Dominika Kostrova Semi Pro Golfer

Dominika Kostrova is a woman who has mastered the multi-task. From modelling to golfing, studying and working, she tells Sundried how she keeps up her fitness.

What first got you into fitness?

I always need challenges in my life, I am insanely competitive, so sport and fitness suit my personality perfectly. It is so versatile, there is always something you can do better, there are so many different levels you can be at. You can choose the intensity you want to do it at.

I find it very difficult to just relax, I get very fidgety. My worst nightmare is to spend the whole day on the sofa watching TV (unless I have 3 series of Game Of Thrones to catch up on).

My lifestyle is very busy with golf, modelling, studying, and working so I need to keep my energy levels up. And as we all know, exercise = more energy!

When did you start playing golf?

It wasn’t actually that long ago, I think it was February 2014. I wanted something new, exciting and very much British in my life, so I decided to give golf a go. I have to say it was love at first sight, I loved everything about it.  Golf is harder than I could have ever imagined, mentally and physically. There were days when I literally cried my eyes out on the golf course. There were times when I got really angry and frustrated, but most days I feel very much free, excited, humbled and happy. 

I love that sometimes I have acres of beautiful landscapes to myself and the views are spectacular. If you try some of the Utah, Californian, Italian, Swiss, High Tatar’s golf courses, you will feel like you have died and gone to heaven. There is always some wildlife lurking around.

I love that I can get down and dirty. Looking for lost balls in the ponds or bushes can prove to be a very difficult task.

I can pick the pace I want to play at, depending on how tired I feel, I can run the course or I can have a leisurely pace. 

How do you train to enhance your sport?

I start most of my days at 4 o'clock in the morning. I go for a 5-mile jog, then I have a shower and my delicious breakfast. I exercise 6 times a week: 25 minutes of ab exercises, 30 minutes of high-intensity workouts (every day is a different set. For example: power, strength, cardio, sweat, fight, etc.) and 12 minutes of pulse and stretch exercises.

I spend most of my afternoons on the golf course or at the driving range. Most people don’t think that golf is a sport, but trust me, walking 18 holes with all of your kit on your back is very physically demanding.

What is your proudest fitness achievement?

Although the day when I turned semi pro was one of the most memorable ones, the proudest moment must be when I got my first birdie and I was asked to compete in my first golf tournament.

What are your fitness aspirations?

I have really stepped up my game in the past month or two, because I want those super flat abs that you see everywhere on Instagram!  

What tips would you give someone looking to start living a healthier lifestyle?

1.  Don’t starve yourself. A healthy balanced diet is the only answer. I eat a LOT of super healthy foods, I recently turned pescatarian (vegetarian who eats fish and seafood), but if I crave some good tasty chocolate cake with a glass or a bottle of wine, I’ll be sure to have it.
2.  Dieting = Miserable. I despise dieting, it makes people unhappy and miserable. The results are near enough never permanent. If I am completely honest, I am always eating. Every couple of hours you are going to find me having something in my mouth, whether it’s some nuts, or some veg, fruit or a chocolate bar (I cannot resist them), I always eat in between my meals. That way you keep your metabolism always fired up and working.
3.  Don’t fall for quick fixes. Although it could be true that you will lose x amount of pounds in x amount of days, unless you stick with it, the results will slowly but surely disappear.
4.  Don’t be too hard on yourself. It’s good to give yourself goals, but don’t get upset or disheartened when you don’t achieve them on your first try. Use the frustration to work harder the next time!!
5.  Listen to your body.I always exercise until I drop, if I don’t look like I have just taken a shower, I have wasted my time. And everyone will always talk about NO PAIN, NO GAIN. Well, there is a difference between pain and injury. Sometimes you have to rest your body in order to avoid injuries. I have had my fair share of back injuries because I didn’t want to listen and ended up being unable to move for weeks or months. So be wise and rest for a day or two.
6.  Find exercise that you enjoy doing and stick at it.

What’s your favourite fitness quote?

There are thousands of amazing inspirational quotes, but this one is in my top 10:

“You don’t always get what you wish for. But you always get what you work for.”

 

What do you love about Sundried?

I have had the greatest pleasure of meeting Sundried CEO Daniel Puddick at the Bodypower expo in Birmingham earlier this year. I love that the brand is humble, creative, proud and the people who are behind it really understand the concept of hard work. The brand is inclusive and wants people to get involved. They are focused on producing environmentally friendly active wear, but it doesn’t compromise the quality or comfort of the clothing at all. The charity work and how much they give back to the communities is really impressive. Honestly, there isn’t anything not to LOVE.