David Gunther: Welcome to the Pilates Business podcast. we have Mandy McFarland here. Mandy is, uh, a client now for how many years, Mandy?

Mandy McFarland : Is it five?

David : Recently

Mandy: retired,

David : yeah. Was three

Mandy: days ago.

David : Yeah. How long were you a chemist for Mandy?

Mandy: Close to 47 years.

David : 47 years. That's a long time. Yeah.

Mandy: It is a long time and 43 years at Warri Manga Pharmacy.

David : Ah, okay. Very so Warri Manga for those people that live in Chicago or New York or London. Warri Manga is a suburb of Canberra, beautiful place to live out in the Western Creek area. Looking over the Brenda Bella.

Mandy: so 47 years, Tell us the story of how you got into being a chemist Funny how I got into pharmacy because I actually, when I left school, wanted to become a physiotherapist and I wasn't accepted into the course.

and I had pharmacy down as one of my preferences because I used to like to go into pharmacies with my girlfriends. I didn't really know much about it. And anyway, I was accepted into pharmacy and I really loved what I was doing. And here I am just newly retired after all those years.

David : So that's a university degree somewhere.

Whereabouts

Mandy: did you I studied in Western Australia, so I grew up in Perth. on the beaches. so in those days it was called West Australian Institute of Technology. Now currently called Curtin University, but we had a standalone pharmacy school there. It's the only place you could study pharmacy.

David : So Curtin University, was that named after John Curtin? I would say so the Prime Minister, a former Prime minister,

Mandy: I would say

David : so. Of Australia. Okay. And that's a. Four year course, did you say?

Mandy: In my day it was a three year course, but with a year, like an apprenticeship, but it was called your 2000 hours.

But it was basically entailed a year working mostly in retail.

David : That's a good idea.

Mandy: Before

David : you were qualified. Yeah. That's a good idea, isn't it? And that's got some comparisons with our Pilates instructors and other. Trades and other professions. Yes. Where you really should have some face-to-face experience with what happens in an actual business.

Mandy: definitely. Because I, you go to uni, you study study and you know all that stuff on the paper, but you don't know the practicalities of everything. The experiences and just the confidence to relay your knowledge. To customers.

So one year apprenticeship is nothing. After all the years I've had, I actually feel like I know stuff.

David : Yes.

Mandy: Like I know stuff now, and it's like, why am I retiring when I know all this stuff? But then I think. It's time to start the next chapter.

David : Yes. The next chapter for your life.

Yeah. Which isn't necessarily about paid work.

Mandy: No.

No. And so just staying with what you have done, because that has been a big part of your life. Tell us perhaps about some of the challenges there with being a chemist People are always challenging David, for a start, people can be challenging,

David : so compounds are fine, but it's people that are at the

Mandy: issue.

People can be challenging and for me, the biggest challenge as I got older was the standing on my feet for eight to 10 hour shifts and I'm a person with quite severe osteoarthritis. The physicality of standing reaching drugs off the shelf. 'cause I'm short, I had to stand up on step stools a lot.

So I actually had to have a level of fitness to be able to literally stand up on the step stools and grab stock off the shelf and all that. So stepping up and down and then back to the computer and, all that sort of thing. So I think for me, they were the biggest challenges. The rest of it.

Is just what you know.

David : Yeah. A lot of people find it difficult with a lot of sitting in office jobs in Canberra. There's a lot of public service in Canberra. A lot of people sitting down at computers these days. But for you more so the standing,

Mandy: it was the opposite. We stood all day.

David : So what were some of the physical outcomes of that?

Mandy: What were some of the stress points, Mandy, Because I have arthritis, I think basically now as an older person, I have severely arthritic feet. So standing on there for eight hour shifts was quite confronting and I'd come home with lots of pain in my feet. And even though I used to wear special sneakers and things like that.

It was, and physically I felt tired from, just, from standing, from stretching, all that sort of thing.

David : Yes.

