Most days, I get up around 4:30 a.m. to head to the gym. I like going at that hour because it’s fairly empty and everyone is there to work, not to socialize or chitchat. It’s a “fit it in and get it done” kind of mentality.

[See: 8 Morning and Nighttime Rituals Health Pros Swear By.]

Lately though, I’ve noticed something on my early morning commute to my workout: the roads and sidewalks are a bit more crowded. I’m not just talking about runners and walkers beating summer heat, but also teens and 20-somethings with one trait in common: a blue light glare from a smart phone on their faces and Nintendo’s Pokemon GO app on their phone.

Yes, Pokemon GO has even taken over the streets at dawn.

As someone who has worked in the fitness and nutrition industry for over two decades, you might think I would celebrate Pokemon GO. After all, the game — which uses GPS coordinates and augmented reality to place Pokemon in nearby mapped areas, to which the player must walk to capture — is turning sedentary people into active ones. Yes, folks are upping their walking mileage from zero to six a day in pursuit of Pikachu. Yes, former couch potatoes are finding the fun and excitement of moving and are getting up and out of the house. Yes, people are building community in the name of an augmented reality scavenger hunt. All across our nation, the media is selling the benefits of Pokemon GO in terms of health, the great outdoors and community.

But like the augmented reality the game is based on, many of the game’s health benefits are nothing but an illusion.

Since the game’s popularity exploded, there have been reports of pedestrian injury, traffic jams and even a public stampede in New York City when people spotted a rare Pokemon character. While playing the game, two men walked off of a cliff, a man got stabbed and two people got robbed. But even beyond injury and criminality, perhaps the greatest downside to Pokemon GO is that it takes us out of our own lives and actively throws us into someone else’s game — sometimes for hours a day.

We don’t need any additional reason to check out of our own lives. Sadly, we already do that daily, whether it’s via Facebook, Instagram, television, email, alcohol, text messages or food. We avoid. We numb out. We find ways to distract ourselves.

It’s time to say goodbye to the game and become an active player in our own lives. But how? In fact, by tapping into the same techniques the gaming industry uses to hook players: Mystery, incentive, laughter and empowerment, says Steve Shenbaum, founder of Game On, a communications company that specializes in game dynamics to improve leadership and team building. “My hope is that our society can take this dangerously powerful addiction to augmented reality and redirect it,” he says. “Imagine if we put this same effort and passion into relationships, love, authenticity and pursuing health.”

Start with these tips:

1. Create an element of surprise in exercise.

People are attracted to the mystery of Pokemon GO. Where will the characters be hiding? Which characters will we catch? Replicate this element of fun and surprise by incorporating it into your fitness routine. CrossFit, for example, has grown in such popularity in part because of the community, but also because participants don’t always know what’s coming next. What’s tomorrow’s workout? Can I keep up? If CrossFit isn’t your scene, consider trying any new activity or workout. The sheer novelty and uncertainty can be enough mystery to get you hooked.

[See: 10 Fun Kid Activities for Adult Bodies and Minds.]

2. Give yourself meaningful incentives.

One of the reasons Pokemon GO is so successful is because it offers incentives. Every level conquered means new rewards and new Pokemon “gear” to help you reach the next level. Want incentives in life? Create meaningful ones for yourself. Decide that any time you achieve a goal, you’ll reward it. Maybe that means buying a new laptop to help your small business. If you’re working hard to become healthier, maybe you purchase new running shoes or an activity tracker. Buying something that helps you in the pursuit of what you want to achieve positively rewards behavior and effort and makes it more likely you will succeed at the next level.

3. Find the fun in life.

Long commutes, deadlines and the ability for your boss to email and call you 24/7 can take the enjoyment out of any given day, especially when we are pulled by routine. Find the joy again by incorporating something you love into every single day. Maybe this is simply eating your lunch outside, making time to go to the driving range once a week or dancing to your favorite tune in the bathroom each morning. Create opportunity every day to do something that makes you feel alive, engaged and present, considering what you have time for and what you need the most. When we design our lives based on the things that matter most to us, we’re happier and more fulfilled. We can create an entertaining life rather than filling the need to be entertained.

4. Get empowered.

While I don’t know what it’s like to capture a rare Vaporeon on Pokemon, I do know the feeling of crossing things off of my bucket list. I imagine they feel similar — temporarily, at least. But after achieving something in Pokemon GO, what is left? For me, when I recall experiences like running my first marathon or finishing my doctorate, I can be reminded of that sense of accomplishment because of the amount of time, effort and sacrifice that went into those goals. Of course, even smaller achievements are exciting and meaningful as well. It’s all about some sweat equity and investing your time. The one thing we have control over is how we decide to show up.

[See: 10 Ways to Live Healthier and Save Money Doing It.]

You can take back the game. Be a player in your own life. You can bring the effort, bring the energy and create the excitement. Let’s make it so the pursuit of the best version of ourselves is not rarer than a Pokemon character.

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Here’s Why One Fitness Professional Isn’t a Fan of Pokemon GO originally appeared on usnews.com