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Taekwondo fighters require sufficient postural stability to maintain tactical superiority over an opponent. Postural balance is controlled by somatosensory, visual and vestibular system. Cervical spine has neurophysiological connection to the visual and vestibular system as well as abundance of receptors within the connective tissues of the spine. Guard-specific posture in taekwondo requires constant head and neck rotations, therefore deficits in cervical spine could alter the balance. The aim of the study was to study connections between cervical spine kinesthesia and balance in taekwondo specific postural tasks. Sixteen healthy male taekwondo fighters (22 ±1,3 years of age) competing at the national level were enrolled in the study. Postural balance during a single leg stance while facing forward or with 90° of neck torsion using a force plate (Bilateral force plate, S2P, Ljubljana, Slovenia) was assessed. Kinesthetic awareness of cervical spine was measured using a Butterfly test with a NeckCare system (Butterfly Method, NeckCare ehf., Reykjavik, Iceland). Statistically significant correlations were observed for Undershoot standard deviation of the Butterfly test and Neck torsion balance test while standing on the non-dominant leg. These correlations were most prominent for the average amplitude of centre of pressure movement in the medial-lateral direction (r > 0.85) and anterior posterior direction (r > 0,80) Results of this study indicate that taekwondo fighters develop side specific adaptations in the balance control. Increased variability of cervical spine kinesthetic awareness is correlated to an increased average amplitude of medial-lateral body sway while standing on the kick preferred leg. This can lead to higher body oscillations during the fight, decreased stability, prolonged reaction time and quickness. Specific cervical spine training is recommended to improve fighting performance.

A large number of human movement studies have focused on functioning of complex biological systems. These systems can be observed as one muscle-tendon unit or one muscle fiber, one limb or joint, or a whole locomotor system presented as a kinetics chain. A muscletendon unit may generate forces in two distinctly different ways: as an elastic-like spring in stretch-shortening motion and as converters of metabolic energy into mechanical work. Furthermore, during movement a muscle-tendon unit can be stiff or compliant. Understanding these conditions during movement would provide important information that could be used for sports performance improvement and injury prevention planning.

Coordination is the ability to control movements of the whole body or parts of the body in space. It is reflected in the fast and precise execution of complex motor tasks, i.e. rapid resolution of motor problems. It plays an important role in most sports. For performance in karate, in addition to explosive power and speed, motor skills are the most important. On the other hand, a sensitive period for the development of coordination is the period from 6 to 16 years. A KTK test (Körperkoordinationtest für Kinder), which consists of four motor tests for children aged 5-14 years, can be used to assess co-ordination and the obtained results are converted into motor coefficient (MK). Based on MK, the motor skills of children or their coordination can be categorized as: high level of coordination, good level of coordination, average level of coordination, moderately damaged and severely damaged level of coordination. The KTK can also be applied to young karatists primarily for determining the level of coordination development and not for selection, which is not recommended at this age.

Popularisation of travels aiming to prevent illnesses of a modern man has resulted in an exceptionally dynamic development of wellness tourism in the world. As one of the fastest growing segments of tourism industry, wellness tourism reaches an annual growth rate that is almost 50% higher than the expected growth rate of the overall global tourism economy. As a service industry in which the human factor plays the most important role, the wellness industry provides a large number of new jobs each year. However, new working positions should be filled by adequately trained and motivated workers. It is therefore necessary to innovate the existing education systems, both in the field of formal and informal education. Finding out how wellness industry workers are trained in Serbia and Slovenia and what kind of changes should be made in that field in order for both of these countries to be competitive on a global market were the main goals of the study conducted as a part of the cross-border cooperation between the Faculty of Sport and Tourism from Novi Sad and Faculty of Tourism in Brežice. The results of the study indicate that the practice of wellness tourism is far more open for innovations in comparison with universities. The study has also shown that, in order to secure quality education of future professionals, it is necessary to establish a closer cooperation between the universities and the leaders in spa and wellness industry.

As a result of modern sedentary lifestyles, which entails passive leisure activities, young people are also often not physically prepared for the rigors of youth sports activities. On the other hand, there has been a significant increase of participation in organized youth sport, which has been accompanied by dramatic increase in sport-related injuries. Inadequate physical preparation is believed to be a risk factor in most sports-related injuries in young athletes, and physical preparation that includes strength and neuro-muscular training is therefore a part of strategy for prevention of sport injuries. As the benefits of physical preparation for young athletes are known and recognised, the aim of this review article is to point out some specificities of the youth training processes, as well as the various aspects of physical preparation of young athletes for organized competitive sports activities.