Mandy: Because it's quite physical in a way because you're taking things down from shelves and you are walking up and down the shop, you're talking to people, you're not, and then you're standing, if it's really busy, you will stand in front of a computer for ages.

Dispensing scripts and things like that. So movements are fairly small.

David : Yes.

Mandy: So yeah it's quite physically demanding when you think about it.

David : Fairly small and also can be repetitive.

Mandy: Very

David : repetitive and perhaps not in the best way. Repetitive. So that leads us on to what you wanted to tell us about with your story.

Mandy: I know about how Pilates. Has helped you with what you did in your profession as a chemist. If it hadn't have been for Pilates, I think I would've retired probably five years ago.

because I was finding the physicality of it overwhelming and with the arthritis and fact that I've had my knees replaced and one wasn't so good and all that sort of stuff I was really struggling.

So I've just found with Pilates I've gained a different kind of strength ' cause I am also a weightlifter. my gross muscles are very strong, but with Pilates I've found it's honed in on all those nice little muscles and I feel like my whole body is strong. I feel this different kind of strength.

I move freer. I just. I just feel really fit and healthy and strong,

David : I would describe that as a functional connectedness yeah. Of strength there. Yeah. Which is, perhaps a weird way to put it, but you're functionally strong and you're connecting through all those postural.

Muscles. Absolutely. Yeah. More effectively than just building strong, bigger muscles that can lift heavy things.

Mandy: I thought I was strong when I started Pilates, 'cause I'd been weightlifting for 13, 14 years, and quite heavyweight. Like my deadlift personal best was. 115 kilos, which is quite a lot of weight.

David : Terrific.

Mandy: And that sort of thing. So I was quite strong in that sort of way. But in other ways, I, my flexibility and mobility had deteriorated with my knee replacements. Like my right knee was great, but my left knee was a real problem and it, after that surgery, it never. Would bend and I had to have a manipulation under anesthetic.

Then I had to work really hard to try and create a bend in that knee. And I still go to the physio every three weeks to maintain that bend. But the exercise that I do is also there to help me keep this knee functioning. 'cause otherwise it just seizes up.

And I think what I do in Pilates has really helped.

I almost feel like it's loosened up. Almost like I've oiled it.

Whereas when I first started here, it was always stiff. It was painful, it would swell. I don't feel that now. I feel like I've lost that stiffness and I just think the exercises that I do in Pilates has just got my body working better.

I feel quite in tune with my body. I understand it and yeah, it's. Been phenomenal for me. It's made a huge difference.

David : And that mobility is something that many of our clients comment on because that's is why they come here to be functionally mobile. So it's great to hear that's the case.

And that's then helped you with at least another five years on to the end of your career as a chemist.

Mandy: Yes.

David : Perhaps Mandy, you could tell us what led you to even try Pilates? you were already in the exercise space with weightlifting, and tell us about your first impressions even before you actually started coming along.

Mandy: Firstly I thought about trying Pilates because we have, some friends in Dallas, can you believe? And we'd been for a visit. And Ethel, who's the same age as my husband his fitness was quite amazing. His ability to stand up from sitting and just his movement and all that sort of thing.

We were really impressed with him. We said, oh, what else are you doing besides jogging? Oh, he said, I've been doing Pilates for 15 years. Ah. And so I thought about Ethel and I thought about my stupid knee and I thought, I'm gonna try Pilates. I'm gonna get into Pilates. And I didn't really know exactly what to expect, and I think I just Googled and looking for various Pilates studios in Canberra and we came up with you guys Pilates can I went from there and I came and I had my first assessment and I don't know what I was expecting because it wasn't quite what I was expecting. And it, I had Kili assessing me and she was extremely thorough and I was quite impressed with what she found and what I found that I couldn't do, that I thought I could do and things like that.

Episode Hook: And then I started coming a couple of times a week and initially I didn't think I was actually doing that much because I was so used to doing heavy weight lifting. So I'd finish a Pilates session and I didn't actually feel particularly sore or anything particular. And after a while I started doing it three times a week.

