Photo: AccuBow Founder/CEO Matt Pell with the AccuBow

Recently, my husband forwarded me an article he’d found on yoga poses one can do at their desk. This was a fairly dangerous move on his part — husbands, in general, should refrain from suggesting their wives work out more, even if they don’t mean it “that way.”

It does seem like working out at your desk is a growing trend. Not sure how I feel about products like the treadmill desk, which apparently make it possible for you to do a half-hearted workout while simultaneously pretending to get some work done. Are there really that many people who can run and type at the same time?

Now, if I were going to work out in my office, I’d want to do something more interesting than desk yoga or running on a literal treadmill (in addition to my figurative one). I’d want to work on gaining upper-body strength so I could pull more draw weight. And it would be really nice if I could work in some target practice right there next to my desk. If a product existed that let me do that, I would be all for working out at work.

Oh, wait. That product does exist. And it’s awesome.

The AccuBow is a complete archery training device. Designed to improve strength, stamina and accuracy, it offers unparalleled resistance adjustability — you can adjust the resistance from 10 to 70 pounds by hand via the unique AccuDial. There’s no letoff, which means that your muscles get a real workout. If you can draw the AccuBow at 70 pounds, pulling a 70-pound bow with letoff will be a piece of cake. A built-in laser sight lets you see your stability control and your accuracy as you train at various resistances and your muscles are under stress.

The AccuBow website offers instructional videos on proper draw form, grip and stance, as well as what AccuBow Founder and CEO Matt Pell calls the pyramid workout, which uses the AccuBow and involves precision, stability, strength and proprioception (the mind-muscle connection).

Now an augmented reality app is available that takes your AccuBow practice sessions to the next level. You download the app on your phone, then attach it to your AccuBow via the optional AccuMount. When you draw, you’ll be able to aim at a target or animal. Upon release, the app will show you where your “arrow” impacted. If you’re shooting at an animal, the app will let you know whether your shot would have been a kill shot. The app allows you to customize your shooting modes and keep track of your progress.

I had the chance to try the app at the ATA Show, and the only problem I had with it was that I didn’t have time to stay longer! It was incredibly easy to use (if I can do it, anyone can), and it gives you instant feedback on your form and shot.

No, it's not the same as shooting your bow, and this isn't going to replace practice sessions with your own equipment. But the AccuBow offers benefits your actual equipment can't. Besides the fact that it doesn't have letoff so your muscles get a much better workout, it also doesn't shoot an arrow. That means shooters with target panic can focus on form without worrying about where the arrow impacts. In addition, archers recovering from an injury or those wishing to increase poundage can gradually build strength with the AccuBow.

This is a serious training device, and that’s absolutely how you should think of it. But it’s impossible not to notice how just plain fun it is. The augmented reality app gives the AccuBow a video-game feel, and I can easily imagine my kids clamoring for their turn on it (and given the draw-weight adjustability, this would be something that nearly the entire family can enjoy). This could be an easy way to get young people to try archery. And for those of us with jobs and kids and way too little time, it makes fitting a quick practice session into your day a lot easier. You can use the AccuBow pretty much anywhere you have room to draw back.

And, yes. That includes the office.