My Uncommon Sense Approach

I have developed my Uncommon Sense coaching programme from over 20 years of studying health and performance and from working with a large number and diverse range of clients over this time. Uncommon Sense is knowledge that should be common sense but isn’t. I first published Uncommon Sense in book format in 2014 and then an updated version in 2021.

The programme has been developed to help clients understand why my coaching is sometimes unconventional, for example, why if you want to lose weight in the long-term, exercising more and eating less can often be the worst thing you can do. It also enables us to choose just a couple of lifestyle interventions at a time to ensure success whilst in the knowledge that these actions are not the whole programme, just a personally tailored solution for this moment in time to be built upon.  I published the book to give the information to a wider audience and have now set up in-personal experiential learning days at WildFit Surrey for a deeper understanding of content and a more personal approach to an individual’s needs.

The Uncommon Sense approach uses the latest science combined with a holistic overview. To reconcile these, sometimes conflicting, approaches, it filters all health information through a ‘paleo lens’ that assesses health information’s merits in an evolutionary context. We have survived and thrived through four million years of evolution, so it is difficult to argue for a health intervention that is not coherent with evolution.

Common Sense

• workout hard ‘no pain, no gain’
• track and count calories of all your food
• treat the body in isolation
• the end justifies the means
• you are a slave to your genes
• try lots of fads and quick fix solutions

This approach has led to overweight and obesity related conditions across the UK costing the NHS £6.1 billion each year. Almost two-thirds (63%) of adults in England are overweight or living with obesity and 40% of children leave primary school overweight or obese. Obesity is also the second biggest cause of cancer across the UK.

Uncommon Sense

• exercise must be fun
• ignore calories, eat fat & feel what to eat
• the means justifies the ends
• identifies your dream life & values
• make a ten year consistent health plan (ignore the latest fads!)
• energy & vitality

“Ollie Martin has done the world a great favour by distilling health and wellness down into those key topics and bits of information that should be ‘common sense’, but sadly, are not today. Those wanting a straight-forward book to guide them into living well will be pleased with this simple, easy to apply book written by a truly skilled coach.”
Paul Chek
Founder of the CHEK Institute

Read more about the Uncommon Sense Day Retreat in the Surrey Hills

Buy Ollie’s book Uncommon Sense on Amazon