'cause I've got my husband coming. And so to do that, I had to come with him on a Saturday. Incidentally, he now comes twice a week and loves it. Anyway, after about, I don't know, probably more than a year, maybe even two years, I suddenly realized how good I felt and how much more flexible I'd become and mobile and strong, like my whole core, my whole body feels strong.

There's a new strength I've found. And it was just like a realization. One day it just dawned on me how much better I was. It wasn't something I felt in increments, month by month. It was just all of a sudden, after a length of time I thought oh, I can do that. That's easy. Now I can do this, I can do that.

And yeah, and I just

love

it.

Episode Hook: I could come here every day if you'd let me.

David : You've come up with a couple of really good points there for other people, because people do come maybe expecting it to be a little bit like a gym with that delayed onset muscle soreness, which isn't something we're even aiming for Of course.

It's good that you didn't really experience that. And then to point out also that. Long-term effect because it is something that does take some time. It's not like a pill or surgery. although sometimes people do experience good things and good effects, really quite quickly.

But usually it takes a while. So that's definitely reflective of what people should expect.

Mandy: Yeah, it definitely takes a while. I think in my case it did, but Maybe it, it was sooner than I realized, but it was just like, one day I am thinking, wow I stand up from a chair and I just go.

Now I don't wobble and stagger and until I get my knees working, I just go, and little day-to-day functional activities that as you get older, you tend to. Struggle with more and more as you get older. And now I feel like I don't struggle with any of that anymore. It's just like when I was younger, just do all those day to day functional things just naturally and I'm, and it's from Pilates.

David : That's excellent to hear. And I'm interested in more of those things like you've said, some very, functional. Just normal life things getting out of a chair and walking and that sort of thing. But are there any other sports and did it help you at all with weightlifting, for example?

Or are there other things that you do? I know that your husband plays golf, but you are not a golfer so to speak.

Mandy: No, not me. No. I actually don't play any other sport. My main sports are Pilates gym, going and walking. I like to walk. I have noticed my balance has improved a lot.

Occasionally when you have knee replacements, they do funny things to you sometimes, and they like to do a little collapsing thing and whatever, and I could be out walking and suddenly my right knee bite the side. It's gonna do a collapsing thing. And I think with the strength I've gained and balance that I've gained with Pilates, it stops me from falling.

I don't fall. Sometimes you might kick your toe against an uneven footpath.

David : Yes,

Mandy: I don't fall anymore. I can always correct myself. And I think that's come with all this Pilates work and the whole body being strong and just in tune.

David : Yes. And that's such an important thing that you've mentioned there, that ability to correct yourself when you're possibly going to fall to save yourself

And you've got the power as well from theHeavy weights work in combination with the Pilates. So that's a really good combination that you've got happening there. So that when something like that. Does happen that's unexpected. You go over a step or something that you didn't know was there, or you didn't know was that high or that low.

Mandy: You miss the bottom step.

David : You miss it all together. You don't see it and you're all of a sudden you're stumbling. But you can save yourself. Yes. And you can save yourself in some cases from death. Unfortunately, is what happens because as elderly people experience that it can sometimes be.

The beginning of the end of them quite literally, unfortunately. So it's really important and, hats off to you for. What you've done with continuous working out really keeping that continuity with both what you're doing in the gym and what you're doing with Pilates. It's really obviously made a difference in your life.

So much so that you're happy to tell other people about it and inspire them as well. So we really appreciate that, Mandy, that you're, you are doing that. It's not a sport Pilates, but it is like a sport in that there's a lot of social connection here, isn't there?

tell us a little bit about that, because I know you're a very social person. People love, your happy jovial presence in the studio is really important to us and other clients. But tell us how you feel about that.

Mandy: I do three different classes a week, so I see three lots of different people, and everybody's great.

We all have a bit of a chat. We have a bit of a laugh. We, we are just right now organizing to have brunch before Christmas, and everybody's like-minded and they all enjoying their Pilates. I don't know. It is, it's just really fun here. It's such a nice place to be.

