Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is an important risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD) (Hwang and Lee, 2017). The literature emphasizes that the prevalence of MCI and AD will continue to increase and draws attention to this area (Realdon et al., 2016). The MCI stage, which is the most active part of AD, provides a "window of opportunity" for the prevention and treatment of AD (Wu, 2020). Early prevention strategies are considered important, especially during this period. Improving the individual's cognitive functions and reducing symptoms in the MCI stage will reduce the incidence of AD, thereby reducing healthcare costs and improving the individual's condition and quality of life (Jak, 2012). Since AD is irreversible and faces significant treatment challenges, the key to preventing and treating the disease is to take early prevention and intervention measures (Zhang et al., 2021). When considering these interventions, focus is placed on potentially modifiable risk factors that ma

In our study workshop activities conducted for eight weeks and included an Exercise Workshop (Music-Based Exercise Workshop, Exercise Training with Active Video Games (Exergaming), Clinical Pilates Training Workshop, Cognitive Exercise Therapy Approach Workshop, Nordic walking, dance therapy), Skill-Oriented Art Workshop (Systemic Calligraphy Therapy Workshop, soap-candle making workshop, culinary arts workshop), and Disease Awareness Studies (disease awareness information and education, the process from diagnosis to acceptance, experiences of patients and relatives, use of daily life technologies, home adjustments against falls, introduction of municipal services for the elderly).

It is emphasized in the literature that the Mini Mental State Examination (MMST) is the most frequently used test worldwide for cognitive disorders (Ciesielska et al., 2016). MMST tests orientation, memory, attention, calculation, recall, language, motor function and perception, and visuospatial abilities, and its greatest advantage is that it can be applied easily and quickly (Salis et al., 2023). MMST was used to evaluate cognitive functions in our study. A score between 27-30 on the MMST is considered normal, 24-27 as MCI, 20-23 as mild stage, 10-19 as moderate stage, and 0-9 as advanced stage dementia (Güngen et al., 2002). Individuals with a score of 27 or less on the MMST were included in our study.

MoCA is one of the most frequently used tools in clinics to assess cognitive functions and has been translated into 35 languages (Sokolowska et al., 2018). It tests many cognitive domains including short-term memory, visual-spatial skills, executive functions, attention, concentration and working memory, language and orientation. It has been reported that its sensitivity varies between 67-100% and its specificity between 50-95% when evaluated using different cutoffs (Zhuang et al., 2021). The advantage of the test is that it provides a more comprehensive assessment compared to the assessment methods used in the field and is used quite frequently in the elderly population (Breton et al., 2019). MoCA was used in the project to assess the change in cognitive functions of individuals with cognitive impairment.

Handgrip strength is a suitable measurement method for both clinical practice and public health research. Although the measurement of handgrip strength evaluates the function of a muscle group, it can be used to obtain a general idea about the musculoskeletal system in older adults. For this reason, it has been accepted as an indicator of general body strength. In our study, hand dynamometer and pinchmeter devices were used to evaluate the muscle strength of the participants. For the measurement of handgrip strength, participants were asked to sit in a chair with back support and fixed arms and rest their forearms on the arm of the chair so that their wrists were just at the edge of the chair. Measurements were made three times with a hand dynamometer, one minute apart, from the right and left hands, and the average of the results was recorded (Vermeulen et al., 2015).