Establishing Fit 6:10, at 22174 Timberlake Road, was driven by a desire to combine her background in education with her love for fitness and nutrition. Having experienced her own health journey alongside her son, Mills looked deeper into understanding corrective form and tailored workout programs to accommodate various fitness levels and injuries.

“So last year I just decided to step out in faith,” she said. “I’ve worked at a gym here locally and they had known I was itching to do it. I had no clients when I opened up it and was like literally just believing in my product and believing what to offer, and it just started with two members and became word of mouth.”

Mills and her family moved to Lynchburg two years ago.

“Originally I was a teacher and college professor for over 12 years, but had always been directly involved in nutrition and fitness, mainly through walking through a journey I had with one of my kids and he was starting to get interested in exercise,” she said. “I became a student of fitness and nutrition and literally wanting to find the right way to do it, not what social media says.”

She has since developed her own unique workout routines that prioritize longevity and sustainability.

“I’ve had a knee injury a majority of my life, ACL and meniscus repair, and I’m only 43 and was told I need like a knee replacement just because of how bad my knees were, and so I really became a student of understanding corrective form and how to create workout programs that meet any need,” she said.

At Fit 6:10, the ethos revolves around holistic wellness, encompassing physical strength, mental resilience and nutritional balance. Mills said her approach and the gym’s namesake is rooted in Ephesians 6:10, emphasizing strength in all aspects of life. This philosophy resonates throughout the gym, where members are encouraged to cultivate inner and outer strength through carefully curated workouts and nutrition coaching.

Mills said what sets Fit 6:10 apart is its commitment to individualized attention. With small class sizes and a focus on form and technique, she makes sure members receive personalized guidance tailored to their abilities and goals.

Whether someone is recovering from an injury or embarking on a fitness journey later in life, Fit 6:10 provides a supportive environment where everyone feels valued and encouraged, she said.

Central to the gym’s offerings is a four-week nutritional program designed to complement members’ fitness routines. Rather than adhering to one-size-fits-all approaches, Mills crafts nutrition plans based on each individual’s activity level and objectives. This personalized approach demystifies healthy eating and empowers members to make informed choices about nourishing their bodies.

The women are of all ages, she said, with 90% of them 40 and older.

“My mission is to be a fitness studio that can be suitable for all stages,” she said. “I could bring in somebody that has an injury or somebody who’s gone 47 years of never working out in their entire life and be able to create a program where everybody is taking the same class but I am able to specialize the workout that day according to where the person is in their fitness level.”

Mills said she can then walk them through a progressive series of things they need to do before they can use heavier weights.

“I’m very personalized with each member on making sure that we’re targeting their ability and their fitness level,” she said.

Heather Burgess found Mills and Fit 6:10 last spring.

“I have not worked out since high school and at age 47 decided to commit to getting in better shape,” she said. “My goal was longevity. I wanted to be able to move my body, get stronger and enjoy life as I get older.”

She now has been going to the gym five days a week and after the first couple of months decided to make some changes in her eating habits as well.

“Heather has helped with my understanding of nutrition and how it works with exercise. I am now down 31 pounds since I started,” she said. “Heather has created a space where I’ve felt inspired and have loved exercising and working hard.”

Her instruction and correction on form have made the gym a fun and positive experience for Burgess.

“I look forward to going every day and seeing her and the community of women there,” she said. “It is an amazing group of women that offer nothing but support and encouragement for each other.”

As Fit 6:10 celebrates its one-year milestone, Mills said she looks toward the future with excitement and ambition.

With a growing community and a clear mission to promote longevity and wellness, she envisions expanding the gym while maintaining its intimate atmosphere and personalized approach.

“I’m a believer that more isn’t always better so I don’t want to compromise the culture of what I’ve been able to create and be able to like go home at night knowing I have met every need of each member. I don’t want to compromise that. So I’m just excited for the opportunities that are going to happen and to dream big and to be able to help so many more women, but still keep the culture the same,” she said.