Former big-league pitcher Dan Jennings opening Pure Sweat + Float Studio in Grimes

As Dan Jennings toured a Pure Sweat + Float Studio in Nashville in March with his wife Courtney and their friend Nate Yoho, a thought crept across his mind. Jennings, who pitched parts of eight seasons in the major leagues, realized the infrared sauna and float therapy were things he could have used back in his playing days.

"There are a lot of health benefits," Jennings said.

Jennings, a West Des Moines Valley High School graduate, figured professional athletes weren't the only ones who could benefit from them as well. Really anyone who was looking to get healthy and simply just relax could reap the benefits of the specialized systems at the setups in Nashville.

"We want to make people enjoy what they're doing; give them something that's going to help benefit their health," Jennings said.

That's why Dan and Courtney, along with Yoho, are teaming up to open their own Pure Sweat + Float Studio in Grimes later this year. The business, which Dan calls a first of its kind in Iowa and even in the Midwest, is expected to open in the fall. The three have already signed their franchise agreement and the lease for their Grimes building.

"We've talked a lot about how we want to do something good," Dan said.

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He believes this is their shot. But before they open their doors, the three are trying to educate as many people about their new business. The three are are already familiar faces around town. Dan, a former baseball star at Valley, was once one of the most reliable relief pitchers in baseball after playing for the Miami Marlins, Chicago White Sox, Tampa Bay Rays, Washington Nationals and Milwaukee Brewers.

Yoho, another graduate of Valley, played baseball for the Hawkeyes and then parts of two seasons in pro baseball afterward. He's now a CrossFit trainer and family friend of Dan and Courtney. Courtney, who stumbled upon infrared saunas while she managed a studio in Florida while Dan was pitching for the Marlins, begged for him to put one in their house.

Dan never did. But he did decide to do the next best thing. He, along with Courtney and Yoho, flew to Nashville, the site of five Pure Sweat locations. The studios offered things they'd rarely seen before. The sauna uses invisible wavelengths of lights to raise the core temperature of your body to help with workouts, skin care and pain relief. The float therapy, which uses 1,000 pounds of Epsom salt water, helps relaxation.

More: How floating on salt water can feel better than a massage

Jennings said the float therapy is something Iowans will love once they experience it. That's how it was for Yoho, who was able to unplug and slow things down as he laid in it for the first time.

"I absolutely loved it and really did not know anything about it," Yoho said of the float therapy.

Jennings said the sauna could be the perfect place for someone not looking to hit a traditional gym.

"You're essentially getting a workout in by just sitting there and it's because it's raising your body temperature," he said. "It's doing all those things to get your heart rate a little bit elevated and heart up your core body temp."

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Now, the three are combining their knowledge to bring the business venture to Iowa. Courtney ran a studio in Florida while Dan pitched for the Marlins and will be in charge of the operation in Grimes. Dan has been working with young athletes ever since he retired in 2020. And Yoho is one of the most respected trainers in the area.

"This is definitely a sustainable business," Jennings said. "It's a way for my wife and I to be involved with something first-hand that we're putting our money into that we believe in first and foremost. But it also has an opportunity do a lot of good in the area for a lot of people."

Tommy Birch, the Register's sports enterprise and features reporter, has been working at the newspaper since 2008. He's the 2018 and 2020 Iowa Sportswriter of the Year. Reach him at tbirch@dmreg.com or 515-284-8468. Follow him on Twitter @TommyBirch.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Two ex-pro baseball players opening Pure Sweat + Float Studio in Iowa