Lately, a lot of people have been hating on Pokémon Go, but those are the people who have never experienced the positive effects that it can have on their lifestyle. For me, Pokémon Go encourages me to get more active, even if it's too hot to even think about going outside. Since I've started playing the game, I have been a lot more active and more social. Instead of sitting in the AC all day, I take my dogs out for walks daily. I encourage anyone who does not play this game to give it a chance, not only for the fun of it, but for the positive effect it will have on your lifestyle.

1. Hunt in the Afternoon

It may be the busiest time of the day, and that is also true for the game. More pokémon will come out to play between noon and rush hour. Additionally, you are more likely to find pokémon with higher combat points (CP) and uncommon pokémon during this time.

2. Spend Your Time at Parks with Multiple PokéStops

In addition to taking a nice stroll through your town's park, you can capture bundles of pokémon. Since they like to congregate in populated areas, parks that have many PokéStops are basically a gold mine, especially those with a body of water. If you're a beginner, these are great places to gain stardust and level up. Alternatively, there are usually gyms at these parks for more advanced players who have already chosen their team. (Side Note: Parking lots are also great places to find multiple pokémon at once.)

3. Get Rare Pokémon At Night

Though walking around at night isn't the smartest idea, you can find some rare pokémon at night that you usually don't see during the day. That being said, it is a good idea to find that uncommon pokémon you've had your eye on at night, as long as you stay in well lit, populated areas that you know are safe.

4. Look For Moving Leaves

You may think that those apparently jumping leaves on your map are indicators that there is a pokémon there, and that is only somewhat true. It's actually a pokémon spawn point. If you spend enough time in a spot where there are moving leaves, you have a possibility of seeing a pokémon that is not picked up by your radar (the pulsing ring around your avatar).

5. Check What Pokemon Are Around Before You Leave the House

I discovered this from a friend: If you're ever short on time or don't know where to go to find pokémon, you can use this website to see exactly where pokémon are and how long they will be there. I must warn you, though, it is not always accurate and can take a while to load.

6. When Trying to Hatch Eggs, Walk In a Straight Line

Many people don't know this, but the game measures the distance you travel by periodically checking where you are and measuring the distance between where you are versus where you were the last time it checked. You may end up walking further than the game thinks you did if you take a lot of turns. For this reason, it is best to try walking in a straight line when you're trying to hatch eggs.

7. Plan Out When You Should Use Your Lucky Eggs

Lucky eggs are something you can either as a reward for leveling up or you can buy in the shop. What it does is double the XP you earn during a period of thirty minutes, so it is very important to plan when you use your lucky egg so that you can maximize your experience points. The best times to use your lucky egg is when you are about to level up, evolve multiple pokémon, or going on a hunting spree.

8. Maximize Your Incense

Typically, when you use your incense, you only catch a few pokémon. The most you can get during this time period is between 15 to 30, but that is only when you are moving at a certain speed. To maximize the effectiveness of your incense, you need to be moving at roughly 7.5 miles per hour, the speed of a run or a bike ride. Instead of using your incense while you're in one spot, use it when you know you're going to be moving at a fast pace.

9. Get Bonuses When Throwing PokéBalls

When you're throwing a ball at a pokémon, you can get extra XP (experience/trainer points) for throwing a "curve ball," or spinning the pokéball until it vibrates before throwing it. Additionally, you will get a lot more points if you hold onto the pokéball and throw it when the pulsing ring around the pokémon is at its smallest point.

10. Use Razz Berries and Great Balls to Catch Pokémon With Higher CPs

You can tell how difficult it will be to catch a pokémon by looking at the CP (combat points) number or the pulsing ring around the pokémon when you're about to catch it. The ring will be green for pokémon with lower CPs, meaning that they are easy to catch, orange for average CPs, meaning they might be difficult to catch, and red for higher CPs, meaning that it will be very hard to catch. If you run into a pokémon that looks like it's going to be hard to catch, go into your bag and give it a Razz Berry. This will give you a little extra time to catch it before it runs away and a better chance of catching it. Next, switch your pokéball to a great ball to ensure that you will capture it.

11. Fight Gyms Using The Right Pokémon

When battling other pokémon, the general rule is to use logic

to determine which pokémon you use. A water pokémon, like a squirtle, can't be defeated by a fire pokemon, like charmander. Ideally, you would want an electric or grass pokémon to defeat a water pokémon. For the beginners out there, here is a list of the type of pokémon you should use depending on what type you are fighting:

Normal Pokémon-- use Fighting Pokémon

Fire Pokémon-- use Water, Ground, or Rock Pokémon

Water Pokémon-- use Electric or Grass Pokémon

Electric Pokémon-- use Ground Pokémon

Grass Pokémon-- use Fire, Ice, Poison, Flying, or Bug Pokémon

Ice Pokémon-- use Fire, Fighting, Rock, or Steel Pokémon

Fighting Pokémon-- use Flying, Psychic, or Fairy Pokémon

Poison Pokémon-- use Ground or Psychic Pokémon

Ground Pokémon-- use Water, Grass, or Ice Pokémon

Flying Pokémon-- use Electric, Ice, or Rock Pokémon

Psychic Pokémon-- use Bug or Ghost Pokémon

Bug Pokémon-- use Fire, Flying, or Rock Pokémon

Rock Pokémon-- use Water, Grass, Fighting, Ground, or Steel Pokémon

Ghost Pokémon-- use Ghost Pokémon

Dragon Pokémon-- use Ice, Dragon, or Fairy Pokémon

Steel Pokémon-- use Fire, Fighting, or Ground Pokémon

Fairy Pokémon-- use Poison or Steel Pokémon

Once you take over the gym, you can use this list to help you vary the types

of pokémon you place there so that people who battle your gym are less likely to have the right kind of pokémon to win. You can also go to GamePress' Pokémon Go page for a list of the most powerful pokémon you can currently evolve to give you an idea as to how to create an unbeatable gym.

12. Be a Social Pokémon Trainer

Although there are not many social opportunities in this game, some of the best pokémon trainers hunt in groups and share their expertise among each other. If you see someone playing the game, say hello to them. You can exchange your secrets to becoming the best pokémon trainer, and you might make a friend along the way. And don't forget to join plenty of Facebook pages so that you can learn from trainers all around the world.