It's like a big family.

David : That social connection and the fact that everyone helps each other out a little bit that way, I think too, don't they? They all, they do care about each other. Yes. They do care about each other and how people are feeling and how they might be going, because sometimes you can tell even.

Not as an instructor, but as a client that perhaps someone, another client needs a little bit more attention today from the instructor and you are, it is. Team activity being part of a Pilates session because it's a little bit of give and take and, doing three sessions a week, you must be pretty familiar with the repertoire and what you doing and

Mandy: yeah I'm starting to remember a lot of it now.

If you, if Claire sets me off, I usually can keep going for a while before I need any more help.

David : that's good. that is really helpful to an instructor, really helpful to the studio and the other clients in the session. And we really appreciate that you do come three times a week.

we actually recommend to new starters that they just come once per week. We probably made that recommendation to you so that they can. Inputted into their usually busy lifestyles. When you started, and now I think you commented the other day, now that you're retired, you're even busier

Mandy: so far three days retired flat out.

David : Yeah, exactly. And so being able to, come along once per week is sometimes a challenge enough for new clients. But you've managed to, did you start off with just one per week? I can't remember.

Mandy: No. I think I was straight into twice a week.

David : Yeah.

Mandy: But that's just my nature.

David : Yeah.

Mandy: I'm not a once a week for anything.

Everything's is, you've gotta have a backup, you've gotta learn something new and then you want to back it up again a bit later in the week.

David : Okay.

Mandy: Yeah. I came twice. Initially

David : And look, that is more effective if people can

Mandy: manage that. I think so, and I think that's why I remember certain moves because I started coming twice a week from the very beginning, and so it, it helps you remember the moves that you need to do, your footwork or whatever, and, but also it gives you more of an opportunity to get it right.

David : Yes.

Mandy: The more you practice, the better you get.

David : good for the listeners to know out there, who would be perhaps trying to emulate what you are doing, what's the secret to maintaining that three times a week then?

Mandy: I just love it so much.

Yeah. I just enjoy coming. I can't wait to come for my next session.

David : Yeah.

Mandy: This week I've had four sessions. 'cause I had a makeup session.

David : Goodness.

Mandy: And I just. I just really enjoy that. I, that makes me feel even stronger when I've come four times a week. It's great.

David : That's

Mandy: terrific. But that's just me.

Now I'm retired. I'm doing more exercise than I used to and because I have time to, so I just, I enjoy exercise.

David : All right. perhaps you can think back through the last five years, maybe there's been some. Other challenges. Obviously work is a challenge to keep going there when you're getting towards the end of your career. But also there's other things in life that you're doing outside of Pilates.

I play in a jazz orchestra and I play saxophone of course. So I think I, I play a tennis sax, so it's the second biggest sax which actually affects my alignment a bit 'cause you play with it down to the right side of you.

Mandy: And I think Claire's forever trying to straighten me out 'cause I'm always crooked. 'cause I'm always playing my saxophone and I think. Pilates has been really useful because we have two hour rehearsals and when we play gigs, we're up on stage for our sets and things like that. And it's tiring to hold a saxophone like that in, in a certain position.

So it's using those sort of back muscles and shoulder muscles and arms and things like that. And I think Pilates has helped strengthen all of that for me. And as I said. Claire keeps making me straight. Like every session I come, I'm crooked again, but, and I get into trouble 'cause I've been practicing, but I say, oh, I'm sorry, but that's what I'm doing.

So we do things to straighten me up again and I go away all straight and nice and then I go and practice again.

David : That's wonderful. I'm jealous of people that can play in orchestras and in bands as you do. We've been to a couple of your shows and we've really enjoyed them, brought friends and family along.

One was a swing version of Abba.

Mandy: That was a great show.

David : That was terrific. And then the latest one was the James Bond themes. Yeah. And with terrific singers a male singer and two female singers.

