Cuban President Raul Castro said his brother Fidel Castro, the former leader, is in very good condition for his age, local media reported Tuesday, Xinhua reported.
Fidel, who will turn 84 in August, is doing a lot reading and writing, Raul said while touring the province of Santiago de Cuba, which was rocked by a 5.5-magnitude earthquake last Saturday.
Fidel "does exercises every day and is now more disciplined than ever," Raul said, adding that his brother now has lunch and dinner on time, goes to bed early and no longer works until seven in the morning as he used to do.
However, Raul said Fidel has suffered some health problems since he stumbled and fell in October 2004, when he broke his shoulder and left knee.
"But now he can raise his hand up like this and writes very well," Raul said.
Fidel suffered from intestinal bleeding in late July 2006. Out of health consideration, he officially handed power in February 2008 to Raul, then the country's first vice president.