Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that increases in frequency with advancing age and affects many cognitive areas, primarily memory, but also language, attention, executive functions, and learning. The clinical course of the disease is not limited to cognitive decline; it leads to multidimensional consequences such as behavioral and psychological symptoms, mobility limitations, risk of falls, sleep disorders, and increased dependence in activities of daily living. Therefore, AD is a significant public health problem that increases the burden of care at the individual and family levels and is associated with long-term care needs, increased costs, and a marked decline in quality of life for healthcare systems.

Although there is no definitive cure for AH, pharmacological treatments provide some benefit, but in recent years, non-pharmacological interventions and lifestyle-based approaches have become increasingly important. In this context, exercise is of particular importance because it is a powerful intervention tool that targets a modifiable behavioral risk factor, such as a sedentary lifestyle, from a preventive health perspective, and also helps to preserve functional capacity and activities of daily living as much as possible after the onset of the disease. The current literature shows that regular physical activity has the potential to slow cognitive decline, support balance and mobility, contribute to reducing the risk of falls, alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety, and help maintain activities of daily living. Therefore, exercise should be considered not as a standalone solution in AD management, but as one of the fundamental components of a comprehensive, sustainable, and individualized care approach.

This section briefly summarizes the definition, epidemiology, and pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease, followed by a discussion of the role of exercise in current treatment approaches and its potential effects. Subsequently, exercise types (aerobic, strength, balance, flexibility, dual-task applications, and aquatherapy) that can be adapted to the clinical picture and functional capacity in the early-to-mid and advanced stages of the disease are systematically addressed; safety precautions and stage-specific application details are emphasized.