Win an eBook copy of Rugby Games and Drills

Win an eBook copy of Rugby Games & Drills, the ideal companion for coaches and players of either rugby code who are looking to maximize talent and harness their potential.

Developed by one of the game’s top coaches and endorsed by the Rugby Football Union, Rugby Games & Drills. contains over 115 games and drills designed to bring out the very best in players, regardless of age or ability or rugby code.

All you have to do to have a chance of winning a copy is email your name and address to editor@hkeurope.com

All entries must be received by midnight on Thursday 2nd February and 20 lucky winners will be drawn at random on Friday 3rd February. Entries received after this date will not be accepted.

Why do Female Tennis Players Grunt?

Does the ‘tennis grunt’ serve a useful purpose, or is it simply a bit of gamesmanship designed to put off opponents?

Ever since Monica Seles was psyched out of the 1992 Wimbledon title after demands that she reduce the noise level of her grunts, this issue has been of great debate particularly in women’s tennis.

Professor Alison McConnell author of Breathe Strong, Perform Better published by Human Kinetic’s, suggests that there is in fact a physiological reason for a tennis player to grunt and that being a distraction to opponents is merely an added bonus!

Beach Volleyball top spectator sport for civil servants

Beach volleyball will be the most popular sport for Government officials at the London 2012 Olympics according to the latest ticket sales.

Figures show that ministers have bought almost twice the number of tickets for Beach Volleyball, than they have for the athletics.

Officials have insisted that there is an entirely innocent explanation, claiming the decision was all about the timing of the events rather than an interest in the outfits worn by the players.

The GB Rowing Team invites you on board

World Champion Katherine Grainger and Olympic gold medallists Mark Hunter and Greg Searle are giving the public a rare insight into the rigours of selection for the GB Rowing Team this year by inviting them to take their own trial on a rowing machine.

Throughout February the team is running The Nation on Trial initiative and is challenging everyone to get fit in the build up to the GB Rowing Team Senior Trials by getting taking their own 2km trial to mark a big year for British sport while also raising money for The Stroke Association.

Postural Assessment – a new bestseller by Jane Johnson

Though postural assessment is a skill required by most therapists and is useful for many other health and fitness professionals, few resources offer a complete discussion of the topic to support practitioners in the task.

Written for students and practitioners of massage therapy, physical therapy, osteopathy, chiropractic, sports medicine, athletic training and fitness instruction, Postural Assessment is a guide to determining muscular or fascial imbalance and whether that imbalance contributes to a patient’s or client’s pain or dysfunction.

New qualification for health & fitness professionals

Active IQ has launched a new qualification to up-skill health and fitness professionals to help them achieve practitioner status.

The Active IQ Level 3 Award in Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector (QCF) is available at Levels 3 and 4 and is designed to prepare individuals for teaching in a wide range of contexts.

The qualification has been endorsed by the Institute for Learning (IFL) and appears on its ITT/E Qualifications Register.

Learners must be 19 years of age or older and be looking to start a teaching career in the lifelong learning sector.

Take the guesswork out of strength training

This guide will maximize your development with a progressive approach to weight training using either free weights or machines.

Readers will learn which exercises target which muscles and how to perform each one correctly and safely, while gaining insights into how to eat correctly in order to maximize results.

Whether your goal is to improve muscular endurance, build strength, increase muscle mass, tone existing muscles, or reduce body fat, Weight Training Steps to Success will help you be successful.

Price: £14.99 I €14.40
Find out more >>

Growing evidence that gardening is good for you

A new study published in the January issue of the Journal of Aging and Physical Activity suggests that one or more hours a week spent gardening can reduce falls, improve balance, increase walking speed and reduce the incidence of chronic conditions such as arthritis and high blood pressure in the elderly.

Researchers, Tuo-Yu and Megan Janke from the University of South Florida, compared the records of gardeners and non-gardeners and found significantly fewer gardeners had reported a recent fall.

The role of leisure in the lives of the elderly

As the number and percent of older people in developed countries continues to grow,tomorrow’s recreation and leisure professionals will be more challenged than ever to meet the needs of an increasingly older and culturally diverse population.

Written for students, professors and professionals in recreation, leisure, gerontology and ageing, Leisure and Aging provides a wealth of knowledge on various aspects of life for older people and the role of leisure within it.

It helps students think critically about a phase of life that seems remote from their own and provides a perspective to their understanding of ageing and leisure.

Price: £39.99 I €48.00
Find out more >>

No higher risk of cardiac arrest to marathon runners

Contrary to what many people may believe, taking part in marathons and half-marathons is not linked to higher risk of cardiac arrest compared to other forms of athletics.

That’s according to a new study published online in the New England Journal of Medicine, that analyzed 10 years of data to reveal that most of the participants who did experience cardiac arrest during such long-distance races usually had undiagnosed, pre-existing heart problems.