If you follow music and pay attention to the performers onstage, then you’ve likely noticed that there is a movement happening in that community. Regardless of the genre you have on your headphones, stars are getting into shape. Beyond the aesthetics and marketing, they will confirm it helps them become better entertainers and allows them to relieve stress that comes from a lot of time on the road or in the studio.
Izzie Clark of Chokecherry confirms that fitness has been an asset to her professionally, but it has served an even bigger purpose for her personally.
“All in all, fitness has helped me develop a healthy & symbiotic relationship with my body, and for that I am so grateful!”
Izzie Clark’s California Roots and Punk Music Influences
Clark grew up in Ventura, CA, very much a skater a surfer town. Her sister Catherine was into both surfing and music, which served as inspiration for Izzie.
“I would just always grow up going to her surf contests and there’s also a really amazing surf punk scene in California, in Southern California specifically.”
When Clark was 15, she started experimenting with music. Admittedly, she was winging it but enjoyed the process. The punk scene and grind of DIY music was something she found joy in.
Clark later moved to San Francisco and was involved with different groups as she was mastering her craft. It was when she met E. Scarlett Levinson on Hinge that her musical fortunes changed. They decided to partner up and create their own group, and thus, Chokecherry was born.
Since 2022, Chokecherry has been making moves in the industry and is now a part of Fearless Records. After creating buzz online with the song Glass Jaw and later Messy Star, their debut album, Ripe Fruit Rots and Falls was released in November 2025. Clark said that the release served as a life-changing moment for both her and Levinson. It has taken time to adjust to such a moment, but they’ve gotten more comfortable since.
“I feel like within the past year or so,” she shared. “Now I’m settling into this being a reality.”
How Fitness Helped Izzie Clark Reclaim Control of Her Life
Prior to 2025, Clark was so focused on the music that she didn’t think about wellness. That all changed when she became a caretaker for her grandmother while also struggling with a breakup. With so many things in her life happening that were out of her control while also trying to preserve and grow her music career, Clark wasn’t sure what she could do. Fortunately, her sister Catherine would put on workout videos to train, and Izzie started doing them alongside her.
“It just became kind of a ritual for us as we were taking care of my grandma and spending time with her,” she explained. We would just throw on an at-home Pilates video or an ab workout. And I got addicted to it very quickly.”
The time with her sister and pushing herself with the workouts served as the fuel that Clark needed to reclaim control of her body and mind.
“Fitness really helped me reconnect to my own agency.”
Clark may have only been thinking about the next rep and workout at the moment but found much more came with training than serving as a distraction. She found herself more capable, walking differently, and even more confident in protecting herself if there was a situation that warranted it.
“Being able to trust your own strength in situations like this, I think, has a ripple effect on what you can do for your community.”
An extra benefit that came with training was that she’s more capable when it comes to surfing.
Clark said with a smile, “Now that I actually have upper body strength, I can actually go out and have fun in the waves instead of just absolutely struggling.”
Balancing Commitment to Her Art and Herself
Aside from the physical benefits that came with her personal fitness success, Clark is now more confident in herself and is primed to grow her career alongside Levinson. Chokecherry isn’t touring yet, but they have big plans for 2026 and beyond.
WHITNEY OTTE
Izzie Clark Sample on the Road Workout
Clark makes fitness a non-negotiable now, and that includes when she is on the road. She uses hotel gyms whenever she can’t get to a regular gym, but that doesn’t stop her from making the most of her time to train. This sample workout can serve any fitness enthusiast well.
- Hammer Curls – 3 sets of 8-10 reps
- Dumbbell Curls – 3 sets of 8-10 reps
- Shoulder Press – 3 sets of 8-10 reps
- Squats – 3 sets of 6-8 reps
- Split Squats – 3 sets of 8-10 reps (per leg)
- Leg Press – 3 sets of 12-16 reps
- Leg Kickbacks – 3 sets of 10-12 reps (per leg)
- Planks and Side Planks – 1 set of 1 minute each (each side for side plank)
- Crunches, Heel taps, or Bicycle crunches – 1 set of 1 minute*
”Whatever I am feeling that day.”
Consistent cardio is also a big asset to her performance as well as her overall health. She doesn’t restrict herself to one method and finds that different varieties make her better onstage and in everyday life.
“I love hitting reformer Pilates classes, and hot yoga as well. Hot yoga is my go-to on active recovery days. While I was getting into fitness in early 2025, I also relied pretty heavily on getting 10,000 steps a day and went on 1-3 mile runs pretty frequently throughout the week. Consistent cardio helped me lose weight and fight chronic fatigue.”
You can learn more about Chokecherry by going to their website.
