This recommendation sets out basic standards for the protection of the rights of people with disabilities in Europe and advocates a rights-based approach to the inclusion of people with disabilities in society.
These international instruments establish a legal framework to protect the rights of people with disabilities and guarantee their accessibility to society, including the construction of accessible infrastructure for their mobility.
EUROPE
At the level of the European Continent, there are several provisions and regulations that establish specific standards for the social sphere of disabled people:
• EU Directive on equal opportunities and accessibility for people with disabilities: This directive establishes minimum standards to guarantee equal opportunities and accessibility for people with disabilities in the European Union space.
• Oviedo Convention: This Council of Europe convention establishes the rights of people with disabilities and focuses on the protection of their human rights and fundamental freedoms.
• Accessibility and non-discrimination law for people with disabilities in Spain: This law establishes the rules to guarantee the accessibility and non-discrimination of people with disabilities in Spain, including the construction of accessible infrastructure for their mobility.
• Law on equal opportunities and accessibility for people with disabilities in Germany: This law establishes the rules to guarantee equal opportunities and accessibility for people with disabilities in Germany, including the construction of accessible infrastructure for their mobility.
These European regulations and laws establish a legal framework to protect the rights of people with disabilities, guaranteeing and facilitating their accessibility to society.
Furthermore, in Europe, there are several provisions and regulations that establish standards in the social sector for the disabled in relation to urban constructions to facilitate the walking of people with disabilities, here I mention some examples:
• EU Directive on equal opportunities and accessibility for people with disabilities: This directive establishes minimum standards to guarantee equal opportunities and accessibility in the European Union, including the accessibility of urban buildings.
• Accessibility and non-discrimination law for people with disabilities in Spain: This law establishes standards to guarantee the accessibility and non-discrimination of people with disabilities in Spain, including the construction of accessible buildings for their mobility.
• Law on equal opportunities and accessibility for people with disabilities in Germany: This law establishes standards to ensure equal opportunities and accessibility for people with disabilities in Germany, including the construction of buildings accessible for their mobility.
• Accessibility regulation in Switzerland: This regulation establishes standards to ensure the accessibility of public buildings and constructions in Switzerland for people with disabilities.
These European regulations and laws establish a legal framework to protect the rights of people with disabilities and guarantee their accessibility to society, including the construction of buildings and urban constructions accessible for their mobility.
Also in Europe, in some countries, there are regulations and provisions on urban infrastructure that establish standards for the social group of disabled people in terms of urban infrastructure constructions such as streets, roads, sidewalks, accesses, ramps, signage, etc. , regarding making it easier for people in this sector to walk.
Likewise, in the European Union there is the European Directive on accessibility for people with disabilities and older people to buildings and other public spaces, which establishes specific standards to guarantee accessibility in the construction of urban infrastructure. In addition, there are specific regulations in each European country that regulate accessibility in buildings and other public spaces. Some European countries, such as Spain, have national laws that implement this Directive and establish specific requirements for the construction of public roads, ramps, signs, etc. for people with disabilities.
In Germany, the legal framework for accessibility for people with disabilities is found in the Federal Act for the Equality of People with Disabilities and Disabilities (Behindertengleichstellungsgesetz). This law establishes standards to guarantee the accessibility of public infrastructure, including streets, roads, sidewalks, accesses, ramps and signs. Furthermore, the Technical Building Code (Building Code – DIN 18040) specifically establishes the requirements for accessibility in the construction of buildings and public spaces. These regulations apply to new construction and significant renovations, and establish requirements in terms of road width, ramp slope, switch height, and other features to ensure accessibility for people with disabilities.
In Norway, there are several regulations that establish standards for the construction of urban infrastructure accessible to people with disabilities. Some of these regulations include:
• The Accessibility and Universal Design Law, which establishes the obligation of local authorities and public companies to ensure accessibility and support for people with disabilities.
• The Technical Standards for Accessibility and Universal Design, which establish accessibility requirements in the construction of buildings, including ramps,
In Norway, the regulation that regulates accessibility in urban infrastructure for people with disabilities is the “Building Regulation”. This regulation establishes specific requirements for the construction of streets, roads, sidewalks, accesses, ramps and signage, to guarantee accessibility and safety for people with disabilities. In addition, there are specific regulations and standards for the construction of buildings and public spaces, including accessibility in elevators and escalators. The implementation of these regulations is overseen by the local building authority.
