Winter 1996
Fighting back with exercise and diet
Tino Duran, 62 and diabetic, begins every day with 20 minutes of exercise. "If I don't exercise, I don't feel good and feel like something is missing in my life," he said.
Duran, publisher of La Prensa, a bilingual San Antonio newspaper, has lived with diabetes for almost 30 years. "At first I was diagnosed with 'latent diabetes' at about age 33 and really didn't do anything about it. But by the time I was 44, I realized the disease was getting worse and that I would have to take care of myself—I needed to be around because of the kids who were growing up," he added.
Duran and his wife, Amelia, have seven children, ages 15 to 42. "My wife doesn't have diabetes, but it's in her family. Of all the children, only our 38-year-old son has diabetes."
Duran's exercise sessions are not limited to the morning; he also gets on the Cardiofit™, treadmill or stationary bike after a long work day for another 20-25 minutes. "Exercise improves my agility and thinking. I get my best ideas for the paper when I'm exercising, so I keep a pencil and pad near the bed." The Durans' bedroom doubles as a mini health club with several pieces of equipment.
"I enjoy this, it's like therapy. I plan to continue with the exercise and diet one day at a time. I hope the Lord keeps me in shape till I pass on; I don't want to die of complications of diabetes. I want to die of 'natural causes'—old age," he quipped.
