The start to a new year can be refreshing for many of us. Whether you've got a couple resolutions for the new year, you're looking for a reset, or setting some new goals, then January is a wonderful time to get started!

Swimming is not only an essential life skill that can keep you safe, but it is also an incredibly enjoyable activity and a great way to get some exercise. Did you know that just 30 minutes of swimming can burn 250 calories on average? It even has great benefits for your spine's health and can strengthen muscles all over your body! 

Did you know that drowning is the single leading cause of death for kids ages 1-4 and is one of the top causes of death for teens? As a swim school, we are acutely aware of how dangerous it can be for a child not to have the proper skills to prevent themselves from drowning. With many children being home from school and parents being distracted by work responsibilities, we've been especially concerned that we could see an increase in drownings. With many families escaping to various bodies of water for a fun and social-distanced escape from the house, we want to make sure that the children in our community have the knowledge and skills they need to stay safe near water. 

Our beginning was simple. We were just a family with a passion who wanted to share our excitement with our community. We always loved the water and at a young age, I earned my SCUBA dive certification when I was 9 years old, which further spurred my family's love of all things SCUBA and swimming. That's when my parents decided they wanted to venture into the aquatics business. Atlanta Swim Academy was created by my family, and this culture lives on as the entire ASA team has grown to be one big family, joining together to teach children of the East Cobb community the joy that comes with swimming.

As a parent, you have likely had dozens of teachers as you worked your way through schooling. You were probably taught history, math, English, and other subjects with a handful of other instructors. Each teacher had something new to offer you –new information, new energy, new rules, and this was a completely normal part of your schooling experience. Some teachers you loved, some weren't quite your favorite, but all contributed to the knowledge you have today. Swim lessons are very similar and there are many perks in swim instructor turnover.

Swimming is a great activity that so many people enjoy. However, it also is an incredibly complex sport when you get into learning form and technique. While there's a lot to learn, one of the hardest parts is figuring out how to relax in the water. Sounds simple, right? Maybe not as simple as you would like to think. If you've been swimming for years, you probably are well versed in the art of relaxing in the water, but if your child is just learning to swim, they may not have the same sentiment towards relaxation in the pool.

So, what exactly does muscle relaxation help? Everything!

As with most things in life, there are many opinions as to what age children should start swim lessons. We want to offer the benefits of starting your children with swim lessons young and our philosophy as to why we are overjoyed to see parents bringing future little swimmers for swim classes. Ultimately, it's the choice of the parent to decide what they feel is best for their child, but we certainly hope you will look into how we can help your child develop the foundation they need for water safety and skills.

You may have heard of stories about children experiencing a potential drowning incident, appearing to have not suffered any serious complications, only to stop breathing hours or maybe even a week after the original incident. This event has been labeled "dry drowning" or "secondary drowning" and has spread across social media like wildfire on more than one occasion.