Nick Holman has always been a big fan of the benefits of recovery.

The SUNS forward has built a reputation within the AFL for putting his body on the line for his team on the field, so it’s only logical he invests time in making sure he allows his body to rest and recover as well as possible to maintain that level of performance.

It’s that appreciation of recovery which has inspired Holman to share the benefits with others.

Over the off-season, the 29-year-old launched a new business venture, opening a P3 Recovery centre in Geelong.

“I was pretty keen on exploring my options in the real world and what I was going to do after footy,” Holman told SUNS Media.

“I’ve always been keen on recovery and I thought it was a great business opportunity.

“Obviously playing in professional sport, recovery is a big part of what we do.

“I know how valuable it is for my own footy journey, but also for the wellbeing side of things.

“Since being open, the most satisfaction I’ve had is actually being in my own centre and talking to people who have benefited from using my facility.”

Holman has built an impressive offering at P3 Geelong.

Members have the opportunity to experience a variety of recovery methods including ice baths, contrast therapy (alternating hot and cold baths), infrared saunas, compression therapy, hyperbaric therapy, IV drip therapy and breathwork.

Holman says he wants to break down the barriers of recovery and make it accessible to people of all backgrounds, demographics and abilities.

“Everyone thinks recovery is just for athletes, but we’re trying to build our brand around it being for everyone,” Holman said.

“It’s about wellbeing in general and having better health and quality of life.

“Ice baths and saunas and the warm pools and compression boots are actually for different demographics and older people too, not just athletes.”

It’s been an exciting period for Holman as he breaks unfamiliar ground in the business world.

The SUNS stalwart says his initial interested in running his own business blossomed as he took advice from those he trusted along the way.

“I jumped into it all myself and then leaned on a few others across the journey,” Holman explained.

“My mortgage broker and accountant were two of those, I spoke with (SUNS assistant coach) Josh Drummond who owns Pilates studios with his wife and (former teammate) Pearce Hanley who owns a gym.

“I had a good backing group behind me to make sure the numbers all worked.

“The beautiful thing about being in footy is that people have different experiences in business where I can take little bits from everyone.”

Holman has also taken valuable insights from a business group started at the SUNS by the player development department, consisting of close to 20 SUNS players who have an interest in business off the field.

“We’ve set up a business group where we get to hear from different business leaders around the Gold Coast to learn from their experiences,” Holman said.

“Just recently we had a meeting with Kurt Tippett where he told his story then we had a Q&A session which was very interesting and I got a lot out of that.”

Holman’s Geelong franchise opened its doors on November 30 last year, a process which took 18 months from inception to launch.

Just over two months later and Holman’s recovery centre is growing steadily, with the long-term vision to open multiple venues down the track.

“I’m in the foundation stage at the moment but we’re aiming to get to 300 members as quickly as possible and we’re currently at 212,” Holman said.

“The business is slowly building. At this stage I’d like to get at least two centres open but we’ll obviously need to recruit some new members.

“It gives me a new passion project outside footy which is exciting and keeps me engaged off the field, I’m loving it.”