The bones play an important structural role in the organism. They provide mobility, support, and protect the body, and the place where the storage essential minerals. Healthy bones have a crucial impact on the overall health of a person, and activities that promote health and preventive influence on the formation of bone disease are crucial in maintaining a strong and healthy skeletal system. Physical inactivity affects the decrease in function of bone, and the most common disease of bone osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a systemic skeletal disorder that results in low bone density and micro-architectural deterioration of bone tissue, that results in less bone density, and may lead to fracture. Physical activity is essential for bone health and prevention of osteoporosis. Based on available information, the best effect to maintain and stimulate the formation of bone mineral density is a combination of dynamic exercises with resistance training that engage multiple joints, large muscle groups, and have influence on the spine and hips. The results suggest that exercises with axial loading, such as running, jumping, and power exercise, promote the positive gains in bone mineral density. Therefore, training should focus on the adaptation of specific parts of the body that is most susceptible to injury, and should be sufficiently intense that exceeds the normal loads.

A survey was conducted in Novi Sad in the preschool institutions of 'Radosno detinjstvo' on a sample of 423 preschool children of both sexes, ages 6 and 7. The subject of this paper are postural disorders on the spinal column in the sagittal and frontal planes, as well as foot deformities. The aim of the research is to determine the frequency of disorder of postural status of the spine (kyphosis, lordosis and scoliosis) and deviation from the normal status of the foot, and the analysis of the differences between boys and girls. Assessment of the postural status of the feet was performed by means of using the Pedikom computer system for digital computerised pedography. Assessment of spine postural status was done by means of SpineScan portable device. Data were analysed according to the frequency for the assessment of spinal status, the status of the foot, all according gender. Significance of the gender-conditioned differences was determined by the Chi-square test. The results indicate that in the examined population, the most common posture is lordotic bad posture, 41.31% with male examinees and 36.66% with female examinees. A statistically significant difference in relation to sexual dimorphism was found for the parameter of scoliotic bad posture (Sig. = 0.008). In terms of deviation from the normal status of the feet, in the examined population, pronating foot level I accounts for 43.23%, pronating foot level II accounts for 16.66% and high-arched foot accounts for 10.16%. Quantitative results indicate the need for corrective gymnastic to correct but also prevent postural deformities by introducing of the same as an everyday directed activity of preschool population.

Since the middle of the last century, the human population has increased exponentially. This trend is evident today. Human population has, for more than half a century been undergoing the period of its intensive development, increasing in number and the average length of life, creating the impression of a better life standard. Looking at the man as a bio-psycho-social being and the interactions it ones through the human population growth is brought in connection with its impact on the environment. In such an environment, one does not only face infectious diseases, but also the misery and poverty in developing countries and massive noninfectious diseases, in developed countries. These facts introduce evidence about the possible effects of physical activity as to prevent the consequences of mass noninfectious diseases, as well as to strengthen the competence of people in general. Therefore, in a holistic, synergic concept of interpretation of human life, it is significant to include biological indicators that have an impact on the growth of the world population and may be associated with the kinesiology. Quantitative indicators of the trend of human development on this planet are the basic research unit observed in this paper. At the same time, the subjects of observation are also other indicators that can be causally linked to the development of the human population and are especially valuable evidence of the contribution of physical activity to the human development. The data that is associated with the theoretical considerations and the results of various statistics are presented based on the rules of ex-post-facto analysis. It is concluded that the value of physical activity has long had to have the equal status with one's chances of being better prepared for life on this planet ontogenetically and phylogenetically, and for the life conditions that will become even more extreme and that increasing older humans will face.

The subject of research is tourist offer of a camp which would satisfy the needs of tourists who want an active recreation, with changeable and attractive facilities in the Balkan Scout Center (BSC) of Jovac. The goal is to define a model for recreational tourism product mix of the Balkan Scout Center, based on the analysis and evaluation of the elements of supply and identifying the demand for a certain program content. The research was conducted from April to August 2012, as a part of activities implemented in BSC events: Easter camp, Summer camp and Volunteer camp. The sample consisted of 100 visitors (respondents); the administered instrument was a specifically designed questionnaire and the methods on which the analysis of the modeling was based were: frequency of occurrence, comparative analysis (Benchmarking), SWOT and PEST. The research results confirm the existence of necessary resources for the implementation of the contents in the field of recreational tourism in the BSC, and the possibility of implementation of the product mix that includes day trips and a variety of outdoor recreational activities.