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Do we all have a dominant hand? In almost 100 percent of cases, we all have a dominant hand apart from maybe if you are Italian and gesticulate all of the time wildly. In general, if you are right-handed, your right hand is also your dominant hand.
Should I wear my Fitbit on my dominant hand? The answer is no. You should wear your Fitbit on your non-dominant hand. In the case of right-hand users, your non-dominant hand is your left hand.
Why Do You Wear Your Fitbit on Non-Dominant Hand?
The reason is pretty simple. It is based on the principle that you move and use your dominant hand much more during the day. This can result in a high number of steps being recorded on your Fitbit.
If you have a job that forces you to use both hands in equal proportion, it may not matter too much what wrist you wear your Fitbit. But, even if you think you use both hands in equal proportion, one hand is often more dominant.
To counterbalance this, you can set the program to dominant, which means it expects more hand movements.
What Happens If I Wear My Fitbit on My Dominant Hand?
As mentioned, the most common outcome is that it records a greater number of steps than you may have walked.
You wouldn’t have thought we use our hands and arms so much when we walk. But, many people use their hands and arms more than we think.
We often don’t think about how much we move our hands and arms. As a matter of fact, I have done the experiment myself. Using the regular non-dominant setting for Fitbit, I walked around Barcelona for a day with my bag on my left shoulder with my left hand holding it as an added protection from pickpockets.
Yes, I realize that I would record a large number of steps, but I should still be able to tell the difference. A day later, I walked around without holding onto my bag and more or less the same distance.
To my surprise, I did record many more steps when I walked around holding onto my bag, and all I was doing was holding onto it. Another thing I noticed was that I used my left hand more when I had my bag on my left shoulder. So there is some truth to this.
Does It Matter What Hand You Wear Your Fitbit On?
You would not have thought it matters too much what hand or wrist you wear your Fitbit on.
It will not matter so much for those who are not extreme athletes. But, if you want to be honest about your step count, it does matter.
Exercising with Your Dominant Hand
Many professional athletes have a favorite side. Coaches often say they have an athlete who favors one side more than the other. This means you may have a different dominant side when you exercise.
Using Fitbit, you can find your dominant “exercise side.” It is really easy to do. Walk on the treadmill for a certain period of time wearing your Fitbit on your left wrist. When you finish your walk, note the number of steps you have completed.
Now, walk for the same amount of time with your Fitbit on your other wrist. Once you are done, check the number of steps you took. Is it more or less?
Hopefully, by the end of the exercise, you should have found your dominant hand.
Is Fitbit More Accurate on Your Non-dominant Hand?
Yes, it is more accurate when worn on your non-dominant hand. However, the hand you usually use is so busy during the day that it does risk recording more steps.
The reason for this is that Fitbit has a three-accelerometer. This means it can record movement in almost any direction, including up and down, sideways, and back and forwards.
When you move your hands without being actively engaged in exercise, Fitbit carries on doing what it is designed to do. It tracks movement.
Final Thoughts
Think of your Fitbit as a watch. Yes, it is both a tracker and a watch. So when you are keen to make sure the data you get from your Fitbit is as accurate as possible, you should always wear it on your non-dominant wrist.
