Stella Sandoval

With more than three decades in the health and fitness industry, Stella Sandoval has dedicated her career to helping people move better, feel stronger, and live active, healthy lives. Long before social media fitness trends and boutique studios became popular, Stella was teaching, coaching, and guiding clients through sustainable movement practices built on education, experience, and results.

Her journey began in the fitness industry as a certified group fitness instructor and fitness manager, where she spent years helping clients build strength, confidence, and lifelong healthy habits. Through decades of working with people of all ages and fitness levels, Stella developed a deep understanding of movement, injury prevention, and the importance of maintaining strength and mobility throughout life.

After undergoing a total hip replacement in 2011, Stella personally experienced the transformative power of Classical Pilates. What began as part of her own recovery quickly became a passion and ultimately a calling. Pilates not only restored her strength and function but completely changed how she viewed movement, longevity, and overall wellness.

Stella completed her Full Comprehensive Classical Pilates Certification in 2012 and later graduated from the Metropolitan Authentic Training (M.A.T.) Program under Master Teacher Trainer Dorothee Vandewalle. She continues her education through ongoing mentorship, workshops, and advanced study with some of the most respected teachers in the Classical Pilates community.

In 2018, Stella founded UPPilates Burlingame, a boutique Classical Pilates studio in the San Francisco Bay Area dedicated to preserving and teaching the original work of Joseph Pilates. Today, she works with a diverse clientele ranging from beginners and busy professionals to athletes, dancers, and individuals recovering from injuries. Her teaching combines the precision of Classical Pilates with decades of fitness industry experience, creating programs that help clients build strength, improve posture, move efficiently, and stay active for life.

Stella's philosophy is simple: movement should support the life you want to live. Whether your goal is to remain independent as you age, recover from injury, improve athletic performance, or simply feel stronger in your everyday activities, she believes the right movement practice can be life-changing.

When she's not teaching at UPPilates Burlingame, Stella enjoys salsa dancing, continuing her own Pilates practice, traveling to study with master instructors, and encouraging others to embrace movement as a lifelong investment in health, vitality, and longevity.