Stay Flexible

Weigh your risk for arthritis with this free quiz from Methodist Health System

Exercise reduces joint pain and stiffness.

Photo by Inti St. Clair/Getty

As gyms begin to reopen, medical experts caution that to keep yourself safe from the coronavirus it's still smarter to exercise outdoors, as far away from other people as possible. But whether you're a regular runner or have taken up cycling during the pandemic, it's important to do all you can to keep your joints as healthy as your muscles.

According to Methodist Health System, about 773,000 Americans have a hip or knee replaced each year in the United States. An estimated 22.7 percent, or 54.4 million, of adults have doctor-diagnosed arthritis, and African Americans and Hispanics are at higher risk to report work limitations and severe joint pain caused by arthritis than Caucasians.

Arthritis literally means joint inflammation. The term is often used to refer to any of the more than 100 diseases that affect the joints – where two or more bones meet to allow movement.

Methodist has put together a free quiz to help identify if you're at risk for joint damage, and what you can do now to help minimize your chances of developing it.

In the meantime, be aware of these common risk factors:

Being overweight. Our joints carry the weight of our bodies and the more weight we have to carry, the harder it is for our joints to work properly.
Not exercising enough. Regular, moderate exercise offers a whole host of benefits to people with arthritis. Exercise reduces joint pain and stiffness, builds strong muscle around the joints, and increases flexibility and endurance.
Repetitive, heavy lifting. Certain occupations involving repetitive knee bending and squatting are associated with osteoarthritis — or the degeneration of joint cartilage and the underlying bone — of the knee.

Once you take Methodist Health System's free risk assessment, you can opt to receive a personalized report with information about your health, periodic health-related emails, and a free screening and consultation by a certified clinician (only available to higher-risk individuals).

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happy go lucky plano

Dallas neighbor dazzles on new list of happiest cities in America

Photo courtesy of Visit Plano

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A new happiness study has ranked Plano one of the happiest cities in America this year, and it once again landed on top as the happiest city in Texas.

Plano has moved up on the list and ranks as the 16th happiest U.S. city in 2026. Last year, it was 17th.

WalletHub determined the happiest cities in America based on 29 relevant metrics based on "positive-psychology research" across three main categories: emotional and physical wellbeing, income and employment, and community and environment. As with most WalletHub studies, it compared the 182 most populous U.S. cities.

Fremont, California claimed the top spot as the happiest city nationwide for another year. Bismark, North Dakota and Scottsdale, Arizona, respectfully, rounded out the top three.

Here's how WalletHub ranked Plano across the three key dimensions:

No. 15 – Emotional and physical wellbeing
No. 22 – Community and environment
No. 72 – Income and employment

Plano and its residents have continued improving their city year after year, whether its through opening new bakeries and restaurants, inviting fun pop-ups for locals, or having a strong job market.

Plano's happiness far outshines the rest of North Texas; according to WalletHub, Irving is the 70th happiest city in the country, the third-happiest in Texas, and the second-happiest city in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro. Garland ranked farther behind as No. 92 nationally, and more DFW cities ranked even lower: Grand Prairie (No. 106), Dallas (No. 111), Fort Worth (No. 113), and Arlington (No. 119).

The report additionally found that Dallasites spend the third-most amount of time at work in the nation. The city ranked No. 180 in the national analysis of U.S. cities with the "fewest work hours."

WalletHub also emphasized that money doesn't buy happiness — after a certain point.

"For decades, researchers have explored the science of happiness and identified several core factors, including mental well-being, physical health, strong social ties, job satisfaction, and financial stability," the report said. "Still, income has its limits — studies show that earning more than $75,000 a year does not lead to greater happiness."

Six-figure earners in Plano aren't necessarily as happy as those who don't make as much, as a separate financial study from SmartAsset revealed these big earners are only taking home about $72,653 after taxes and adjusted for the cost of living.

This is how other Texas cities ranked in the report:

No. 39 – Austin
No. 128 – Houston
No. 135 – Lubbock
No. 137 – El Paso
No. 140 – Laredo
No. 143 – Amarillo
No. 150 – Brownsville
No. 154 – San Antonio
No. 155 – Corpus Christi

wallethub plano reports

Stay Flexible

Weigh your risk for arthritis with this free quiz from Methodist Health System

happy go lucky plano

Dallas neighbor dazzles on new list of happiest cities in America

This is the income it takes to be middle class in Dallas-Fort Worth in 2026

Scenic Dallas-area campsite named one of America's best in 2026

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