In England and the United Kingdom, the regulations that regulate accessibility in urban infrastructure for people with disabilities are the “Building Regulations” and the “Equality Act”. The “Building Regulations” establish requirements for the construction of streets, roads, sidewalks, accesses, ramps and signage, to guarantee accessibility and safety for people with disabilities. The Equality Act is a broader law that addresses discrimination in the workplace and in access to goods and services, including accessibility in urban infrastructure. The implementation of these regulations is overseen by the local building authority and the Equality and Human Rights Commission.
Finally, in France, the regulation that regulates accessibility in urban infrastructure for people with disabilities is the “Loi Handicap” or Disability Law. This law establishes specific requirements for the construction of streets, roads, sidewalks, accesses, ramps and signs, to guarantee accessibility and safety for people with disabilities. In addition, there are specific regulations and standards for the construction of buildings and public spaces, including accessibility in elevators and escalators. The implementation of these regulations is overseen by the local building authority.
NORTH AMERICA
In the United States of America there are Regulations and Provisions that establish standards in the social sector for the disabled in terms of urban constructions regarding facilitating walking for people in this sector.
The main regulation in the United States that establishes standards for the social status of people with disabilities is the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This law requires that public and commercial buildings be accessible to people with disabilities and that certain accessibility standards be met in building construction, including ramps, elevators, adapted bathrooms, and signage. Similar standards also apply to the construction of multifamily housing under the Fair Housing Act.
Likewise, there are regulations and provisions in the United States of America that establish standards in the social class of disabled people regarding the construction of urban infrastructure such as streets, roads, sidewalks, accesses, ramps, signs, etc., with respect to facilitating the walk the people of this sector.
In the United States, the law that establishes standards for the disabled category regarding the construction of urban infrastructure is the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This law establishes requirements for the construction of streets, roads, sidewalks, accesses, ramps, signs, etc., with the aim of facilitating walking for people with disabilities. Additionally, the ADA also sets standards for accessibility in buildings and other public spaces. All new public and private buildings, as well as public transportation facilities, must meet ADA accessibility standards.
In Canada, the primary law that establishes regulations for building accessibility for people with disabilities is the Accessibility for People with Disabilities Act of Ontario (AODA). This law establishes that organizations must make their buildings, products and services accessible to people with disabilities. This includes the construction of ramps, elevators, adapted bathrooms, signage and other elements that facilitate access for people with disabilities. Additionally, the AODA states that organizations must provide training to their employees on how to provide an accessible service to people with disabilities. The AODA is administered by the Ontario Accessibility Commission, which is responsible for enforcing the law and providing technical assistance to organizations.
Likewise, in Canada, the law that establishes standards in the disability social sector regarding the construction of urban infrastructure is the Ontario Disability Support Program Act (ODSPA). The ODSPA establishes requirements for the construction of streets, roads, sidewalks, accesses, ramps, signs, etc., with the aim of facilitating walking for people with disabilities. In addition, the ODSPA also sets standards for accessibility in buildings and other public spaces, and applies to all provinces and territories in Canada. All new public and private buildings, as well as public transportation facilities, must meet accessibility standards established by the ODSPA.
SOUTH AMERICA AND CENTRAL AMERICA
There are regulations and provisions in some countries in South America and Central America that establish norms in the social sphere of disabled people in terms of urban constructions with respect to facilitating walking for people of this class, they are noted below:
Those countries in South and Central America that have standards similar to the ADA are the following:
• Argentina: The Law on the Integration of People with Disabilities establishes universal accessibility as a right and requires that public and private constructions meet certain accessibility standards.
• Brazil: The Inclusão da Pessoa com Deficiência Law establishes universal accessibility as a right and requires that public and private constructions meet certain accessibility standards.
• Mexico: The General Law of Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities and the Elderly requires that public and private buildings meet certain accessibility standards and that accessibility be provided to persons with disabilities.
• Colombia: Law 361 of 1997 establishes universal accessibility as a right and requires that public and private constructions meet certain accessibility standards.
These countries also have government agencies charged with enforcing these laws and regulations, and offering technical assistance to homeowners and builders to ensure accessibility in buildings.
RUSSIA
In Russia, the law that establishes standards in the social sphere of disabled people regarding the construction of urban infrastructure is the Federal Law of the Russian Federation on the social inclusion of people with disabilities and improving their quality of life. This law establishes requirements for the construction of streets, roads, sidewalks, accesses, ramps, signs, etc., with the aim of facilitating walking for people with disabilities. In addition, the law also establishes standards for accessibility in buildings and other public spaces. All new public and private buildings, as well as public transport facilities, must meet accessibility standards established by law.
