Human Kinetics

Human Kinetics began at the University of Illinois, where founder Rainer Martens was a professor in the mid 1970s. After unsuccessfully trying to publish information about a sports conference, he and his wife decided that they would publish the fitness book themselves. The original book, Physiology of Fitness, remains a standard in the professional fitness world. By reinvesting earnings into the company and continuously recognizing areas where Human Kinetics could grow, Rainer made “HK” his full time passion ten years later as he hired numerous employees, acquired smaller publishers, and increased distribution internationally. Now, Human Kinetics has grown to include video, software, and online education products to complement their published books and eBooks that cover a wide range of activities from mountain biking to sport law and healthy eating to active aging. The company also runs an annual relay run to benefit local Illinois charities and actively supports community wellness programs.