Obama works out before beach, tennis

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HONOLULU, Jan. 2 (UPI) -- President Barack Obama and his family enjoyed another day vacationing in Hawaii Saturday.

In the morning, the president got in another workout at the Marine Corps Base and just before noon he and his family left their vacation home for a trip to Pyramid Rock Beach where they spent about 3 hours. News photographers were advised by the White House that Obama does not want to be photographed bare-chested, The New York Times said.

The press corps trailing the Obamas reported seeing about eight people gathered along the roadway holding signs about Israel, including one that read "No Wars For Israel." A minivan bearing the same exhortation was spotted a short distance down the road.

Shortly after returning home after their beach outing, the first family went to the Kailua Racquet Club to play tennis for an hour or so.

Glimpses of the president were rare Saturday, with Obama seen briefly in what appeared to be a blue T-shirt through the motorcade windows.

Julian Zelizer, a historian at Princeton University, told the Times Obama was right to keep a low profile.

"I think the White House is extraordinarily cautious about getting the right pictures out there, not sending the wrong message, because going off to Hawaii two years into a recession when a lot of people are unemployed does not come off well," he said. "You don't want the president bodysurfing when the public doesn't have a job."

The Obamas are scheduled to return to Washington Monday night.