JAPAN
In Japan, legislation for accessibility for people with disabilities is found in the Act on the Promotion of Measures to Remove Barriers Facing Persons with Disabilities. This law establishes standards for the construction of accessible infrastructure for people with disabilities, including streets, roads, sidewalks, accesses, ramps and signs. In addition, Japan’s Ministry of Construction and Transportation has established technical standards for the construction of accessible infrastructure, including requirements for ramp slope, road width, and signage. These standards apply to new construction and significant renovations. These regulations are designed to ensure that people with disabilities can move safely and accessible in urban infrastructure.
CHINA
In China, there are various regulations that establish standards for the construction of urban infrastructure accessible to people with disabilities. Some of these regulations include:
• The Law on the Protection of Persons with Disabilities of the People’s Republic of China, which establishes the obligation of local authorities and public enterprises to ensure accessibility and support for people with disabilities.
• The Regulations for the construction of buildings for people with disabilities, which establish accessibility requirements in the construction of buildings, including ramps, elevators, signage, etc.
• The Traffic Sign Regulation for People with Disabilities, which sets out the requirements for traffic signs accessible to people with disabilities.
These regulations seek to ensure that urban infrastructure is accessible and safe for all people, including those with disabilities.
Most of these provisions and regulations that we have mentioned established in different countries refer in general to disability, but do not specifically refer to the activity of walking.
Of course, they do implicitly include it, however, I believe that they should be more explicit about this activity -not only for the disabled or those with reduced mobility-, but for older adults and other citizens, in such a way that we find the future – which is just around the corner – with regulations that give greater comfort and safety to walkers in all these spaces (2).
Our work will continue to develop these tasks until we have an adequate model to implement at a universal level.
Likewise, the human rights embodied in the United Nations only talk about the Law of people with disabilities and the Law of older adults, which is the topic that concerns us in this Post, however, our final objective is WALKING. The Right to freedom of movement gives us the freedom to move but there is no SECURITY (3) when moving WALKING.
The format that WALK21 has used seems very appropriate to me. Its 8 strategic principles that it points out in its International Walking Charter seem to me to place us on an appropriate path to achieve a universal culture of walking, as it points out in its 8th principle.
In the near future we will have to join forces to legislate on this fundamental human activity at a global level.
(1) In future Post SUBSTITUTE EXERCISES IN PART OF THE PRACTICE OF WALKING we present a series of exercises that can help people who cannot practice walking because they have restricted physical mobility; likewise, in the future Post RECOMMENDED EXERCISES IN CASE YOU DON’T GO FOR A WALK ONE DAY, it could be used since it also consists of exercises for people who can walk perfectly, but one day they didn’t want to do it, and for them those are recommended exercises.
(2) Loya Lopátegui, Carlos, Walking: Redefining the Future of Humanity, EMULISA, Mexico, 2024. Available on Amazon, Kindle Edition: https://www.amazon.es/dp/B0DNGLS67N. The general objectives achieved in this book are the following: a) Propose a comprehensive forecast on the role of walking in the next five decades and design architectural, urban and technological solutions that revitalize this activity: This essay analyzes walking in its deepest dimensions, proposing a forecast that not only considers the challenges, but also the opportunities that the future offers for those who travel on foot. From an architectural and urban framework, and with the help of constantly evolving technologies, we propose solutions that allow walking to be revitalized as a daily practice in human living environments. Innovative ideas are explored to redesign cities and rural spaces, integrating systems and structures that promote walking as a fundamental activity for people’s physical, mental and social health. This essay aspires to propose a model of pedestrian space that includes safety, accessibility, beauty and comfort, and that is adapted to the needs of a diverse and constantly changing population. b) Analyze the concept of pedestrian safety from a holistic perspective: Pedestrian safety, understood here in its broadest sense, represents much more than accident prevention. It involves a comprehensive approach to protection and well-being at every step, addressing essential factors such as road design, interaction with other urban elements, the presence of adequate rest areas, well-distributed accesses, and the inclusion of signage and technologies that facilitate an experience of safe and reliable walking. Thus, safety does not only refer to physical infrastructure, but to a system of conditions and measures that allow all people—regardless of age, gender, physical ability or context—to feel supported and safe when traveling on foot.
(3) Loya Lopátegui, Carlos, Walking: Redefining the Future of Humanity, EMULISA, Mexico, 2024, pp. 40-56
