Exercise and dementia

Evidence overview of exercise and physical activity for people living with dementia.

Despite the rapid increase in evidence from the past decade on daily steps and health-related outcomes, existing systematic reviews primarily focused on few outcomes, such as all-cause mortality. This study synthesised the prospective dose-response relationship between daily steps and health outcomes including all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, cognitive outcomes, mental health outcomes, physical function, and falls.
Ding, D., Nguyen, B., Nau, T., Luo, M., del Pozo Cruz, B., Dempsey, P. C., Munn, Z., Jefferis, B. J., Sherrington, C., Calleja, E. A., Chong, K. H., Davis, R., Francois, M. E., Tiedemann, A., Biddle, S. J. H., Okely, A., Bauman, A., Ekelund, U., Clare, P., Owen, K., & the Daily Steps and Health Outcomes in Adults Research Group. (2025). Daily steps and health outcomes in adults: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis. The Lancet Public Health, 10(7), https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(25)00164-1

To systematically evaluate the effect of physical exercise intervention on the activities of daily living (ADL) on patients with Alzheimer’s dementia (AD) and explore the optimal exercise scheme.
Liu, C., Gao, S., & Li, S. (2024). The effect of physical exercise intervention on the ability of daily living in patients with Alzheimer's dementia: a meta-analysis. Frontiers in aging neuroscience, 16, 1391611. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2024.1391611

Exercise is a promising nonpharmacological therapy for cognitive dysfunction, but it is unclear which type of exercise is most effective. The objective of this study was to compare and rank the effectiveness of various exercise interventions on cognitive function in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia and to examine the effects of exercise on the symptoms relevant to cognitive impairment.
Huang, X., Zhao, X., Li, B., Cai, Y., Zhang, S., Wan, Q., & Yu, F. (2022). Comparative efficacy of various exercise interventions on cognitive function in patients with mild cognitive impairment or dementia: A systematic review and network meta-analysis. Journal of sport and health science, 11(2), 212–223. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jshs.2021.05.003

Physical activity improves overall health and reduces the risk of many negative health outcomes and may be effective in improving cognition, independent functioning, and psychological health in older adults. Given the evidence linking physical activity with improvements in various aspects of health and functioning, interventions exploring pathways for decreasing risk of dementia in those with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and improving outcomes for those with dementia are of critical importance. The present review highlights the work examining physical activity interventions in order to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the potential benefits of physical activity for individuals experiencing cognitive decline. The primary focus is on aerobic exercise as this is the main intervention in the literature. Our review supports the thesis that physical activity can promote healthy aging in terms of cognition, independent functioning, and psychological health for individuals experiencing cognitive decline. Specifically, physical activity improves cognition, especially executive functioning and memory in MCI, independent functioning in MCI and dementia, and psychological health in dementia. Nuzum, H., Stickel, A., Corona, M., Zeller, M., Melrose, R. J., & Wilkins, S. S. (2020). Potential Benefits of Physical Activity in MCI and Dementia. Behavioural neurology, 2020, 7807856. https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/7807856

Leading a physically active lifestyle can have a significant impact on the wellbeing of people with dementia.

Exercise can help to improve or maintain memory, thinking, and the daily function of people with dementia

Information for those who care for a person living with dementia including ideas, tips and strategies on supporting exercise.