Mandy: Yeah. The male was Jared Newell. one of the 10 Tenors came and sang with us and then always our beautiful Lisa Keen.

And a new singer, Ashley Harris.

David : And they're all good.

Mandy: Yeah. All fabulous.

David : They're all terrific. And with that swing band backing there with you on the tennis ax and it's just sensational. And again, that comes back to teamwork, doesn't it? Yes. Because that's the epitome of teamwork, having to chime in with

your instrument there. so that everyone sounds great together, I'm so jealous of that. Mandy, that's

Mandy: I'm sorry. You're jealous.

David : I, yeah. I could remember my parents asking me would you like to learn how to play the piano? And I think I looked puzzled for a little while and then they.

Then they didn't ask again. And that was it. I probably should have taken that out. I dunno if I would've been any good. 'cause I never tried it.

Mandy: It's never too late. You can always try it.

David : Yeah, you can. It's never too late they told me. Yeah. Maybe the triangle.

Mandy: No. I'm sure you could do more than the triangle.

I was 38 before I went and learn the clarinet.

David : Yeah. Really? Okay.

Mandy: And the s saxophone came in my forties.

David : Wow. Wow.

Mandy: You are never too old.

David : And when are you going to do a solo? Because we haven't seen you do a

Mandy: I have a solo on the 6th of December.

David : Ah, sixth of And so tell us about that show because we are going to use this as a promo for the, what's the name?

It's called the Blamey Street Big band.

Mandy: Blamey Street. Big band. So our next gig, 6th of December, at the Albert Hall is the swing cat ball. Their Christmas ball, and we do it every year with connection, big band. So it's like a battle of the big bands. Okay. And we just do all the swing sort of music, big swing Christmas swung, Christmas carols in there and things like that.

And I have a whole page solo.

David : Excellent

Mandy: call. And it's, the charts called. You've gotta try.

David : You gotta try. Alright. There you go. Chosen.

Mandy: So I'm trying,

David : you're trying, you're well chosen. And then next year you've got a rock swing. Swing does classic rock

Mandy: we're doing

David : from the seventies.

Mandy: It's called seventies Rock. And there'll be a CDC, Steve Miller Band Oasis, I think Led Zeppelin. And all the charts will be swung.

David : Excellent.

Mandy: So it'll be interesting.

David : We'll definitely come along to that. And will you be doing your Angus Young impersonation?

No, I think That'll be the guitarist.

Mandy: I think that'll be me.

David : This is one that I always ask all of our clients who come along and generous enough to do a podcast episode with us. And that's about how Pilates makes you feel. Because feeling emotion either bodily feelings or emotional feelings that's what connects with people.

Mandy: And that's what helps people. And I think it's obvious in your case, that's why you keep coming along. But tell us in your own words, how does it really make you feel, your senses. Apart from feeling strong, I actually feel. Super happy. When I'm doing Pilates, I feel happy.

I feel zen. I like if I come to a session and I'm a bit stressed out about something or whatever I can find I can de-stress doing Pilates, and I find it's a calming. It's a calming sort of exercise. It's not tough on your body, like heavy weight lifting. It's just calming.

It's not jolting and you just this gentle movement that you can actually feel it, you can feel things working. You can feel your joints working in their sockets. You can feel your muscles switch on and I feel zen, but I feel happy. I always feel really happy. I'm always happy to come and I always feel happy when I finish.

David : Excellent. Okay. Mandy, thanks very much for appearing as a guest on the Pilates Business Podcast. And this series is all about, the clientele and what you are experiencing with Pilates so that you can inspire other potential clients or other existing clients, and they may be in Canberra.

They may be in Sydney or New York or San Dallas. San or Dallas. That's where you found out about it Or they could be anywhere around the world. So this has been great to speak with you. I've learned a little bit more about you and appreciate that.

We'll look forward to those concerts and look forward to seeing you coming along and enjoying Pilates with us for a long time into the future.

Mandy: Thank you, David.