Human Kinetics

Name

Human Kinetics

Legal name

Human Kinetics

Website

https://humankinetics.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Publishing

NAICS

Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, Book, and Miscellaneous Retailers (459)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Health, Wellness & Fitness Trade Publishing (MPAJAAAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) Sales & Merchandising (Publisher Stores, Bundles) (MPAJAKAD)

Keywords

• Educational book publishing
• Kinesiology textbooks
• Continuing education courses
• Physical education resources
• Scholarly academic publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Champaign

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Print Book Sales: One-time purchase model for physical books across all subject areas including kinesiology, fitness, sports, health education, and physical therapy. Products are sold directly through the website and through distribution partners (Login Canada for Canada, Mare Nostrum for UK/Europe/Africa/Middle East).
2. Ebook and Digital Product Sales: Digital versions of books and standalone digital products sold as one-time purchases or with online resource bundles through the Human Kinetics website.
3. Continuing Education: Professional education courses, certifications, and continuing education units for coaches, teachers, and fitness professionals. Distributed through the Continuing Education Center and PE Central Professional Development platform.
4. Online Courses and Video Content: Online videos, courses, and digital educational content for professional development and student learning. Accessed through HKPropel platform.
5. Scholarly Journals: Academic journals in kinesiology, sports, fitness, and health fields available through the journals.humankinetics.com platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels17 records

Core offering

Human Kinetics is a specialty publisher producing textbooks, ebooks, continuing education courses, and scholarly journals focused on kinesiology, exercise science, fitness, sports, physical education, and allied health. The company sells its content through a direct-to-consumer e-commerce website, institutional sales representatives for K-12 and higher education adoptions, and regional print distribution partners in Canada and EMEA. Its HKPropel Access platform bundles digital videos, web resources, and course content with physical textbooks.

Product overview

Human Kinetics is a publisher and educational content company offering a portfolio of physical education, fitness, sports science, and health-related products. The core offerings include HKPropel Access (a digital learning platform providing online access to textbooks and video resources integrated with Human Kinetics publications), Coach Education (online coaching certification), Continuing Education Center (professional development for fitness and health professionals), and Scholarly Journals (peer-reviewed academic publications). Physical products include print books distributed regionally through partners (Login Canada for Canada, Mare Nostrum for UK/Europe), ebooks and digital materials, and Custom Textbooks for institutional adoption. The company serves K-12 education (with state adoption resources), higher education (textbook adoption), and professional markets (continuing education and coach certification).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Lotus Books: Sub-brand mentioned on the website with dedicated 'About Lotus Books' page.

Products and services

• HKPropel Access Online platform that delivers digital learning materials, web resources, and online video content integrated with Human Kinetics textbooks and educational resources for students, instructors, and professionals.
• Coach Education Online platform offering coach certification courses and professional development for sports and fitness coaches, accessed at coacheducation.humankinetics.com.
• Continuing Education Center Continuing education courses and certification programs providing professional development credits for fitness professionals, athletic trainers, and health educators.
• Scholarly Journals Peer-reviewed academic journals in kinesiology, exercise science, sports medicine, and related health disciplines, available through the journals.humankinetics.com platform.
• PE Central Professional Development
• Ebooks and Digital Products Digital versions of Human Kinetics textbooks and educational materials available for purchase via the company's e-commerce site.
• Print Books Physical textbooks and educational books spanning kinesiology, fitness, sports, health education, and physical therapy, distributed through regional partners Login Canada (Canada) and Mare Nostrum (UK, Europe, Africa, Middle East).
• Custom Textbooks Custom publishing service that allows higher education institutions to create customized textbooks tailored to their specific course requirements.
• K-12 Resources Curriculum-aligned educational materials and resources for K-12 physical education and health education programs, including state adoption resources.
• Lotus Books Specialized yoga and anatomy book collection featuring titles focused on yoga instruction and anatomical studies.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Login CanadacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLogin Canada serves as the exclusive distributor for Human Kinetics print books in the Canadian market. Customers on the Human Kinetics website are directed to Login Canada to complete purchases of physical books for delivery within Canada.
• Mare NostrumcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMare Nostrum distributes Human Kinetics print books and ebooks throughout the UK, Europe, Africa, and Middle East. Products are delivered from Mare Nostrum's warehouse. Human Kinetics has a dedicated UK website for these regions.
• Lotus BooksminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for yoga and anatomy content promotion. Lotus Books is featured on the Human Kinetics website as a partner for exploring yoga and anatomy resources.
• CanfitprominorGTM or Marketing PartnerHuman Kinetics resources are approved for canfitpro members, indicating a marketing partnership for promoting fitness professional education content to canfitpro's membership base.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Wiley: Academic publisher with strong presence in scholarly journals and professional textbooks; competes with Human Kinetics' journals platform and higher education titles.
• Cengage: Higher education and K-12 publisher offering textbooks, digital platforms, and instructor ancillaries — broader incumbent competing in the same adoption and custom publishing workflows.
• Elsevier: Global academic publisher with significant health sciences, sports medicine, and rehabilitation content — overlaps with Human Kinetics' clinical reference and journal offerings at scale.
• McGraw-Hill Education: Major higher education and K-12 textbook publisher with extensive digital learning platforms — a broader incumbent competing for textbook adoptions and digital courseware budgets.
• Pearson: Global education publisher with significant higher education and K-12 textbook presence; overlaps Human Kinetics in higher ed adoption cycles but operates across all subjects rather than the kinesiology niche.

Direct peers

• National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA): Publishes strength and conditioning educational content, certifications, and continuing education — overlapping Human Kinetics' Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning franchise and Coach Education platform.
• American Council on Exercise (ACE): Major certifying body for fitness professionals that produces study materials, continuing education, and trainer content — directly comparable to Human Kinetics' continuing education and professional development offerings.
• NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine): Leading personal trainer certification and continuing education provider with its own textbooks and digital content — competes with Human Kinetics in the fitness professional education segment.
• Jones & Bartlett Learning: Specialist higher education and professional publisher in health sciences, exercise science, athletic training, and physical therapy — the closest direct competitor to Human Kinetics in the kinesiology/PE/health textbook category.
• Routledge (Taylor & Francis): Major academic publisher with deep catalogs in sport science, kinesiology, and physical education — directly overlapping Human Kinetics' core higher education and scholarly journal coverage.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/human_kinetics
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/HumanKineticsUSA/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/HumanKinetics
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/human-kinetics
• Instagraminstagram.com/humankinetics
• TikToktiktok.com/@human_kinetics
• Pinterestpinterest.com/humankinetics

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Human Kinetics