Product Review: Elations Makes My Knees Happy, But Not My Budget

I come from a family of weak-kneed women, and I don't mean that in the swooning sense. My mother has always had trouble with her knees, and my little sister has knee issues, as well. While a lot of that trouble may stem from begin overweight in my mother's case, and doing a lot of running and high-impact exercise as a middle-schooler and teenager in my sister's case, it's clear that the problem is at least partly hereditary.

When I gave running a try a couple of years ago, I quickly found my knees weren't going to be up to the steady pounding unless I was willing to pop ibuprofen and put up with the constant clicking and crackling. And even after I stopped running, my knees never forgave me. Walking up stairs, and sometimes even plain walking, can cause my knees to pop and crackle.

About a year ago, my sister suggested I try taking a glucosamine-chondroitin supplement. She swore it made a huge difference for her, so I gave it a try. Low-and-behold, the crackling and popping subsided, although it didn't go away completely. When I came across the opportunity at FitBloggin'10 to try Elations, a liquid supplement that claimed to help maintain healthy joints and promote healthy joint function, I wasn't interested at first. I was already taking a glucosamine-chondroitin supplement, after all. What was the point in trying something new? But eventually I gave in and traded my current supplement for Elations, which includes not only glucosamine and chondroitin, but also boron and calcium.

I'm glad I did. Surprisingly, within a few days of taking the daily liquid supplement my knees seemed to get even better than they had been using the regular glucosamine-chondroitin supplement. The bottled supplement, which I tried in Cranberry-Apple, Black Cherry and Raspberry White Grape flavors, wasn't my favorite. The flavors were a bit strong for my liking. I loved the powdered packets that I was able to add to my water, though--probably because I could temper the strength of the flavors with extra water. I really liked the Raspberry White Grape flavor this way.

Unfortunately, once I ran out of the three week supply of Elations, I wasn't able to afford it. While I consider glucosamine supplements to be pretty pricey (I usually pay about $30 for a 90 day supply), Elations is even more so ($6.97 for a 6-pack of liquid or box of 7 powder sticks, or about $30 to $35 for a 30 day supply). If the cost doesn't bother you and you're interested in giving Elations a try, you can find it in the vitamin and supplement aisles of most stores. You can also get a $1-off coupon from their website.

If I decide to start running again, I might have to reconsider Elations and readjust my budget to include it. For now, though, I'm back to taking my regular glocosamine-chondroitin supplement, and my knees are relatively happy.

*Disclaimer: I received samples of Elations in exchange for my honest review. I was not compensated in any other way. The opinions and thoughts expressed are my own.