Swimming as a Hobby - Essay Example

I have a dozen swim wear, five kinds of goggles, five colors of swim caps, swim towels that I only use when I go to the pool. I pack my gear in waterproof bags designed for swimming athletes. I have pool slippers, nose clips, paddle trainers, trainer boards and different kinds of skin lotion to keep my skin protected from too much sun or chlorine. I don't train and I'm not a member of any swimming team but I gear myself as I am a part of the varsity. I enjoy watching the swimming events at the Olympics.

I also know a bit of diving and have enjoyed the diving competitions as well as the synchronized swimming events. My hobby has taken me to go to the beaches when I have the time. This hobby has also made me visit swimming pools in many places. I would get excited to swim in a new pool whether it is big or small, in a gymnasium, hotel or resort. As an exercise, swimming has given me good circulation and has kept me from storing up unnecessary calories. It has made me become conscious of my health that led me to activities such as looking for the right kind of vitamins, the right kind of food to eat and the right drink to take.

I am not fond of alcohol and would rather drink fruit juices rather than softdrinks. I am abreast with the latest herbal and organic food that helps the body's physical and chemical functions. Many factors have influenced me to sustain this hobby. These factors constitute both internal and external forces. The self-satisfaction I get from swimming is truly rewarding. I love the water and have been enjoying anything about the water since I was young. There is that sense of freedom in the water where one could move one's whole body effortlessly and weightlessly.

Besides giving me good exercise, I know that swimming releases stress from the body and the mind without having to add more stress and strain to the physique like other exercise does. External factors that help me sustain my interest in swimming is the people I get to meet in the pool or the places I could go to when I would explore vacation destinations with swimming areas or offering water sport activities. Swimming for me is not too expensive. I have not ventured into diving because of financial constraints but if I set my mind to it, I would not be shocked if I find myself in diving gears hundreds of feet underwater.

I am fond of magazines that show beach destinations. Products and services that cater to swimming advertise in these magazines. Lastly, swimming as a hobby has given me fun. I believe that activities that become hobbies give the hobbyist a sense of pride, accomplishment, challenge and happiness. In this sense, the hobbyist would not hesitate to spend on goods and service for something that gives him happiness and satisfaction. Consumer BehaviorConsumerism has been the life engine of many capitalist societies.

Manufacturers and producers need consumers to consume their products again and again so that business is sustained. The knowledge of consumer behavior therefore is pivotal in product development, product promotions and business activities geared towards making the product reach consumers so that consumers can decide to buy these products or services. Personal, psychological and social factors influence decisions of consumers. Their decisions are based on the hierarchy of their values. "Many buying decisions require predictions of another person's product attitudes.

Yet, consumers are often inaccurate predictors, even for familiar others." (Lerouge, 2006) Depending on the